What happened to Tammy Faye Messner? Jessica Chastain Oscars 2022 acceptance speech is a tribute to American evangelist

Out of the many memorable awards that were given at the 2022 Oscars, one stood out for its heartfelt tribute.

Jessica Chastain won Best Actress in a Leading Role for her work as Tammy Faye Messner in the biographical drama, The Eyes of Tammy Faye.

As the star began her acceptance speech for her first-ever Oscar, she became emotional discussing the inspiration behind the movie. She stated that her character's radical acts of love were an inspiration to her at a time when the world was going through turmoil.

The 45-year-old said:

"In times like these, I think of Tammy. We've talked about love a lot tonight. And I'm inspired by her compassion and I see it as a guiding principle that leads us forward and it connects us all in the desire that we want to be accepted for who we are, for who we love and to live a life without the fear of violence or terror."

The 2022 Oscars returned to the Dolby Theatre with hosts Regina Hall, Wanda Sykes, and Amy Schumer. As part of the Academy's efforts to improve ratings after last year's lowest rating, eight of the 23 awards were not presented live.

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What happened to Tammy Faye Messner?

Tammy Faye Messner, a former evangelist and singer who co-hosted many television programs with her then-husband Jim Bakker, died on July 20, 2007, at her home near Kansas City.

The cause of her death was colon cancer that had spread to her lungs.

CNN's Larry King announced her death the next day, according to the family's wishes for a delayed announcement.

Tammy Faye Messner was a guest on his show, Larry King Live, a day before her death. During the episode, she revealed that she only weighed 65 pounds and could not swallow food.

When King announced the singer's death on his show, he spoke about her wishes and highlighted that she wanted her death to be a celebration:

"She wanted a party. They're going to schedule a party in two to three weeks in Palm Springs, California. Her friends will be invited. And she wanted it to be a celebration. She died peacefully. Anyone who saw her on our show this week knew that she didn't have long."

Tammy Faye Messner was married to Jim Bakker for 30 years before she divorced him in 1992 while he was serving a prison sentence for fraud and conspiracy. She then married contractor Roe Messner in 1993.

Speaking about his ex-wife's death, Bakker said:

"Our family is deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Tammy Faye. She lived her life like the song she sang, 'If Life Hands You a Lemon, Make Lemonade.' My heart aches for my two children, Jamie Charles and Tammy Sue, who loved their mother dearly. They both told me their mom was so full of life that it is hard to believe she is gone."

Messner underwent surgery for colon cancer in 1996. However, in 2004, she revealed that the disease had spread to her lungs. In 2007, she said that the doctors had stopped trying to treat her.

Over the course of her life, Messner recorded more than 25 albums and wrote several books.

Despite her battle with cancer, she told King on his show that she believed in her faith, instructing the doctors not to tell her how much time she had left.

When asked if she had a message for the fans, Messner said:

"I'd like to say that I genuinely love you, and I genuinely care, and I genuinely want to see you in heaven someday. I want you to find peace. I want you to find joy."

The Eyes of Tammy Faye, directed by Michael Showalter, revolves around Tammy Faye Messner's rise, fall, and redemption.

As Chastain paid homage to Messner, the audience and viewers also paid their respects to the famous televangelist.