Jim Bakker, televangelist disgraced by sex scandal, dies at 86
Jim Bakker rose to prominence in the 1980s, achieving fame on the evangelical TV program 'The PTL Club'.
Jim Bakker, the once-prominent televangelist who built a media empire before being embroiled in a sex scandal and financial crimes, passed away on Monday at the age of 86, his second wife Lori Bakker confirmed. The cause of death remains undisclosed. The Jim Bakker Show, which the couple hosted together since 2003, marked their final public appearance.
Bakker and his first wife, Tammy Faye Messner, gained fame in the 1980s through their Christian television program, The PTL Club. However, Bakker's career took a devastating turn in 1989 when he was convicted of defrauding followers of over $158 million for his Heritage USA Christian vacation park in South Carolina. Tammy Faye had since divorced Bakker and became an advocate for the LGBTQ community, passing away in 2007 due to cancer.
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