Tammy Faye Bakker was a gaudy, over-made-up, campy televangelist who made millions for her church, married two true-believer, mega-church husbands, both convicted for fraud and gave Jessica Chastain an Oscar winning role in the 2021 movie about her. Now her son has made what he insists will be a revealing documentary of the true story of his family’s life: Better Angels: The Gospel According to Tammy Faye.
Born 7 March 1942 3.27am International Falls, Minnesota, with Pentecostal preacher parents who divorced when she was young, she rose out of poverty, to make millions with her first husband Jim, until he fell from grace into prison, convicted on multiple counts of fraud. She attended his trial but was never charged. She divorced him when he was inside and married a contractor who built megachurches, who was later convicted of bankruptcy fraud and landed in jail as well.
She had a 3rd house sharp-witted Pisces Sun in an expansive, over-confident square to Jupiter in chatty Gemini and trine an intense Scorpio Moon. Her Moon was on the focal point of a Fixed – and clearly acquisitive – T Square to a 2nd house Venus opposition an 8th house Pluto. Her Moon would design her to interface with the public and her 8th house Pluto would give her influence. She also had Saturn Uranus in Taurus in her 5th giving her an ability to organise ‘entertainment.’ Her Neptune fittingly was in the religious 9th in a creative trine to Uranus and a publicity-seeking trine to Mars. Her 8th house Pluto would arguably attract her to the dark side and to partners who wanted to wield power and money.
Her first husband Jim, 2 January 1949 11 am Muskegon, Michigan, had his Libra Moon on her midheaven, also a showbizzy, publicity-attracting hard Mars Neptune aspect, and both had Venus in Aquarius. His Capricorn Sun was widely square Jupiter in pro-active Aries pumped up by a conjunction to Mars with Jupiter trine Pluto – overflowing with confidence.
They were a tight, affectionate couple with a composite Sun Venus opposition Pluto square a Jupiter Saturn conjunction – and I would hazard a guess that she was the stronger of the two and the more indulgent.
At his trial the jurors heard how over a million dollars went on furs and jewellery; homes were purchased and condos, and $2,000 a month on electricity went to heat their swimming pools.
When their house of paradise collapsed in 1986 tr Uranus was conjunct Jim’s Midheaven and conjunct her Ascendant.
She divorced him when he was in prison, disappeared for a while and returned with books, documentaries, and TV appearances and went on to marry Roe Messner, a church building contractor, 1 August 1935, whose Leo Sun and determined Pluto Mercury in Cancer fell in Tammy’s 8th with his Sun square Mars in Scorpio which fell in her 10th and square Jupiter in money-magnet Scorpio which was conjunct her Moon. An intense, entangled relationship. With their relationship chart having a serious indulgent composite Sun opposition Venus square Jupiter, trine Neptune with some gritty moments from Mars square Uranus and trine Saturn. Her 8th house Pluto knew how to pick dramatic relationships.
She died of cancer in 2007 and Jim when he was released from prison married a former televangelist. In 2021 he was sued for selling a fake COVID-19 cure called Silver Solution for $125 each.
Leopards don’t change their spots but I never understand how all the conning and grifting squares with the god bothering.
I’ve always been disparaging about American evangelists, but you make Tammy Faye sound interesting. I’ll have to find out more. Thank you.
I think it is pretty much accepted that church has little to do with it and money making is the object.
I never paid attention to any televangelist at the height of their reign on TV but I did catch Tammy Faye in a reality show in the early 2000’s called The Surreal Life and she became my favorite of all the others that were on that season. She came across as a kind and intelligent woman, and I remember she reached out to those with AIDS during the epidemic when so many were afraid to even be around those who had it. I’d say she was more than she appeared to be during her marriage to Jim Bakker, an obvious conman.
I can’t believe you wrote about her last three years ago. I thought I’ve read a post last year. It’s like I’ve just experienced a time-warp.