Jimmy Swaggart in critical condition after cardiac arrest

Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News on Jun 17, 2025

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Louisiana televangelist Jimmy Swaggart remained in critical condition Tuesday, two days after he suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed at his home.

Swaggart, 90, was found at his Baton Rouge residence around 8 a.m. Sunday, with first responders immediately administering CPR and taking him to a hospital, his family said on Facebook.

“He never regained consciousness,” Swaggart’s son, Donnie, said Sunday night. “Right now, he is in the ICU, and without a miracle, his time will be short. But we believe God — we’re not giving up.”

Swaggart fell on Saturday but showed no other signs of physical ailments, family representative Megan Kelly told TMZ. Swaggart’s condition did not substantially change on Monday or Tuesday, according to family statements.

“We continue to trust the Lord and give Him time to work, knowing that His ways are perfect,” read a message shared Tuesday morning on the pastor’s Facebook page.

Swaggart rose to nationwide prominence with televised sermons in the 1980s. He was well known for his fundamentalist message, and he preached about the dangers of dancing, watching movies and feminism, among other supposed evils of 20th century life.

But in 1988, Swaggart was caught with a prostitute at a motel in the New Orleans suburb of Metairie. He gave a famous teary and televised speech in which he admitted, “I have sinned,” but in 1991 he was found with another prostitute in Los Angeles.

After the incidents, Swaggart’s following significantly dropped, but he maintained an expansive campus in Baton Rouge and continued preaching at Jimmy Swaggart Ministries.

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