Ted Haggard, How Far We've Come
Oct. 27 2008, Published 7:07 a.m. ET
METH'D MAN Haggard A couple of days have passed since Colorado Springs' New Life megachurch pastor Ted Haggard was accused by Mike Jones, a self-described gay prostitute, of a standing booty call and meth habit. As the allegations surfaced, Haggard, who's married with five children and has rallied for anti-gay marriage legislation and preached against homosexuality, denied them, declaring, "I've never had a gay relationship with anybody, and I'm steady with my wife. I'm faithful to my wife."
So what's changed?
• Gay blog Towleroad unearthed Jones's website.
• Haggard says he did buy meth. But he didn't use it. Through the window of his car, Haggard tells an enterprising TV reporter he was "tempted" to do the meth; Haggard's wife, sitting shotgun, meantime burns the reporter to ashes with her eye lasers.
• Jones describes the alleged relationship as a monthly thing occuring for three years and as "strictly sex" with "no emotions." When he met Haggard, he introduced himself as "Art." Haggard's middle name is Arthur.
- Cheapskate Kris Jenner’s Cash Crisis: Momager, 68, In Panic Over TV Ratings Plunge — and Is ‘Cutting Back on Treats’ for Boytoy Corey Gamble
- Say Hello to My (Very Sore) Little Friend! Al Pacino 'Still Haunted' By Agonizing Penis Injury — As He's Spotted Out With Ex-Girlfriend Noor Alfallah Amid Bill Maher Fling Rumors
- Hollywood Pedophile Victim Corey Feldman Slams 'Disgusting' Diddy — As It’s Revealed Shameless Rapper, 54, Invited Princes William and Harry to Orgies 'More Than 10 Times'
DAILY. BREAKING. CELEBRITY NEWS. ALL FREE.
• Jones failed a lie detector test, but the administrator says Jones was stressed and exhausted when he took it, at 5 a.m., and recommends he take it again in a week.
• But Jones provided to KUSA-TV voice mails he says are from Haggard, MSNBC reports. The TV station had an expert analyze the voices, and he says they sounded like the same person and that 18 of the words in the messages were exact matches. In them, the person who is allegedly Haggard says: "Hey, Mike, this is Art. Hey, I was calling to see if we could get any more. Either $100 or $200 supply." In a second message a few hours later, the voice says, "Hi Mike, this is Art, I am here in Denver and sorry that I missed you. But as I said, if you want to go ahead and get the stuff, then that would be great. And I'll get it sometime next week or the week after or whenever."
PREVIOUSLY