Falwell: Uh, About That Photo

The president of Liberty University responds to uproar over 'unzipped pants' photo
By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 5, 2020 6:20 PM CDT

Jerry Falwell Jr.'s last apology was about a face-mask joke. This time, an unexpected photo: "I've apologized to everybody," Falwell said on WLNI 105.9FM, a Virginia radio station. "And I've promised my kids I'm going to try to be—I'm gonna try to be a good boy from here on out." Looks like the Liberty University president tweeted (and deleted) a photo of himself on a yacht, with his pants open and his arm around a woman who had her pants open; both had their shirts hiked up to reveal their belly buttons. The woman is his "wife's assistant," said Falwell on the show, per Politico. "She's pregnant so she couldn’t get her—she couldn't get her pants up."

"And I was like, trying to like—my—I had on pair of jeans that I hadn't worn in a long time so I couldn't get mine zipped either," adds Falwell, the leader of America's largest Christian university. "And so—and so—I just put my belly—I just put my belly out like hers. Whatever. It was a costume party on a—we were on vacation." Pulpit & Pen posted a video of the party, which looks like a parody of the comedy TV show Trailer Park Boys. Criticism of the pic came from liberals and conservatives alike, including CNN pundit S.E. Cupp, who tweeted that there are "already so many good reasons not to entrust your kids to Jerry Falwell Jr's learning institution. The unzipped pants yacht photo—of the school's PRESIDENT—is sadly the least of them." (See what Meghan McCain had to say.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X