A woman named Becky is lounging by the pool at the Fountain Blue Hotel when a good looking pool attendant catches her eye.

She asks him if he'd like to go on a date, but there's a catch.

Her husband wants in on the action too.

What begins as an unconventional proposition will soon throw them all into the international spotlight.

And that's because the couple is none other than Jerry Falwell Jr. and his wife Becky, two of the most powerful figures in Evangelical America.

But as they're forbidden fling blossomed into a full-fledged relationship, the Falwells did much more than break their own rules.

Wondry presents In God We Lust, a story of an alluring sex scandal, power, money, and a very public fall from grace.

While running Liberty University, a school that's strictly enforced abstinence, there's even a rule against prolonged eye contact with the opposite sex,

the Falwells lured Giancarlo Grande into a love triangle that lasted years.

They promised him the world, paying for a new apartment, treating him to lavish vacations, and brokering meetings with the likes of Donald Trump.

But when word of their relationship fell into the wrong hands, it led to political extortion and international headlines that brought Jerry Falwell Jr.'s empire crashing down.

You're about to hear a preview of In God We Lust. When you're listening, subscribe to In God We Lust on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or listen early and add free by joining Wondry Plus in the Wondry app.

So Eretia, I want you to picture a pool at a luxury hotel on Miami Beach.

Oh, this is perfect. I need a vacation. Well, it's not just any hotel. It's the luxurious, historic, fountain blue.

Back in the 50s, you could catch legends like Frank Sinatra or Judy Garland lounging poolside or walking through its giant marble lobby.

They actually once had to put arm guards at the door just to keep out screaming fans.

Those were the days, drinking men-hattens with old blue eyes. Yeah, I forgot you were a founding member of the Rapp Pack. I don't like to brag.

On this day, in March 2012, 20-year-old Jean-Carlo Grande is working as a pool attendant at the fountain blue.

Jean-Carlo's handsome and fit. He recently kicked a bad video game habit and got himself in great shape.

And lately, he's been working this hourly job, due to free bringing towels and cold beverages to hotel guests.

It's a lot of work, sweating it out in the Miami humidity. But today, something unusual catches Jean-Carlo's eye among all the beautiful people sunbathing by the pool.

There's one guest in particular. And he's noticing how she's noticing him. She's checking him out. Like, really, obviously checking him out.

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