Former President of US Liberty University, Jerry Falwell Jr, has made his first visit to the campus in three years after stepping down following an affair scandal.
On Saturday, Falwell and his wife Becki attended a football game at the evangelical university founded by his father, prominent evangelical Rev Jerry Falwell.
Falwell Jr was one of the first leading evangelical figures to endorse Trump in 2016.
In 2020, Falwell Jr resigned from the University after revelations emerged of an alleged affair between the couple and their business partner, Giancarlo Granda.
Falwell Jr confirmed in a statement that his wife “had an inappropriate personal relationship” with Granda but denied involvement. However, Granda insisted that his relationship with Becki was endorsed by Jerry, who “enjoyed watching from the corner of the room”. Granda disclosed screenshots of texts between himself and the couple to Reuters.
Following the allegations, Falwell Jr sued the University, claiming the Board of Trustees had accepted inaccurate claims against his moral character which forced him to resign.
In 2020, he stated: “While I have nothing but love and appreciation for the Liberty community, and I had hoped to avoid litigation, I must take the necessary steps to restore my reputation and hopefully help repair the damage to the Liberty University brand in the process.”
Now, the rift appears to have healed as settlement was reached in July.
The University said: "This agreement is grounded in a firm commitment to protecting and preserving Liberty's original mission of developing Christ-centered men and women with the values, knowledge, and skills essential to impact the world."