- Jerry Falwell Jr. has denied that he resigned from his role as President of Liberty University.
- Confusion over his possible resignation comes after his business partner said that he had an affair with Falwell’s wife for years while the Liberty University president watched.
- “Becki and I developed an intimate relationship and Jerry enjoyed watching from the corner of the room,” 29-year-old Giancarlo Granda told Reuters in an interview.
- Falwell said Sunday that his wife had an “inappropriate personal relationship,” but added that he “was not involved.”
Jerry Falwell Jr. is denying reports that he resigned from his position as president of Liberty University following allegations that Falwell watched while his wife had a sexual relationship with Falwell’s business partner.
“I have not resigned,” Falwell told POLITICO Monday evening, despite numerous reports citing school officials saying he had submitted his resignation. He told the publication that he does not know how news of his resignation got out, adding: “I have not resigned. I will be on indefinite leave.”
His denial comes after business partner Giancarlo Granda alleged that he had an affair with Becki Falwell that spanned six years, from 2012 to 2018. Granda alleges that he began his relationship with the couple in March 2012 when he was 20-years-old working at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel, Reuters reported Monday. Granda told the publication that he and Becki Falwell had sex “multiple times per year” while Jerry Falwell watched.
“Becki and I developed an intimate relationship and Jerry enjoyed watching from the corner of the room,” 29-year-old Granda told Reuters in an interview. (RELATED: ‘I Want The Same Equal Treatment’: Biden Accuser Tara Reade Tears Into Media, Women’s Groups, Democratic Politicians)
Falwell was alleged to have resigned from his position Monday, according to nonprofit outlet Religion News Service, after he told the Washington Examiner in a lengthy Sunday night statement that his wife had an “inappropriate personal relationship” with which Falwell “was not involved.”
That statement came before Reuter’s story containing Granda’s allegations. Falwell declined to provide further information to the Daily Caller News Foundation beyond his statements to the Examiner.
A close friend contacted the DCNF Monday afternoon unsolicited, saying that Falwell denied the entire Reuters story.
The encounters took place at hotels in Miami and New York and at the Falwell’s Virginia home, according to Granda, who said that his relationship with the couple went south when he attempted to negotiate a buyout with the Falwells over a business arrangement he had with them.
Granda provided Reuters with emails, texts, audio recordings and screenshots of a FaceTime call. In a series of texts from June examined by Reuters, Granda reportedly threatened to “take the kamikaze route” and accused Jerry Falwell of “ruining his life.”
“It really is a shame because I wanted to reach a peaceful resolution and just move on with our lives but if conflict is what you want, then so be it,” Granda added, according to Reuters.
“You should by now understand that I will not be extorted,” Falwell told Granda in the text exchange, the publication reported. “I have always treated you fairly and been restrained in response to your threats because I did not wish to ruin your life. Going forward, stop contacting me and my family.”
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