LYNCHBURG, Va. – On Friday, Liberty University announced that Falwell would be taking an “indefinite leave of absence” as president of the university.
Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. posted and deleted a photo from his Instagram account that has many people wondering what happened during his vacation.
On Sunday, Houston Chronicle reporter Robert Downen, posted a screenshot of the photo in question on Twitter adding the comment “wut is happening”
wut is happening pic.twitter.com/8iEOr9EeRQ
— Robert Downen (@RobDownenChron) August 3, 2020
The picture, from the jerryfalwelljr Instagram account, shows Falwell with his pants unzipped, belly showing, part of his beard painted and his arm around a young woman.
The caption on the now-deleted post reads, “More vacation shots. Lots of good friends visited us on the yacht. I promise that’s just black water in my glass. It was a prop only.”
In a slideshow that’s still up on Falwell’s Instagram account, a different picture of Falwell with paint on his beard can be seen. There is also another photo of the woman pictured.
10 News reached out to Liberty University for comment on Monday evening but has not yet received a response.
It’s unclear what the deleted picture was in connection with; however, a Huffington Post article stated it appears to be in connection with a “Trailer Park Boys”-themed party.
The show, “Trailer Park Boys,” is a Canadian mockumentary television series, that has been running for more than 10 seasons.
In the video below, posted by Pulpit & Pen to Vimeo, when Falwell’s image is shown, he’s identified as Julian, one of the characters on the show.
On Twitter, Malachi O’Brien, who is a Falkirk Center fellow, posted that it was indeed Falwell in this photo. The Falkirk Center is part of Liberty University.
I deleted after I got more context on the photo. It was Jerry, so I was wrong.
— Malachi (@malachiobrien) August 3, 2020
It was a photo taken out of context of the other photos w/ it. Did you know that?
What it was was being used to imply is ungodly & seems to have been posted out of context for that reason. https://t.co/PRPNNuP6Ze
Since the now-deleted image has been circulated many people have had strong reactions to it.
Help! I tried to look anywhere not-alarming in this Jerry Falwell Jr. photo and I sprained my eyeballs! People are coming up with all kinds of kooky theories about this pic, but I’ll just go ahead & say it. That is the best Peg Bundy impersonator I’ve ever seen! https://t.co/Eq7SkM0Xxd
— bettemidler (@BetteMidler) August 4, 2020
This is @JerryFalwellJr president of @LibertyU, the Christian University that has championed Trump and was integral to getting him elected.
— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) August 3, 2020
He blocked me when I questioned his alignment with Trump.
He is MAGA Christianity embodied.
Trump supporters will have no problem with this. pic.twitter.com/4mBbEhjS6U
I don’t care about Falwell’s private life. But I’m also struggling to make sense of Falwell’s private life. https://t.co/xlt6pitRI9
— Hemant Mehta (@hemantmehta) August 3, 2020
Context: the Falwell family was in Florida and threw a "Trailer Park Party" for all their friends on a yacht (unclear if it's theirs). The woman is not Jerry's wife or daughter, which makes the placement of his hand...not compliant with the Billy Graham Rule. /1
— Amy Sullivan (@sullivanamy) August 3, 2020