Jerry Falwell Jr sex scandal: Wife Becki says they are 'more in love than ever' after pool boy affair
Becki Falwell has opened up about her years-long affair with former pool boy and business partner Giancarlo Granda, 29 -- that has seen her husband Jerry Falwell Jr. slammed for hypocrisy -- and insisted that they still have the "strongest relationship."
MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) previously reported how Falwell Jr., an evangelical Christian, and vocal Trump supporter, had stepped down as the president of Liberty University, which his father Reverend Jerry Falwell set up 50 years ago, over the scandal. While admitting the affair, he had pinned the blame on his wife and stressed he was coming forward about the ordeal because Granda had threatened his family and blackmailed him.
Granda, on the other hand, claimed he had texts and audio recordings that proved that Falwell Jr., known for his stance against same-sex relationships and premarital or extramarital sex between men and women, had liked to watch him have sex with Becki over the course of an affair that lasted six years between 2012 and 2018.
The 29-year-old claimed he had sex with Becki in hotel rooms in Miami and New York, and also the Falwells' home in Virginia, and that, contrary to Falwell Jr.'s claims, their relationship had been approved by him. "Becki and I developed an intimate relationship and Jerry enjoyed watching from the corner of the room," he told Reuters.
The back-and-forth between the trio continued as Becki spoke out about the affair for the first time in an interview with the Associated Press where she defended her relationship with her husband and said they were "more in love than ever." "We have the strongest relationship, and Jerry is the most forgiving person I’ve ever met," she said. "It’s a shame that Christians can’t give us the same forgiveness that Christ gave us."
Her assurances that they were still going strong as a couple came amidst the backdrop of Falwell Jr. repeatedly changing his mind over whether to resign from Liberty University. He had reportedly first offered to resign on Monday, August 24, hours after Granda's interview with Reuters was published, and a few weeks after the university had asked him to take a leave of absence over another scandal -- a photo he posted on Instagram with his pants unzipped and his arms around a woman who was not his wife.
Falwell Jr. then reversed the course of his resignation and began telling news outlets he had no intention of leaving. He then changed his mind again on Tuesday, August 25, shifting blame for the affair on his wife and claiming he was stepping down to protect the university.
"That’s the only reason I resigned: because I don’t want something my wife did to harm the school I’ve spent my whole life building," he told the Associated Press. "I never broke a single rule that applies to staff members at Liberty, which I was. So I want everybody to know that."
He went on to suggest there were better pastures awaiting him. "’m 58 years old, and I think there’s something else in the cards for me. And so the board was gracious in accepting my resignation ... and it’s time to move on," he said.