‘Reformed’ Sexual Predator John Crist Complains About His 2019 Cancellation: ‘I don’t agree with the way it was done’
Comedian John Crist has expressed his disapproval for the way he was ‘canceled’ four years ago following multiple allegations of severe and sustained sexual predation, telling The Christian Post in a puff profile lauding him for his accomplishments and deft navigation of the Christian culture, “I don’t agree with the way it was done.”
Four years ago, Crist was at the apex of his career, poised for significant success with a Netflix special and a book deal until his reputation tanked and burst into flames after allegations of sexual misconduct came to light- forcing both to be canceled.
A popular Christian entertainer known for his comedy routines and hip ethos, Crist’s life came to a grinding halt in late 2019 after Charisma News broke the story that a plethora of women were alleging some very unsavory things about him going back nearly a decade, including grooming, harassing and manipulating young women, sexting multiple partners at the same time, committing unrelenting acts of adultery and fornication, bragging about his conquests, and bribing women with tickets to his shows in exchange for sexual favors.
Charisma did some excellent reporting; they had the pictures, texts, and receipts to prove it, sharing that many people knew about it but said nothing and kept promoting him, including folks like Jon Acuff.
Unfortunately, Crist barely copped to the allegations in the Charisma piece, immediately releasing a statement to the magazine where, with a pretty stellar euphemism, he acknowledged:
“Over the past number of years, various women have accused me of behavior that has been hurtful to them. While I am not guilty of everything I’ve been accused of, I confess to being guilty of this — I have treated relationships with women far too casually, in some cases even recklessly.”
Stunning and brave. This non-apology apology might as well have said, “I’m sorry that the women were offended by my actions,” for how insincere and evasive it was.
Soon after, he disappeared to get “healing” for sex addiction, claimed in the process that he almost killed himself (a tactic manipulators use to garner sympathy), and hid out of sight for a while, waiting for the requisite year to pass so that he could emerge back into the limelight to declare that he was now restored and ready to return to evangelicalism’s good graces.
Sixteen months later, he was back on the circuit, emerging from his imposed exile (made easy by the pandemic) and playing sold-out shows to undiscerning Christians eager to forget all the creepy, pervy, manipulative sexual grooming he did and never apologized for or addressed a year and a half prior.
In an article by Leah MarieAnn Klett, almost none of this comes up. Instead, while discussing his new humorous video and all the ways he successfully navigates “the often tricky waters of humor within the Christian community” and “comically pinpoints the stereotypical elements found in many Christian music videos — the conflicts, the spiritual epiphanies, and the almost instantaneous resolutions” while using his “comedic role as a mechanism to keep everyone honest,” she briefly notes the strike against him.
Crist said he came up with the idea for the music video in 2019 during a four-month stay in a treatment facility. His tenure came after Charisma Magazine reported allegations of sexual misconduct toward young female fans.
While one would have hoped she wouldn’t have glossed over that last point when writing a 1,250-word profile about how peaceful and prosperous Crist is, with his sold out shows and a public that’s acted like nothing even happened, she quickly moved on, writing:
Crist said that while experiencing a public cancellation was “the worst thing on planet Earth” and “horrific,” it saved his life.
“I don’t agree with the way it was done, but it did save my life,” he said. “I’m now three and a half, four years past it, and I’ve been sober since that day.”
Perhaps Crist can tell us how it should have been done in a way that would have better suited his tastes and disposition and which he might find more agreeable. But given that he didn’t even cop to the allegations against him, only vague confessions of “treated(ing) relationships with women far too casually” we’re not holding our breath.