Baton Rouge, Louisiana – Prominent American televangelist Jimmy Swaggart has passed away at the age of 90, his ministry confirmed on Tuesday.
In an official statement, the Jimmy Swaggart Ministries expressed gratitude to the medical staff at Baton Rouge General Medical Center in Louisiana for their care and support. No additional details about the cause of his death were disclosed.
Swaggart rose to international fame in the 1980s, reaching an estimated global audience of over 200 million viewers with his fiery sermons and gospel music. However, his career faced a major setback after he was involved in a scandal linked to a prostitute — a transgression he tearfully admitted to his congregation, saying he had “sinned grievously.”
Born into a humble background, Swaggart did not complete formal education. He once worked in a cotton mill and hauled gravel to support himself.
At the age of 17, he married 15-year-old Frances Anderson. The couple had one son, Donnie, who would later follow in his father’s footsteps as a preacher.
Swaggart launched his ministry’s radio broadcast in 1969 and began airing his television preaching program in 1973, further expanding his influence in the evangelical world.
His death marks the end of an era in American televangelism, leaving behind a complex legacy of faith, fame, and controversy.
