{"id":302580,"date":"2026-05-21T06:13:17","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T06:13:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/302580\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T06:13:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T06:13:17","slug":"hillsong-founder-brian-houston-i-do-not-watch-pornography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/302580\/","title":{"rendered":"Hillsong founder Brian Houston: \u2018I do not watch pornography’"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Leonardo Blair<\/a>, Senior Reporter Wednesday, May 20, 2026\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"Twitter\"<\/a>\"HillsongHillsong Church’s founder Brian Houston | Hillsong Church<\/p>\n

Days after an explicit pornographic video appeared on his X account, Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston assured supporters that he doesn’t watch pornography and alleged that someone with access to one of his devices compromised the account.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to take a moment to speak to people personally and address a vile post that appeared on my X account a few days ago. A good starting point is to say, I do not watch pornography, not online, not on social media, nowhere else,\u201d the founder of the Australia-based global megachurch declared in a video on Facebook Wednesday<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’ve been in active ministry for over 54 years, and in that time, I’ve seen the fallout of pornography on individuals, on marriages, on families, and I detest it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 72-year-old Houston said at the time the post appeared on his X page that he and his wife, Bobbie, were \u201cin bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taking issue with The Christian Post<\/a>\u2019s use of the word “hacked” in last week’s report, Houston clarified that he never used the word hacked and instead said “compromised,” adding that there is a difference between an account being hacked and compromised.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAccording to The Christian Post, and probably others, they said, and a tweet that I did since then, that I said that I was hacked. I never used the word hacked. That’s false. It’s untrue. I did say my account was compromised, and you might say, ‘Well, what’s the difference?’ But I think that there’s a difference,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t believe that it’s likely that anyone actually hacked into my X account. Not impossible, but not likely. I think there’s a different explanation. I believe that someone has used one of my own devices, using my own passcode, to access my phone without my knowledge or my permission.<\/p>\n

“Someone with a grudge wanted to cause maximum damage, but perhaps minimum effort, to smear me and to humiliate me. And I don’t think it’s the first time it’s happened.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Houston, who, after leaving Hillsong, launched the ministry Jesusfollowers.tv<\/a> with his wife, said in an X post last week: \u201cThis account was compromised overnight. Any odd posts, links, or messages shared earlier were not legitimate and have been reported and deleted. Thank you for your patience.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The pastor further clarified that he didn\u2019t believe this was the first time the unknown person had gained access to his accounts and said he and his wife were offended by the post.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you were exposed to that video, and you were disgusted or offended, I totally understand. Bobbie and I feel exactly the same way,\u201d he said before asking for prayers.<\/p>\n

\u201cBobbie and I are not quitters. We keep trucking on. I’m asking you to pray for us, and we will certainly continue to pray for all the people in our world. God bless you,\u201d he ended.<\/p>\n

In a\u00a0separate incident in 2024<\/a>,\u00a0Houston said his X account was hacked after the account tweeted the words \u201cladies and girls kissing,\u201d drawing scrutiny from social media users.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Houston later reposted a\u00a0statement<\/a>\u00a0shared by one of his assistants urging users to disregard any recent posts that \u201cseem out of the normal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRest assured we are working on discovering how Ps. Brian was hacked,\u201d the statement read at the time. \u201cOur team has ascertained that someone logged into his account from a location within the USA. We\u2019ve changed his password so here\u2019s hoping they no longer have access. Please disregard anything that seems out of the normal. For your safety remember Pastor Brian does not contact anyone privately.\u201d<\/p>\n

Houston resigned as\u00a0Hillsong Church\u2019s global senior pastor<\/a>\u00a0in March 2022, amid revelations that two women made\u00a0allegations of sexual misconduct<\/a>\u00a0against him.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In January 2022, Hillsong Church announced that Houston was\u00a0stepping down<\/a>\u00a0from his role at the church’s helm.<\/p>\n

Before his formal resignation from Hillsong Church, Houston\u00a0initially stepped down<\/a>\u00a0from Hillsong’s boards in September 2021 as he\u00a0faced criminal charges<\/a>\u00a0related to allegations he concealed sex abuse committed by his father, Frank Houston, decades earlier after he heard about it in 1999.\u00a0Houston denied any wrongdoing, and an Australian court later\u00a0found him not guilty<\/a>\u00a0of the charges.<\/p>\n

Four months before the acquittal, Houston\u00a0pled guilty<\/a>\u00a0to driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a blood alcohol content of .08% or more in California. He was also sentenced to three years’ probation, a $140 fine, and other penalties.<\/p>\n

Court records show that after an\u00a0arrest on Feb. 26, 2022<\/a>, Houston pled “not guilty” to driving under the influence of alcohol, driving with a blood alcohol content of .08% or more, and failing to display two license plates on the vehicle he was driving.<\/p>\n

The Hillsong Church founder, who was set for a pre-trial hearing that June, reversed course on the drinking charges while the charge for failing to display two license plates on the vehicle he was driving was dismissed.<\/p>\n

In addition to the three-year probation and the $140 fine he received for the driving under the influence charge, the court required him to complete a three-month first-offender alcohol program, victim impact counseling, and participate in self-help meetings for one year.<\/p>\n

Contact: leonardo.blair@christianpost.com<\/a> Follow Leonardo Blair on Twitter: @leoblair<\/a> Follow Leonardo Blair on Facebook: LeoBlairChristianPost<\/a><\/p>\n