Famed televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, a pioneer who once captivated millions with his fiery sermons, passed away at 90. Yet behind the pulpit and spotlight lay a darker story—one of scandal, rivalry, and a career undone by shocking revelations.
Swaggart died on July 1, following cardiac arrest on June 15, as announced on his official Facebook page:
“Today, our hearts are heavy as we share that Brother Swaggart has finished his earthly race and entered into the presence of His Savior, Jesus Christ… At the same time, we rejoice knowing that we will see him again one day.”
Born March 15, 1935, in Ferriday, Louisiana, Jimmy Swaggart grew up steeped in a family legacy of music and faith—cousins with rock legend Jerry Lee Lewis and country star Mickey Gilley. Though he briefly pursued a music career, his true calling emerged in the church, where he became a Pentecostal preacher in the 1950s and was ordained by the Assemblies of God in 1961.
By the 1970s and ‘80s, Swaggart had become one of the most powerful televangelists in America. His gospel albums and charismatic sermons reached millions, and his ministry was valued at over $140 million.
But fame can be fragile.
The Scandal That Rocked a Ministry
In 1988, Swaggart’s career was devastated when he was caught on camera in a compromising encounter with a prostitute named Debra Murphree in New Orleans. The revelation came courtesy of police officer Randy Gorman, son of Marvin Gorman—a defrocked minister and sworn rival of Swaggart’s. Their bitter feud had long been public, fueled by mutual accusations of moral failings.
Marvin Gorman reportedly hired a private investigator who captured Swaggart and Murphree together at a Jefferson Parish motel. Murphree later told Penthouse magazine that she had met Swaggart around 20 times, each rendezvous costing between $30 and $40, usually initiated by Swaggart driving her around in his Lincoln Town Car.
She revealed chilling details: Swaggart requested obscene acts, at times urging her to expose herself publicly for shock value. “He asked me to hop out naked in broad daylight in front of strangers,” Murphree said. “He’d try to get me to pull my pants off in the car. I refused.”
A Failed Cover-Up and Bitter Rivalry
Following the scandal, Swaggart attempted damage control. Reports reveal that he offered Marvin Gorman assistance to be reinstated to televangelism and even a spot on his own show. But the rivalry ran too deep.
Marvin gave Swaggart an ultimatum: fix your “moral problems” within four months, or face public exposure. Swaggart missed the deadline, and the scandal broke wide open.
In a tearful sermon broadcast soon after, Swaggart confessed, “I have sinned against you. I beg you to forgive me,” but notably never admitted to meeting the prostitute.
The fallout was swift. The Assemblies of God demanded Swaggart enter two years of rehab and step away from preaching for a year. He refused and was defrocked.
After the Fall
Swaggart’s once-booming ministry collapsed. Though he continued preaching, his audience shrank dramatically. Undeterred, he launched the SonLife Broadcasting Network in 2009—attempting a comeback on the international Christian stage.
Jimmy Swaggart’s story is a complex tapestry of faith, fame, scandal, and rivalry—a cautionary tale of how even the mightiest can fall.