Home Christian News Comedian John Crist Tells Nate Bargatze He’s Happy Sexual Misconduct Was Exposed

Comedian John Crist Tells Nate Bargatze He’s Happy Sexual Misconduct Was Exposed

“Not once from that time forward have we ever deleted anyone’s comment or tried to block anyone,” Crist said. “This life is way better. The only thing worse about what happened to me was the last 10 years prior, because I was drinking and doing all that kind of stuff and I felt if [my audience] knew, they would all crush me. That’s what I lived for the whole comedy career — and that [hidden lifestyle] was horrific.”

The Response After Crist Returned to the Stage

Crist said when the sexual allegations were released in the Charisma News article on November 5, 2019, he became suicidal.

“That’s what’s wild,” Crist said, adding that growing up, he learned that “Christianity is very shame-based…if you did something bad, you don’t say it, you hide it.”

Crist described encountering a family at a restaurant who recognized him and called out his name after he’d left rehab. Crist said expected them to “say I’m a bad Christian or a bad influence on kids or a bad role model.” Instead, the family told him, “We just want to let you know that we missed you and we’ve been thinking about you and we’ve been praying for you.” The ‘Church Hunters‘ star told the other comedians that the family’s actions and words confused him because he thought when everyone knew his [sin], “It’d be the end of me.”

“When you’re growing up, your parents would close the door of your room,” Crist said, recalling that his parents would warn him when he was younger that whatever he did [in secret], “God’s watching!”

“God’s coming for you if He catches you doing anything” is the lesson Crist said he learned, and added that it is a scary thing to say to a 5-year-old.

Christian Comedians

The four comedians talked about the evolution of Christian comedy over the years. Crist said Christian comedian and Gaither Vocal Band alum Mark Lowry told him, “I don’t know how you’re getting away with saying some of this stuff, because I said the phrase ‘breaking wind’ and got kicked out of a church.”

Crist will join the “Fresh Cuts Comedy Tour” in September, none of which will be held in churches.

Watch the entire podcast interview below. Warning: The comics use the dark times in their lives as part of their comic acts. Their comments could be viewed as insensitive to some.