A One-Woman Show
No one quite like Tammy Faye Bakker existed before she arrived on the scene, and no one quite like her has ever come after. Yet, Tammy Faye surrounded herself with the wrong people, allowing them to lead her down a disastrous path. When they’d all left her, Tammy Faye found a way to crawl her way back to the top—only to face one final fight she couldn’t win.
1. She Was Surrounded By Faith
Born Tamara Faye LaValley, the church played a large role in Tammy Faye’s life from the moment that she entered the world. Both her parents were preachers within the Pentecostal sect. However, even as a child, Tammy Faye’s relationship with the church was far from simple.
Darwin Bell, Wikimedia Commons
2. She Understood Complex Relationships
Her parents divorced not long after Tammy Faye’s birth, and it left a painful mark on Tammy Faye’s family. The divorce proved to be a bitter one, and as the messy fight prolonged, Tammy Faye’s mother became disillusioned with the church. Despite her mother's distancing herself from religion, Tammy Faye found her way back to it anyway.
3. She Met A Man
Tammy Faye headed to North Central Bible College in Minneapolis, which is where she met an enigmatic young man, Jim Bakker. They quickly formed a deep connection, with mutual attraction on both sides. However, for Jim, there should’ve been a problem, a problem that he chose to ignore anyway.
4. She Was The Other Woman
Jim Bakker already had a fiancée back home when he met Tammy Faye. That didn’t stop him from pursuing a relationship. Tammy Faye met Jim in 1960, and the two married a year later in 1961. They’d go on to have two children. However, initially their focus was on creating something bigger than the two of them.
5. She Began To Build Something
Immediately after marrying, Tammy Faye and Jim relocated to South Carolina, where they began travelling the United States, building up their ministry. Even in the early days, they involved themselves in television, partnering with Christian stations to spread their message. Television allowed them to grow into the biggest versions of themselves.
![Gettyimages - 50581161, James Bakker [& Wife] Former televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, in expensively tailored clothes, standing in the middle of a wheat field.](https://www.factinate.com/storage/app/media/factinate/2026/1/9/4.jpg)
Will & Deni McIntyre, Getty Images
6. She Had An Undeniable Power
The couple founded The PTL Club (Praise The Lord) in 1974. The television Christian news program became an instant hit. Within a year, they’d developed into a corporate enterprise that earned $120 million annually. By 1978, they’d gained enough funds to create Heritage USA, a Christian theme park that matched Disney for popularity. In many ways, PTL owed its power to Tammy Faye.
Screenshot from The PTL Club, Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) (1974–1987)
7. She Saw The World Through Love
Tammy Faye provided an emotional connection to PTL and its stories. Unlike fellow Evangelists, she dove into conversations others feared, including drug addictions and AIDS. During the AIDS crisis, she scorned her fellow Christians for not showing compassion and love to others suffering. Yet, even as Tammy Faye grew PTL into something beautiful, a dark secret lurked behind the scenes.
Screenshot from The PTL Club, Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) (1974–1987)
8. She Didn’t Realize Something Lurked
Unbeknownst to Tammy Faye, something lurked in the background tainting everything that she’d worked so hard to achieve, and it was only a matter of time before not just Tammy Faye but the world realized the truth. It didn’t matter how hard Tammy Faye worked; her husband had already ruined everything.
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9. Her Husband Made A Move
It all started on December 6, 1980, or so the story goes. That was the day that, according to victim Jessica Hahn, Tammy Faye’s husband Jim Bakker decided to take what didn’t belong to him. Only 21 at the time, Hahn claimed that Bakker took something from her that he couldn’t give back.
10. Her Husband Committed An Act
At the time, Hahn worked as a church secretary. She claimed that Jim and fellow preacher John Wesley Fletcher had drugged her and had intimate relations with her that she did not consent to. This would have been bad enough, but that’s just the start of the hole that Jim had dug for himself.
11. Her Husband Paid The Bills
Sadly, it’s entirely likely that Jim Bakker could’ve gotten away with his acts if that had been the end of it. He was a well-respected man with ample wealth; it could’ve easily turned into a he said-she said. Unfortunately, Jim didn’t want to take the risk. It’s what he did next that ruined everything for Tammy Faye, too.
12. She Lost Everything Over Money
The real scandal arose not from the assault accusation, but from what Jim did next. Jim Bakker gave Jessica Hahn $279,000 of PTL’s money (roughly $772,194 in modern terms) to keep Hahn quiet. With one or two acts, Jim managed to not only destroy everything that he created but drag Tammy Faye down with him.
13. Her Empire Fell Suddenly
Jim managed to keep a lid on his actions for a number of years. However, the entire affair became public knowledge in March 1987, and Jim had to face the music. As his wife, Tammy Faye Bakker went down with him. His one moment of callousness forced both of them to leave PTL and watch as all they’d built together began to fall.
14. Her Life Became Scrutinized
Thanks to Jim’s actions, everyone was now looking at Tammy Faye’s life, digging into every detail and not liking what they were seeing. Thanks to their many, many fans, the Bakkers lived a lifestyle that most people could only dream about—now people wondered just where all that money came from.
15. She Lived In A Dream World
PTL had been good to the Bakkers. Thanks to the money that rolled in from their various revenue streams, the Bakkers were able to fund a lifestyle beyond most people’s wildest dreams. They filled their five-story mansion with every lavish trinket that their heart desired. Yet, how did they really earn the funds for their masterpiece?
Will & Deni McIntyre, Getty Images
16. Her Problems Went Way Back
Even before the Hahn scandal made the airwaves, the Bakkers found themselves in hot water. The FCC first had its eyes on the Bakkers in 1979. At this point, they’d allegedly raised $350,000 meant to support missions overseas and instead funnelled it towards their own personal project, Heritage USA. Everything they’d once buried now came to light.
17. She Almost Got Away With It
In typical Bakker fashion, Jim’s initial “scandal” didn’t hurt him or Tammy Faye. Instead, they turned it around, painting it as a “witch-hunt” and used it to raise even more funds. However, the FCC wasn’t the only government body looking at them, and once Jim’s bigger scandals came to light, there’d be no hiding the truth, whether the Bakkers wanted to or not.
18. She Had Many People Looking At Her
The IRS also had a bone to pick with the Bakkers. Their report found that the Bakkers had funnelled $1.3 million worth of funds meant for PTL into their own personal bank account. While the government initially disregarded it for their own reasons, Jim’s actions with Hahn turned the spotlight on them again, leaving Tammy Faye Bakker to defend not just her husband, but her lifestyle.
19. Her Lifestyle Was Outrageous
With all of this coming to light, it was no wonder that the public was outraged. Their home featured gold-plated bathrooms, three kitchens, 25 closets, and even an air-conditioned doghouse. These ridiculous luxuries would upset anyone, even without the question of where the funds came from. Yet Tammy Faye Bakker insisted that they’d earned their living.
![Gettyimages - 50420753, James Bakker [Misc.] [& Wife] View of front yard and house of disgraced PTL minister Jim Bakker and his wife Tammy Faye, w. mid-size sporty car in driveway.](https://www.factinate.com/storage/app/media/factinate/2026/1/9/18.jpg)
Thomas S England, Getty Images
20. She Defended Her Family
Initially, Tammy Faye Bakker stood her ground. She insisted that they were entitled to what they’d gathered over the years. When asked about their income just before the world realized the depth of the Bakkers' betrayal, Tammy Faye stated, “We don't get what Johnny Carson makes, and we work a lot harder than he does”. Tammy Faye may have felt entitled to their earnings, but the rest of the world did not.
![Gettyimages - 50462266, James Bakker [& Wife];James Bakker [Misc.] Disgraced televangelist James Bakker w. wife, Tammy who is holding pet dog as they pose w. a group of waving supporters gathered in front of their office to welcome them home.](https://www.factinate.com/storage/app/media/factinate/2026/1/9/19.jpg)
Will & Deni McIntyre, Getty Images
21. Her World Began To Crumble
As soon as the truth about Jessica Hahn entered the world, everything that Tammy Faye Bakker had built with her husband fell apart. With the world looking closely at Jim Bakker and not liking what they were seeing, the ministry had no choice. They had to take PTL away from Jim, which meant taking it from Tammy Faye by extension. That was only the beginning.
22. She Thought She Was Coming Back
Technically, Jim left PTL of his own accord, taking Tammy Faye with him (as any good wife would). He continues to claim Hahn consented to their relationship, but he understood where he stood with the public, at least to a degree. When Jim and Tammy Faye left, they both believed that it was not “Goodbye” but “See you soon”. They couldn’t have been more wrong.
23. She Couldn’t Imagine The Scandal
Jim handed PTL to Reverand Jerry Falwell, fearing that Jimmy Swaggart, another televangelist, had his sights set on taking over PTL. Jim thought that Falwell would temporarily step into his role, guiding PTL until the public was ready to accept Jim and Tammy Faye again. Jim couldn’t have been more naïve if he tried.
Gotfryd, Bernard, photographer, Wikimedia Commons
24. She Was Just The Beginning
Hahn wasn’t the end for Jim. Rather, she was just the beginning. More allegations began to swirl involving Jim, including insinuations of relations with other men. Within a month of stepping down, Falwell banned Bakker from PTL entirely. Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker could only watch from the sidelines as everything they built came crumbling down.
25. She Was PTL
Whether they wished to admit it or not, Jim and Tammy Faye were PTL. Falwell didn’t have the charm or charisma to hold onto the audience that the Bakkers built. Without them, PTL’s funds began to dwindle until PTL became bankrupt. There’d be no returning. Yet, even still, the Bakkers had bigger problems.
![Gettyimages - 50583756, James Bakker [& Wife] Overhead portrait of disgraced PTL evangelist Jim Bakker and his wife Tammy Faye, surrounded by members of the Bring Bakkers Back (BBB) group, outside the HQ of the New Covenant Ministries, the latest Bakker movement, at the Carousel shopping center.](https://www.factinate.com/storage/app/media/factinate/2026/1/9/23.jpg)
Will & Deni McIntyre, Getty Images
26. She Faced The Music
If it had just been PTL that Jim and Tammy Faye lost, perhaps they could’ve rebuilt. However, the government no longer felt comfortable looking the other way regarding Jim’s actions. The already mentioned crimes were the tip of the iceberg. Jim couldn’t buy his way out of this one.
27. Her Business Became News
The Charlotte Observer published a report of all of PTL’s fraudulent fundraising activities to the public, forcing the government’s hand. As a result, they indicted Jim in 1988, and after a brief trial in 1989, a jury found him guilty of 24 counts combining mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy. Yet, what of Tammy Faye in all of this?
28. She Stood By Her Man
Despite deviating from the image of a good wife in many ways, Tammy Faye still held onto one of the core values that came with being a “good wife”. Through all of these scandals, Tammy Faye stood by her husband. Jim went to jail, and Tammy Faye stayed behind to try to hold things together, even if they didn’t have much left.
29. She Lost Her Home
Shortly after PTL removed the Bakkers from their membership, they also sold their mansion. Robert Rubino, a wealthy pizza chain owner, bought the lavish mansion at auction for $675,000. However, Rubino quickly found living in the Bakkers’ metaphorical shoes uncomfortable. He couldn’t handle it, yet had no way out.
30. She Left A Stain Behind
Rubino, reportedly, attempted to sell the Bakkers' home not long after purchasing it, possibly because the house represented everything the public hated the Bakkers for. However, in 1990, “God” found a solution for Rubino, one that Tammy Faye quite enjoyed, though Jim had harsher feelings on the matter.
31. She Rejoiced In The Flames
The Bakkers’ former home went up in flames in March 1990. Jim, still serving part of a 45-year sentence, watched the home burn to the ground from a cell. Tammy Faye, however, rejoiced, claiming, “I believe it is a sign from God that he is still doing big and wonderful things for Jim Bakker”. The image of Tammy Faye as a loyal wife might have finally cracked.
32. She Changed Her Tune
Jim Bakker went to jail in 1989. For three years, as well as all of the years of turmoil before the conviction, Tammy Faye stood by her man, even crying on camera, presumably over the injustice her family faced. Yet, suddenly, in 1992, Tammy Faye’s story changed. Had she finally tired of Jim, or had something else caused this change?
33. She Couldn’t Keep Pretending
Just as the story of Jim Bakker’s scandal began to wane, Tammy Faye threw another curveball. In 1992, she served Jim divorce papers, claiming, “For years I have been pretending that everything is all right, when in fact I hurt all the time... I cannot pretend anymore”. Who wouldn’t sympathize with her in this moment? Yet, this story is far from over. In fact, it’s just getting started.
34. She Made An Interesting Choice
Tammy Faye had been caught in a storm of a man’s making for nearly a decade. It surely surprised no one that she finally decided that enough is enough. Yet, not long after Tammy Faye’s divorce from Jim settled, she jumped right into the arms of another man who brought his own storm with him.
Donaldson Collection, Getty Images
35. She And Messner Went Way Back
Tammy Faye and Roe Messner met years before they married in October 1993. In fact, Messner and Jim Bakker went way back, all the way to the creation of Heritage USA. A building contractor, Messner’s original claim to fame was building much of Heritage USA for Jim Bakker. Yet, it appeared there were a few things Mesner wouldn’t do for Jim.
![Gettyimages - 50478861, Tammy Faye Messner;Roe Messner [& Wife #2] Church developer Roe Messner w. arm around TV talk show host wife Tammy Faye Messner (formerly Baker) as she swings golf club nr. their home.](https://www.factinate.com/storage/app/media/factinate/2026/1/9/33.jpg)
36. She Chose Poorly
If Tammy Faye divorced Jim because she wanted to separate herself from the scandal that he’d brought into their lives, then her choice of second husband undermined that very argument. She couldn’t get any closer to the Hahn scandal than with Roe Messner, as he found himself at the very heart of it.
37. Her New Husband Helped Her Old One
Remember, the Hahn scandal, tragically, was less about what (supposedly) happened to Hahn, and more about the $265,000 of hush money that changed hands—hush money that came from Messner. And things only become even more complicated from there.
38. She Chose The Same Man
Messner gave PTL the $265,000 that they supposedly paid to Jessica Hahn, later billing the company for work he never actually completed. When called to the trial, however, Messner came to Jim’s defense, claiming Jerry Falwell had orchestrated the entire thing in an attempt to undermine Jim. When it came to Tammy Faye’s husbands, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
Liberty University, Wikimedia Commons
39. She Repeated The Past
When Messner and Tammy Faye met, they were both married. In 1992– 1993, they both filed for divorce from their respective spouses and married each other. However, for Tammy Faye, it didn’t take long before Messner began to fall into the same pattern that Tammy Faye saw with Jim.
40. Her Husband Found Trouble Again
In 1990, before he and Tammy Faye married, Messner claimed to owe about $30 million to over 300 creditors. Six years later, in 1996, Tammy Faye found herself exactly where she’d started: standing beside her husband while he faced criminal convictions in court. At least this time, Tammy Faye had nothing to do with it, right?
J. Emilio Flores, Getty Images
41. She Lost Another Husband
In 1989, the courts sentenced Tammy Faye’s first husband to 45 years. Thanks to a successful retrial, the courts reduced that sentence to eight years, and Jim only served five years. Jim Bakker left custody in December 1994, two years after their divorce. Tammy Faye may have been just as well off standing by him in the end.
42. She Had A New Problem
In 1996, nearly two years after Jim ended his sentence, Tammy Faye watched the courts send another husband to jail, this time only for 27 months. Yet, in the chaos that her husbands had created, Tammy Faye hid a far more personal and dramatic secret that was all her own.
43. She Stepped Back Into The Light
1996 also marked Tammy Faye’s dramatic return to the spotlight. She published her first autobiography and reappeared on television, co-hosting a television talk show with comedian Jim J Bullock. Yet all of this started because of a tragic and public announcement that, finally, had nothing to do with her husbands.
44. She Had a Grim Prognosis
Doctors diagnosed Tammy Faye with colon cancer in March of 1996. However, as she later revealed, this diagnosis could’ve reached the airwaves much earlier if the world were a much different place. Tammy Faye suffered bleeding for a year before she finally sought out help. Embarrassment kept her quiet.
45. She Delayed Dealing With It
Tammy Faye didn’t seek help for her initial diagnosis because she did not wish to discuss her intimate health with a male doctor. Although this did not hinder her initial recovery process, it came with a grim warning for other women. Tammy Faye’s fight became a long and public one.
46. She Ran From The Shadow
Thankfully, Tammy Faye’s cancer went into remission by the end of 1996. Now with her health restored and the scandal of her husbands behind her, Tammy Faye entered a new phase of her life that had everything to do with her. She flourished, creating a new generation of fans. However, a shadow continued to loom over her, biding its time to pounce.
47. She Couldn’t Out Run The Past
In 2004, after nearly a decade of renewed fame and popularity with a diverse range of communities, Tammy Faye announced that she’d developed lung cancer, and it was inoperable. She turned to chemotherapy and initially responded well. However, that positive prognosis did not last long.
J. Emilio Flores, Getty Images
48. She Was Fading Fast
In December 2006, Tammy Faye phoned into Larry King Live to announce that she was receiving hospice care at home. By May 2007, she announced that she had stopped chemotherapy. Even then, she gave her fans one last gift, one final piece of herself for them to hold onto before she left the world entirely.
Frederick M. Brown, Getty Images
49. She Gave One More Gift
Weighing in at 65 pounds, Tammy Faye made one last appearance on Larry King Live on July 18, 2007. Unable to eat solid food at this point, she didn’t appear in public for herself. Her husband, Roe Messner, believed that Tammy Faye made that appearance to give her fans one last chance at goodbye.
Marsaili McGrath, Getty Images
50. She Did Her Best With What She Had
Tammy Faye passed two days after her appearance on Larry King Live, exiting the world on July 20, 2007. She left behind a complicated legacy. To many, she showed great kindness and acceptance. However, many more cannot forget the complicated legacy of her first husband. In the end, Tammy Faye was what we all were: a complicated human, just doing her best in a world that throws you endless curveballs.
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