Carl Lentz Gets Brutally Honest About His Affair

From 2010 to 2020, Carl Lentz was the founder and leader of Hillsong, a faith-based community in New York City. At their height, nearly 10,000 people attended their gatherings on weekly basis, which is unprecedented in a city like New York.

Due to their success, Carl became a fixture in the mainstream media. Carl made an appearance on popular talk show The View, ABC News’s Nightline and had a sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey. He had a major influence on younger generations and made an appearance on Logan Paul’s podcast Impaulsive in 2019.

During that time, Carl became known as a spiritual advisor and close friend to Justin Bieber, in addition to developing friendships with Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and other well-known stars.

Carl was also an outspoken activist for the black community during the civil unrest that took place in the United States in the 2010s, leading all the way up to George Floyd in June of 2020.

But just a few months later, in the fall of that year, Carl’s world came crashing down. He stepped down from Hillsong as news of an extramarital affair came to the surface. In the following weeks, the media coverage was brutal, as more allegations came to light of additional affairs and claims of leadership abuse by other staff members.

Carl vanished from the public eye for nearly four years, and was largely not heard from until earlier this summer when it surprised many people to see him launch a new podcast, Lights On.

Outside of bathroom breaks, this conversation with Carl is completely unedited and unfiltered. You will see Carl at his most vulnerable. We go deep into his past, including his childhood, coming to NYC and his rise to fame, taking an honest look at how that all contributed to his downfall.

Whether you were familiar with Carl before, or this is the first time, this episode will help you make better sense of some really tough questions. Why is there so often a disconnect between someone’s public life and private life? How is it possible to preach a message that is true, but continually fall short of that standard yourself? How should we frame our own spirituality when people we once respected have a very public downfall?

But most of all, we’re intrigued by what Carl has learned about the key ingredients that make up holistic well-being – mind, body and spirit – and how those three parts work together.

Chapters:
0:00 - 2:29 - Intro
2:29 - 4:50 - The importance of making public amends
4:50 - 10:18 - The day everything crashed & burned
10:18 - 13:33 - Why Carl came to NYC originally
13:33 - 17:46 - What message were you spreading?
17:46 - 24:53 - Hillsong’s first gathering & rapid growth
24:53 - 27:28 - Attracting famous people
27:28 - 35:38 - Building trust & then breaking it
35:38 - 37:31 - Is fame a drug?
37:31 - 43:00 - Is Carl a narcissist?
43:00 - 48:14 - The infamous photo
48:14 - 51:36 - Standing with the black community
51:36 - 54:18 - Beers & a homeless guy
54:18 - 56:06 - What was real?
56:06 - 58:18 - Warning signs of implosion
58:18 - 1:05:19 - The first time he crossed a line
1:05:19 - 1:09:46 - Private life vs. public life
1:09:46 - 1:13:07 - Carrying a dysfunctional belief system
1:13:07 - 1:17:51 - Did anyone know about Carl’s secrets?
1:17:51 - 1:23:05 - Addiction cycles & the affair
1:23:05 - 1:25:35 - Dealing with the aftermath
1:25:35 - 1:30:30 - What happened next
1:30:30 - 1:34:33 - Addiction, trauma & brain scans
1:34:33 - 1:41:40 - Why wasn’t God enough for Carl?
1:41:40 - 1:52:33 - Group therapy & rebuilding marriage
1:52:33 - 1:58:15 - Why speak out now?

Watch our episode with Laura Lentz to get her perspective:
   • Laura Lentz on Infidelity, Carl's Affair &...  

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