Netflix pulls stand-up special by Christian comedian John Crist after allegations of sexual misconduct
Vulture reports today that Netflix has shelved plans to release a new comedy special from Christian comedian John Crist, who’s been accused by multiple women of a series of sexually inappropriate behaviors. According to a report published yesterday by Christian magazine Charisma, at least five women have reported a pattern of behavior in which Crist allegedly leveraged his fame and popularity as one of the most popular comics currently working on the lucrative Christian comedy scene in order to lure them into sexual situations and relationships, sometimes going so far as to hold out tickets to his shows and tours as bait in exchange for sexual favors.
Per the Charisma article, Crist’s pattern seemed to rely on contacting women and fans via social media, establishing some level of mentorship with them, and then attempting to leverage that connection into sex. (Although at least one woman involved alleged that Crist’s interests stopped short of intercourse, so that he could maintain claims that he was a virgin.) Often these relationships involved convincing women to send sexual text messages with him, and were described by the participants as emotionally abusive. When Crist would be called on his behaviors—as he has a few times over the years—he would admit to his misdeeds, beg for forgiveness, and claim to be undergoing treatment for sex addiction.
