Tammy Faye Messner
Tammy Faye Messner (born March 7, 1942) is the former wife of televangelist Jim Bakker. They were married from 1961 to 1992. She was born Tamara Faye LaValley in International Falls, Minnesota.
She is best known for both her tendency to wear a great deal of mascara and the infidelity and scandal of her former husband. She has since remarried Roe Messner (since 1993) and goes by the name Tammy Faye Messner.
On March 19, 2004, Messner, a survivor of colon cancer, announced on the Larry King Live show that she had inoperable lung cancer, and would soon begin chemotherapy.
In early 2004, Messner appeared on the second season of the WB reality series, The Surreal Life. The show chronicled a twelve day period when Messner, porn star Ron Jeremy, rapper Vanilla Ice, Baywatch actress Traci Bingham, CHIPS actor Erik Estrada, and Trishelle from The Real World: Las Vegas all lived together in an L.A. house and were assigned various bizarre tasks and activities.
Together the six put on a children's play, visited a nudist resort, managed a restaurant for a day, and got readings from a psychic. During the filming, Messner forged close bonds with all of the other six housemates, many of whom came to look up to her as a mother-figure and a spiritual inspiration.
During the show's taping, Messner attended a book-signing for her recent best-seller, I Will Survive...And You Will Too, at which it was revealed that Messner's fan base far exceeds expectation. Messner's book signing brought people of all ages, from all walks of life, including punks, homosexuals, and transvestites. At the signing, Messner spoke candidly about her relationship with Bakker and how she had to learn to let go. She made an impassioned plea for all other people to cast off the things that are holding them back, to be happy with themselves whoever they are, to persevere in the face of opposition, and to show each other unconditional love. Her speech moved her four room mates that were present to tears; Bingham later confessed to Messner that it had been a life-altering moment for her.
In addition to surprising some of her room mates with her willingness to accept all people and lifestyles, her close friendship with Ron Jeremy and willingness to laugh at his (and the others') dirty jokes supported her claims that she was "not a prude" and that she was even "a bit cool". Her revelation of the feelings of hopelessness and despair that she experienced after her divorce from Bakker and the susequent media backlash against her also stunned her castmates, and gave her common ground with Vanilla Ice, who had similarly fought depression and a media backlash, and whom she came to think of like a son by the end of the show. Her unerring faith in God and constant efforts to spread love and friendship with all in the house earned her more respect from her room mates than anything.
Though the show presented a side of Tammy Faye, and of evangelism, that many Americans had probably never seen before, of open-minded, compassionate, and non-judgmental friend to all she met, there were also moments during the show where Messner was clearly uncomfortable. Messner refused to visit the nudist colony, instead requesting to stay in a hotel the moment she saw a naked man and realized that she was at a nudist colony. She also did not take part in the psychic seance, and was noticably offended when Jeremy's backyard pool party became "clothing-optional", after which point she stayed in her room.
At the end of the show, Messner said she thought of Vanilla Ice and Trishelle like children and could relate to them deeply because she had had similar feelings and problems when she had been their age. She stated that Ron Jeremy was one of the nicest and most gentlemanly people she had ever met in her life. She also revealed that although she had been incredibly reluctant to take part in The Surreal Life, and only did so at the pushing of her husband, it ended up being one of the most rewarding experiences in her life.