Falwell says wife had affair, family faced blackmail attempt
August 24, 2020 9:29AM AKDT
By SARAH RANKIN and ELANA SCHOR Associated Press
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Jerry Falwell Jr. says he is seeking help for the “emotional toll” from an affair his wife had with a man who he says later threatened his family. Falwell is currently on a leave of absence as the leader of evangelical Liberty University. He issued a lengthy statement Sunday to The Washington Examiner, publicly disclosing the affair and saying the man involved had been threatening to reveal the relationship to embarrass his wife, family and the university unless the Falwells agreed to pay him a substantial sum of money.