Former head of Liberty University Jerry Falwell, Jr. kicks off his week with some dreaded news. The disgraced Evangelical leader and his downfall will serve as the basis for a new limited series.
Journalist Gabe Sherman’s Vanity Fair exposé on the couple–which ran last month and featured the participation of both Falwell and his wife, Becki–will serve as the basis for the scripted show, produced by Michael London and Shannon Gaulding of Groundswell Productions. Sherman will adapt the article to the screen himself.
“Gabe Sherman is setting out to tell the story of a great American family business, where the business is religion,” London said in a statement to Deadline. “It’s an untold story with a larger-than-life cast of characters amassing vast power and fortunes. Yes, there’s a sex scandal, one that consumed the life of Jerry Jr and his wife Becki, but what’s most surprising is the insight and empathy that Gabe brings to their very human struggle to be true to themselves.”
Related: Jerry Falwell Jr. slapped with $30 million lawsuit over pool boy sex scandal
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
A network or streaming service for the show has yet to be announced, though given Groundswell Productions’ relationship with the FX Network, we have a feeling it will end up there.
Sherman’s article had already grabbed headlines thanks to its chronicle of the rise and fall of the Falwells, and the stunning admission that they never “had much use” for Jerry’s father, Jerry Sr.’s church.
Jerry, Jr. resigned as President of Liberty University in 2020 after a former pool boy, Giancarlo Granda, claimed he’d had an affair with the couple. Granada also raised questions about the use of finances by the Falwells, who spent $4.6 million on buying a South Beach, Florida hotel with him as co-owner. Granada further claimed he made a number of sex tapes with the couple.
We hope that the new show also goes into details far beyond the infamous Falwell Pool Boy Gay Sex Scandal, and elaborates on the hedonistic Christian couple’s other exploits. Here are a few details we’d also like to see included:
- The “nudes” scandal of 2019, in which the Falwells hired former Trump attorney Michael Cohen to eliminate at least three nude photos of Becki;
- Becki’s affair with a then-22-year-old Liberty University student, who also played in a band with the couple’s son;
- Jerry Jr.’s publishing of a photo of a mask of Virginia Governor Ralph Northam painted in blackface;
- Jerry Jr.’s brandishing a gun following a mass shooting in San Bernardino, California while encouraging his followers to buy guns and “end those Muslims before they walked in;”
- Jerry Jr.’s surprise endorsement of Donald Trump in 2016, which received wide criticism from other religious leaders. Trump advisor Steven Bannon later credited Falwell with winning the election for Trump;
- Falwell’s encouraging of Liberty University to target LGBTQ students for harassment;
- Falwell’s lawsuit against Liberty University for wrongful termination, which he ultimately withdrew.
Set the DVR now.
Related: People are trolling Jerry Falwell Jr. on Twitter with sexy pool boy GIFs and it’s amazing
Kangol2
Good. Make it free for everyone to watch too. I just hope it doesn’t in any way trivialize the immense harm and damage this monstrous man and his wife have done, ranging from targeting LGBTQ students at Liberty to encouraging anti-LGBTQ attitudes among evangelicals to helping to elect Don the Con, who appointed anti-LGBTQ judges to the federal judiciary and supported anti-LGBTQ (and racist, misogynistic, etc.) politicians and officials all over the US!
white-queer-african
@Kangol2, agreed 110%. So they will tumble and fall, one-by-one.
On a side note. Several new Queerty articles today with not a single banal comment from SamB et al. Hopefully we have managed to STBU. Until the next new screenname! Oi vey.
Lol. Lol. Lol.
barryaksarben
Where is Samb is the new wheres waldo. Baker acted? in jail for soliciting ? to busy supporting Tucker Carlson? lost trying to find Ukraine on a map? The article about Falwell in Vanity Fair lets this pos off the hook so much that I dont have much hope for a true expose of this vicious homophobe. He has such a long history of using religion to pay his bills and attack his enemies I was shocked that he admits to not being religious. We all knew he was and is no real christian. He and his trampy wife just keep trying to make themselves the victims. DISGUSTING. When you think of the young peoples lives he has destroyed at that phony university it is appaulling that he thinks they were treated unfairly.
white-queer-african
@barryaksarben, I have made it my mission to call out SamB et al everytime it makes a comment on Queerty. 99% of SamB et al comments are negative and anti gay, pro GOP and fürher Trump.
The BMSTFU and crawl back into it’s trailer.
tjack47
His father was a monster. It’s no surprise Jr.s a teratogen.
Den
“…but what’s most surprising is the insight and empathy that Gabe brings to their very human struggle to be true to themselves.”
There is no struggle to remain true to themselves here. Just the desire of two grifters and self absorbed asses to minimize damage as their house of cards collapsed.
No empathy for them is justified in any way!
scotty
so theyre actually gonna remake every poolboys dream. huh, never saw that one coming.
Paulie P
it wasn’t that interesting a story to begin with.
QJ201
At least it’s not getting the Ryan Murphy Treatment
American Crime Story: The Pool Boy
cuteguy
This loser is representative of what the GQP/KKK stand for now