John Crist confesses to sexual misconduct

Comedian John Crist has canceled his tour and upcoming appearances in response to a report detailing his habitual harassment and exploitation of women. “Those closest to me—my family, team, and close friends—have known about this battle for some time, and now you do too,” he said in a statement to Charisma News, which on Thursday published the accusations against him. “I’m ashamed of my behavior, and I’m so sorry for hurting so many people.”

Who is Crist? On his website, he says he is a pastor’s son and the third of eight children in a homeschooling family. His jokes poke fun at artifacts of evangelical culture such as crowded church parking lots and celebrity pastors. But he stays away from mocking church teaching and has won massive popularity with Christian audiences. He has millions of followers on social media and a Netflix special scheduled to debut later this month.

Dig deeper: Read the Charisma News report about Crist’s targeting of women for inappropriate relationships.