Based on its first trailer, FX’s upcoming docuseries about Hillsong Church seems as though it’s going to be as explosive as its subject matter.
In this first look at “The Secrets of Hillsong,” the series accuses Hillsong of “child abuse, labor abuse and sexual assault.” The four-part series is set to premiere on FX on May 19 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
The trailer features interview footage of disgraced ex-pastor Carl Lentz. The celebrity pastor served as a spiritual advisor to Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber and Kendall Jenner before he was fired in 2020. According to Hillsong Global Pastor Brian Houston, Lentz was fired for “leadership issues and breaches of trust, plus a recent revelation of moral failures.” But as the docuseries teases, there may be more to this story.
“You do not want to be in this chair. I cannot stress it enough,” Lentz says in the trailer. “I had some major lies.”
Hillsong Church is a global megachurch that has gained a reputation for two things: its long list of controversies and its celebrity members. Hillsong has long been criticized for its views on homosexuality and Houston’s remarks that the church would accept LGBT people who did not follow a”homosexual lifestyle.” It’s also been involved in a controversial anti-abortion charity and was criticized for its delayed response to Black Lives Matter.
Those are the scandals the public typically hears about. Hillsong has also been accused of misappropriating government-issued funds, covering up the sexual abuse of its founder’s father and its own history of sexual assault within the church. Despite this long list scandals, the church has been a mainstay for a certain subset of Hollywood. In addition to the Biebers, Gomez and Jenner, Kevin Durant, Nick Jonas, Sophie Turner, Vanessa Hudgens, Kourtney Kardashian, Austin Butler and even Bono have attended the religious organization.
“The Secrets of Hillsong” is based on the explosive reporting of the church’s scandals by “Vanity Fair” journalists Alex French and Dan Adler. Directed by Stacey Lee (“Olivia Rodrigo: driving home 2u”), the docuseries will feature exclusive interviews from Carl and Laura Lentz following their public ousting. The series will also feature original reporting and analysis from journalists, historians and policymakers as it “goes beyond the sensational headlines and behind the velvet rope to examine the church’s long pattern of covering up misconduct to protect itself. “
The four-part series is produced by Scout Productions and “Vanity Fair” Studios. David Collins, Joel Chiodi, Michael Williams, Rob Eric, Agnes Chu, Dan Adler, Sarah Amos and Alex French will executive produce the series.
Watch the trailer for FX’s “The Secrets of Hillsong” above.
