Eric Church announces ‘Free The Machine Tour,' Barclays show. Get tickets
Vivid Seats is the New York Post's official ticketing partner. We may receive revenue from this partnership for sharing this content and/or when you make a purchase. Featured pricing is subject to change.
Grab your shades, country fans.
Eric Church just announced his 2025 'Free The Machines Tour' in support of his forthcoming eighth studio album 'Evangeline vs. The Machine,' due out May 2.
The 22-concert run will send the 'Springsteen' singer and special guests Elle King, Marcus King and Charles Wesley Godwin on select dates to arenas all over North America from September through November.
That includes a stop at Brooklyn's Barclays Center on Saturday, Sept. 20.
'I want some jarring moments,' Church, 47, told 'The Today Show' in an interview teasing the ambitious new record, which features a choir and string and horn sections. 'I want some things that make them go 'whoa I didn't think we were going there.' As an artist, I think that's your job.'
On that note, he shared 'from front to back, these shows will be different than anything you've ever seen or heard from us before. I cannot wait to see you on the road for this tour' with his Church Choir fan club members.
In addition to the tour, the four-time CMA Awards winner is also slated to headline a pair of festivals this summer and fall.
Plus, most interestingly of all, he has a unique three-night residency at Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheater planned from July 14-16. Each 'Eric Church vs. ___' show will offer something different. We'll have more on that below.
Fans Church Choir can purchase tickets for all upcoming Eric Church shows on sites like Vivid Seats; the official on-sale for the 'Free The Machines Tour' is Friday, May 9.
Vivid Seats is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand.
They have a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and will be delivered before the event.
Eric Church tour schedule 2025
A complete calendar including all tour dates, venues, special guests and links to buy tickets can be found below.
Eric Church 2025 festival appearances
On top of the tour, Church is also lending his talents to a pair of festivals this year. Here's everything — including venues, dates and fellow headliners — you need to know about both of them.
Eric Church 2025 festival appearance dates Highways Festival
May 16-17 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, GB
Molly Tuttle, Caylee Hammack, Bella White, Charles Wesley Godwin Field and Stream Music Festival
Oct. 4-6 at the Field and Stream Musicfest in Winnsboro, SC
Miranda Lambert, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bailey Zimmerman, ZZ Top, Riley Green
Eric Church Red Rocks residency
As noted above, Church will headline three back-to-back-to-back nights in Morrison, CO this July.
Here's what you need to know about each of them, according to RTT News:
The July 14 show, titled Eric Church vs. The Machine will be a full-scale production featuring his band joined by a dynamic ensemble of strings, horns and choir combining to deliver an epic, must-see set.
On July 15, the Eric Church vs. The ECB show is billed as a raw, high-energy set with his original band, including longtime collaborator Joanna Cotten.
On July 16, a stripped-down, intimate evening with Church alone on stage is titled Eric Church vs. The Guitar, delivering an acoustic performance.
Supporting Church across all three nights is Stephen Wilson Jr. and a limited number of three-day tickets are available for fans eager to see the full trio of shows.
Eric Church set list
Last November, Church headlined at his own Nashville-based concert venue Neon Steeple at Chief's On Broadway. Based on our findings at Set List FM, here's what he performed.
01.) 'How 'bout You'
02.) 'Long-Legged Guitar Pickin' Man' (Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash cover)
03.) 'Lotta Boot Left to Fill'
04.) 'That's Damn Rock & Roll'
05.) 'Gimme Shelter' (The Rolling Stones cover)
06.) 'Chattanooga Lucy'
07.) 'Ramblin' Gamblin' Man' (The Bob Seger System cover)
08.) 'Get Out of Denver' (Bob Seger cover)
09.) 'A Country Boy Can Survive' (Hank Williams, Jr. cover)
10.) 'Homeboy'
11.) 'The Weight' (The Band cover)
12.) 'Ophelia' (The Band cover)
13.) 'Atlantic City' (Bruce Springsteen cover)
14.) 'Bad Mother Trucker'
15.) 'Proud Mary' (Creedence Clearwater Revival cover) (with Joanna Cotten)
16.) 'Thunder Road / Springsteen'
Eric Church new music
Prior to the release of 'Evangeline vs. The Machine,' Church has dropped a pair of singles to tease fans.
Up first, he unveiled the stirring 'Darkest Hour' dedicated to victims of Hurricane Helene. The song is an earnest, thoughtful and ultimately hopeful exploration of how victims should always find a silver lining even when things seem bleaker than ever.
Then, this past March, Church shared the laid-back 'Hands Of Time,' that sounds ripped from a country-fried classic rock album. Snazzy guitars, twangy vocals and sneaky horns all make for a punchy listening experience. We expect this one to be a major crowd-pleaser come September.
Eric Church special guests
At all shows, Church will be joined by an impressive opening act. In the off-chance you're not familiar with the three artists he's tapped to kick gigs off, you can find each of their most-streamed songs on Spotify below.
Elle King: 'Ex's and Oh's'
Marcus King: 'Sucker'
Charles Wesley Godwin: 'All Again'
Huge country stars on tour in 2025
Many of the biggest names in honky tonk will be taking their tunes for a spin on the road these next few months.
After having done the homework, here are just five that we think Eric Church fans might enjoy most.
• Dierks Bentley
• Billy Currington
• Jason Aldean
• Justin Moore
• Jake Owen
Who else is out and about? Take a look at our list of all the biggest artists on tour in 2025 to find the show for you.
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
Miley Cyrus heckled at NYC Tribeca Film Festival by fans who thought premiere was a concert: ‘We paid $800'
They came in like a wrecking ball. Miley Cyrus, the Disney child star turned pop sensation, was heckled by fans at the world premiere of her 'Something Beautiful' long-form music video screening during the Tribeca Film Festival, footage of the awkward exchange showed. Fans who attended the special screening at The Beacon Theatre were seemingly under the impression that Cyrus would be performing during the event rather than promoting the upcoming film. 4 Miley Cyrus was heckled by fans during the world premiere of her 'Something Beautiful' visual album. Getty Images for Tribeca Festival 'We thought this was a concert, we paid $800,' one person shouted at her during the Q&A segment that took place on stage after the film. 'Are you actually going to sing?' another person questioned. The festival promoted Friday's event as a 'one-of-a-kind pop opera featuring thirteen original new songs from the Something Beautiful album' with 'an exclusive conversation' with the three-time Grammy winner after the 55-minute project aired. However, some fans who purchased their tickets on resale websites accused the third-party ticketing platforms of misleading them. A user on X posted a screenshot from a Google search of the event, which read 'Miley Cyrus Tickets & 2025 Endless Summer Vacation Tour Dates — though the 'Used To Be Young' singer is not on tour and the 'Endless Summer Vacation' record came out in 2023. 'This is the link I clicked on to buy. Says concert tour dates not movie dates,' the fan alleged on X. 4 Some fans thought the event was going to be a live concert. Dia Dipasupil Other fans who allegedly bought resale tickets were stunned that the expensive event wasn't a concert and even left early out of frustration, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 'No one would've spent this much money if we had known,' an attendee told the outlet. 'She doesn't tour, she doesn't play live often.' As of May 27, resale tickets for the Upper Balcony on Vivid Seats started at $510 and became more expensive closer to the stage. The Post reached out to Vivid Seats for comment. 4 Cyrus released her ninth studio album 'Something Beautiful' on May 30. Ouzounova / The 'Flowers' hitmaker eventually gave in to the hecklers' requests and sang her hit 'The Climb' in a cappella fashion. Tickets to see the 'Hannah Montana' alum's visual album and conversation at the 2,600-seat venue were initially sold on Ticketmaster and titled 'Miley Cyrus World Premiere of Something Beautiful.' It was one of the rare opportunities fans had to see the 'Flowers' singer in person. 'I can't. Not only 'can't…' because can't is your capability, but my desire,' Cyrus told British Vogue in June 2023. 'Do I want to live my life for anyone else's pleasure or fulfillment other than my own?' 4 Cyrus started dating boyfriend Maxx Morando in 2021 after they were set up on a blind date. GC Images Cyrus added that she felt disconnected from her fans while on stage. 'Like singing for hundreds of thousands of people isn't really the thing that I love,' Cyrus shared. 'There's no connection. There's no safety.' The 'Party in the USA' singer's last big tour was for 'Bangerz' in 2014. Cyrus performed in over 70 shows on the 'Bangerz' tour and followed that up with her '2015 Milky Milky Milk Tour,' which consisted of only eight shows. On top of feeling 'isolated' while on the road, the 'We Can't Stop' vocalist has a medical issue impacting her performance abilities Cyrus claimed she has Reinke's edema, a disorder she described as an 'abuse of the vocal cords.' 'It's extremely difficult to perform with because it's like running a marathon with ankle weights on,' the star revealed during an interview with Apple Music.
USA Today
10 hours ago
- USA Today
Bobby Flay's horse Crudo undercooked at Belmont Stakes
Bobby Flay's horse Crudo undercooked at Belmont Stakes Celebrity chef Bobby Flay's horse Crudo was a long shot to win Saturday's 2025 Belmont Stakes, but Crudo finishing in last place left the Flay and his horse pretty, well, burnt by the whole ordeal. Indeed, Sovereignty galloped away with the final leg of the Triple Crown in New York, and Flay's Crudo finished in last place among the horses in the field. It's not a huge shock considering Crudo wasn't one of the favorites heading into Saturday's prestigious race, but even getting to the Belmont Stakes is pretty solid work for a horse who once couldn't be sold. Flay spoke about the road Crudo, a horse he co-owns with Jimmy Ventura, took to get to Saturday's big stage. "Jimmy and I were going to buy him as a pinhook proposition — we bought him as a weanling and we were going to sell him as a yearling. We brought him to the Saratoga [Fasig-Tipton] sale, and he didn't sell, so we kept him,' Flay told the New York Post. 'I don't usually race colts. I usually race fillies only. But I have him, so he's racing, and he's turned out to have talent." Crudo earned his name for his raw talent, so perhaps the racing horse will fare better at future events. Some horses take time to find their potential on the tracks, of course, so Crudo's time may well come one day. For now, the horse's Belmont performance came out a bit undercooked, leaving Flay with a meal he'd probably like to send back to the kitchen. Pump that sweet horse full of carrots and sugar cubes, let him run around the pasture for a while and shake this race off and try again next time. If anybody knows about a bad night at the stove, it's probably Flay.
Buzz Feed
11 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
15 Celebrities Who Are In Jail Right Now
Actor Danny Masterson How he's famous: Masterson is best known for playing Steven Hyde on That '70s Show from 1998–2006. He also was a regular cast member on Men at Work and The Ranch, which re-teamed him with That '70s Show costar Ashton happened: In 2017, the Los Angeles Police Department began a sexual assault investigation into Masterson after three women came forward with allegations against him. In each case, all of which occurred at Masterson's home between 2001–03, the women said Masterson gave them alcohol and then, when they became disoriented, took them to his bedroom and violently raped them. Masterson, who proclaimed his innocence, was arrested on three counts of forcible rape in early 2021.A first trial in 2022 ended in a hung jury; a retrial the following year ended with Masterson convicted of two of the three counts of forcible rape. He was sentenced to 30 years to life (with the earliest possibility of being paroled coming after serving 25 and 1/2 years). He is incarcerated in California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo, roughly halfway between San Francisco and Los interesting element of this case involved the Church of Scientology, of which Masterson and all three victims were members. All three victims said the church tried to shield Masterson from accountability, and pressured them not to go to the authorities. As BuzzFeed News reported in 2022, one of the victims "recalled how she went to the church's Celebrity Centre in Hollywood to report the sexual assault, but instead of getting any assistance, she was warned against using the word 'rape' and told that she could be excommunicated from the church — and disavowed by her Scientologist family and friends — if she contacted police."In response to these allegations, the Church of Scientology told BuzzFeed, "The Church has no policy prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct of anyone, Scientologists or not, to law enforcement. Quite the opposite, Church policy explicitly demands Scientologists abide by all laws of the land. All allegations to the contrary are totally false." Actor Ryan Grantham How he's famous: Grantham was a succesful child actor, notably playing Rodney James in the 2010 movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Later, he appeared in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus and in a 2019 episode of the CW's Riverdale. All told, Grantham amassed more than 30 acting credits in film and happened: On March 31, 2020, the then-21-year-old Grantham killed his mother by shooting her in the back of her head as she played piano in their British Columbia home. He then loaded up his car with guns and ammunition and began driving east with a plan to kill Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He ultimately changed his mind and considered carrying out a mass shooting at his alma mater, Simon Fraser University, before deciding to turn himself to Grantham's lawyer, Grantham was assessed by two court appointed psychiatrists who 'agreed that at the time of this horrendous event, he (Grantham) was suffering from a major depressive disorder and a cannabis use disorder, among other things.' Grantham pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and — at his sentencing — pledged to spend his life rehabilitating himself and helping others. He is eligible for parole in 2036 after serving 14 years. Baseball player Mel Hall How he's famous: In 1981, Hall broke into the major leagues with the Chicago Cubs at just 20 years old, and went on to finish third in voting for the Rookie of the Year award. He played 13 seasons in total, including four with the New York Yankees, and retired with 134 home runs and a career .276 batting average. What happened: In 1989, during Hall's first year with the Yankees, he noticed a 15-year-old freshman in high school and her friends in the stands. He spent the game playfully pretending like he was going to toss her a ball but never did. At the suggestion of her father, the girl wrote Hall a letter asking for a signed ball, and to her shock, Hall called her house, inviting the family to another game. Soon, Hall ingratiated himself with the family, saying he was lonely with his new team. He began showing up at their home after games (sometimes in a limo) and hanging out with the girl talking late into the night. Hall started helping the family financially (paying to put in a swimming pool and for the mother to quit her job), then moved in with them. He began dating the girl with her parents' consent and even took over the parents' primary bedroom with the girl (the parents moved into their daughter's room). This relationship continued for years (the Yankees even published a photo of Hall and the girl at her high school prom in their media book) until the girl, then a 19-year-old woman, broke things off and started her life Hall's career ended, he became a girls' youth sports coach (for both basketball and softball), and did the same thing, earning the trust of families of young girls on his teams that he liked — again moving into a family's home in one circumstance — and sexually abusing the in 2007, two of his victims found each other online (including one who was just 12 when Hall first assaulted her) and went to the police. Hall was arrested, found guilty at trial, and convicted on three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and two counts of indecency with a child. He received a sentence of 45 years in prison (with no chance of parole for 22 years and 4 months). Hall is incarcerated at H. H. Coffield Unit in Tennessee Colony, Texas, and isn't eligible for parole until Nov. 15, 2031. Actor Amy Locane How she's famous: Locane was an up-and-coming star in the early '90s, first starring opposite Johnny Depp in John Waters's cult classic Cry-Baby and then the critically acclaimed Blue Sky, which earned her a Young Artists' Award nomination for Best Performance by a Youth Actress Co-Starring in a Motion Picture. She was also a regular on the hit prime-time soap opera Melrose Place. She later retired from acting to raise her happened: On the night of June 27, 2010, Locane was driving 53 miles per hour in a 35-mile-per-hour zone when she crashed into a car driven by Fred Seeman, who was making a left-hand turn into his driveway. Seeman's wife Helene, an NYU adjunct professor, was killed in the accident. When police arrived, Locane — who had been drinking at a friend's barbecue — was found to have a .23 blood alcohol level, more than three times the legal was convicted of second-degree vehicular homicide and assault by auto but received a sentence of only three years in jail, two less than the minimum sentence for the offense (the judge cited the welfare of Locane's children in giving the shorter sentence). Locane — who joined Alcoholics Anonymous after the crash and is now sober — served three years behind bars before being paroled on June 12, 2015, but an appeals court subsequently found her initial sentence to be too lenient and resentenced her to eight years in jail on September 17, 2020. She's currently incarcerated in New Jersey's Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women and is eligible for parole on Dec. 20, 2024. Reality TV star Josh Duggar How he's famous: Duggar is the oldest child of Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar, who became famous for their extremely large family of 19 children, as featured on the TLC reality show 19 Kids and Counting. The show often focused on Duggar and his wife, Anna, as they started their own family. What happened: In 2016, In Touch magazine obtained a police report that implicated Duggar as having molested numerous children — including his sisters — when he was a teenager. At the time of the crimes, Michelle and Jim Bob didn't go to the police. Instead, they consulted with their church leaders and had an Arkansas state trooper give Duggar "a very stern talk." The trooper was far from the ideal person to seek help from. He not only failed to report the crimes, but was later sentenced to 56 years in jail for child sexual abuse images. The release of the police report eventually led to a federal investigation of Duggar. After the authorities found child sexual abuse images on Duggar's computer at his used car dealership, they arrested Duggar on federal charges of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse images. At the trial, a Homeland Security agent described the images found on Duggar's computer as being "in the top five of the worst of the worst I've ever had to examine."Duggar was found guilty and sentenced to 12 years and 7 months in prison. He is serving his sentence at the Federal Correctional Facility (FCI) Seagoville in Texas and won't be eligible for possible release until Oct. 2, 2032. Film producer Harvey Weinstein How he's famous: Weinstein — cofounder of the movie company Miramax — produced many critically acclaimed hit films during the '90s and '00s, including Pulp Fiction and Good Will Hunting. He won an Academy Award for producing Shakespeare in happened: After years of rumors, the New York Times published an investigation into Weinstein featuring the accounts of over a dozen women accusing the producer of sexual harassment and abuse. A New Yorker article followed days later with even more allegations. These reports opened the floodgates, and soon nearly 100 women (many very famous) came forward with accounts of Weinstein's abuse. On May 25, 2018, the New York district attorney's office charged Weinstein with "rape, criminal sex act, sex abuse, and sexual misconduct for incidents involving two separate women." Among those who testified against Weinstein at the trial was actor Annabella Sciorra, who said that Weinstein burst into her apartment after dinner and raped her. "I said, 'No, no,'" Sciorra testified, "But there was not much I could do at that point. My body shut down. It was just so disgusting that my body started to shake in a way that was unusual. I didn't really even know what was happening. It was like a seizure."Weinstein was found guilty and sentenced to 23 years in jail; he subsequently was tried in Los Angeles for more crimes and sentenced to 16 additional years. British prosecutors, meanwhile, have authorized police to charge Weinstein with two counts of indecent assault against a woman in London in is serving his sentence in New York State's Mohawk Correctional Facility, about 100 miles north of Albany. Actor and mixed martial arts fighter Joe Son How he's famous: Born in South Korea, Son moved to the United States as a child. He became a professional mixed martial arts fighter, fighting at the Ultimate Fighting Championship's UFC 3, but his fighting career ended uneventfully with an 0–4 record. Son made bigger waves as an actor, playing the bad guy in low-budget action films starring Lorenzo Lamas and Dolph Lundgren, and then — most notably — playing the villain Random Task in 1997's Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. What happened: In 2008, Son was arrested for kicking in the door of his roommate's car. As part of a plea deal, Son was required to provide a DNA sample to the authorities. When his sample was run through the system, it linked him to a horrific, nearly two-decade-old cold case. On Christmas Eve in 1990, he and an accomplice pretended to be lost as they approached a 19-year-old woman walking her dog. They then threw her into their car and held her hostage for hours, beating and raping her. Son also repeatedly threatened to shoot her as he counted the bullets in his gun. At the trial, the victim recounted how Son said "he was giving me to himself as a Christmas present." Son was convicted of one count of felony torture (the statute of limitations had run out on the sexual assault charges) and sentenced to seven years to life. Just a month after beginning his sentence, Son killed his cellmate. He was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to an additional 27 years. Reality TV star Jen Shah How she's famous: Shah starred on Bravo's The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City for three seasons, earning a reputation for sharp one-liners and, well, drama. What happened: Shah was criminally charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud in March 2021. She and her assistant were accused of orchestrating a telemarketer scam where they'd bilk their (usually) older victims out of large sums of money in exchange for services like website building and business coaching, which had little to no value. Nightline reported that a 75-year-old retiree in North Carolina named Trisha (she asked not to use her last name) invested more than half of her savings — $47,000 — on coaching about a business she hoped to start. Another victim, World War II veteran Ralph Hallock, was scammed out of more than $100,000. He died by suicide at the age of 92 (his family believes the scam contributed to his death).According to a sentencing memo from federal prosecutors, Shah "often joked about the victims' suffering and her employees' ability to victimize them." Texts were also released between Shah and her co-conspirators discussing how they could keep their victims hooked and spending more initially claimed she was innocent but eventually pleaded guilty to wire fraud. She was sentenced to serve 6½ years and is incarcerated at FPC Bryan Prison in Texas. She's eligible for parole in August 2028. Subway pitchman Jared Fogle How he's famous: Fogle made national headlines in 1999 when — as a student at Indiana University — he lost 245 pounds on a self-created diet where he exclusively ate Subway every day: a small turkey sub, a large veggie sub, baked potato chips, and diet soda. He was soon hired by Subway to be their spokesperson, and appeared in over 300 commercials between 2000 and happened: Fogle's seemingly wholesome story was revealed to have a dark underbelly on July 7, 2015, when Fogle's Indiana home was raided by the FBI and Indiana State Police investigators who confiscated computers and DVD players. Two months prior, Russell Taylor — the executive director of the Jared Foundation, a nonprofit that purported to fight childhood obesity — was arrested on federal child sexual abuse images charges, and in the course of investigating, authorities discovered he had traded sexually explicit videos of children as young as 6 years old with Fogle. Additionally, the FBI subpoenaed text messages Fogle traded in 2008 with a Subway franchisee he was having an affair with. The texts were damning: Fogle talked about sexually abusing children as young as 9 years old, and tried to enlist her help to sleep with her 16-year-old cousin. Further investigation found that Fogle traveled to New York to have sex with a 17-year-old underage sex worker, and offered adult sex workers a finder's fee if they'd connect him with a possibility of 50 years in jail if he went to trial, Fogle pleaded guilty to two counts: distribution and receipt of child sexual abuse images, and traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. He was sentenced to 15 years and 8 months in prison. He's currently incarcerated in the Federal Correctional Institution, Englewood, and isn't eligible for parole until March 24, 2029. Actor Michael Jace How he's famous: Jace was best known for playing Officer Julien Lowe on the FX police drama The Shield but also appeared in high-profile motion pictures like Forrest Gump and Boogie Nights. What happened: On May 19, 2024, at Jace's home in the Hyde Park area of Los Angeles, Jace shot his wife April — an elite, medal-winning sprinter — in the back as their young sons, ages 5 and 8, looked on from their bedroom. Prosecutors said Jace then shot his wife in the legs before telling her, "If you like running, then run to heaven."Prosecutors further contended that Jace — who had been drinking all day — was "obsessed" with the idea his wife might leave him and believed she was having an was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 40 years to life in prison. At his sentencing, Jace said, "There is absolutely no justification for my actions on that night. I am profoundly sorry for the pain that I've caused everyone." Jace is serving his sentence at California State Prison, Corcoran. Musician R. Kelly How he's famous: Sometimes called the King of R&B, Kelly is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, selling over 75 million records. "I Believe I Can Fly" and "Ignition (Remix)" are probably his best-known songs. He also wrote songs for other artists, including Michael Jackson's No. 1 hit, "You Are Not Alone."What happened: Allegations of sexual abuse of minors have followed Kelly for most of his career, but for a long time, he escaped accountability. In 1994, a then-27-year-old Kelly married his protégé Aaliyah, who was just 15 (Aaliyah ended the marriage when her family found out). Two years later, a woman filed a civil suit against Kelly, alleging that he had a sexual relationship with her starting at age 15. Kelly settled the case out of 2000, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Chicago police had begun investigations into Kelly and allegations that he'd had sex with a minor but had to drop them due to a lack of cooperation from the accusers. In 2002, a video circulated of what was alleged to be Kelly urinating on an underage girl and engaging in sex acts. This led to Kelly being charged with 21 counts of child sexual abuse images. Shortly after that, Kelly was charged in Florida with 12 additional charges of producing child sexual abuse images after police raided Kelly's home and allegedly found images of him having sex with a minor on a digital camera. The Florida charges, however, were thrown out when a judge ruled the police lacked probable cause for the search warrant. The Chicago charges ended in Kelly's favor, too, when a 2008 trial ended with him being found not guilty because it couldn't be proven the girl on the tape was a minor. In 2017, BuzzFeed News reported that the parents of three legal-aged young women claimed their daughters were being "held against their will" by Kelly in what was described as a "cult." This led to others coming forward with more allegations against Kelly, including that he'd had sex with minors. Then, in 2019, a comprehensive, six-hour Lifetime documentary, Surviving R. Kelly, put Kelly and his crimes under the spotlight even more. Police in Chicago charged him with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse (after acquiring a tape of Kelly allegedly having sex with a 14-year-old), and federal authorities indicted him twice for crimes related to his sexual abuse of minors. In 2022, Kelly was found guilty in both federal trials and sentenced to spend 31 years in jail. He is currently serving his sentence at FCI Butner Medium I, a medium-security prison in North Carolina, and won't be eligible for parole until 2047 when he is around 80. Reality TV stars Julie and Todd Chrisley How they're famous: Real estate tycoon Todd Chrisley and his wife Julie were the stars of the USA Network's reality show Chrisley Knows Best, which followed the couple as they raised five children with a "brutally honest" parenting style. The show debuted to solid ratings in 2014 and continued until happened: In August 2019, The Chrisleys were indicted on charges of having evading nearly $2 million in state taxes, using their production company to hide over $1 million of reality TV income from the IRS, and directing an employee to falsify income and asset documents. The Chrisleys pleaded not guilty to the crimes and scored a big win two months later when prosecutors dropped the state tax charges (the Georgia Department of Revenue found that, instead of failing to pay $2 million in taxes, the Chrisleys actually owed less than $77,000 due to an incorrect filing on one tax return).The reality stars still faced the charges related to bank fraud and their federal taxes, and those proved much stickier. During opening statements at the trial, prosecutors painted a picture of the Chrisleys exaggerating their wealth to banks and submitting false documents to borrow over $30 million in order to keep their affluent lifestyle the while hiding money from the IRS."They made up documents and they lie through their teeth to get whatever they want, whenever they want it," Assistant US Attorney Annalise Peters a nearly three-week trial, the couple were found guilty of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and tax fraud. Julie was also convicted of wire fraud. Todd was sentenced to 12 years, and Julie was sentenced to 7. Todd is serving his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution (FPI) Pensacola in Florida, while Julie is incarcerated at Florida's Federal Correctional Institution Marianna. Todd was eligible to be released on Jan. 22, 2033; Julie was eligible to be released on Oct. 19, 2028. They have both since been pardoned by Donald Trump. Reality TV star Jerry Harris How he's famous: Harris starred on the Emmy-award-winning Netflix docuseries Cheer about the Navarro College Bulldogs Cheer Team from Corsicana, Texas. He became a fan favorite for his big personality and even endeared himself to Ellen DeGeneres, who invited him to attend the 2020 Academy Awards as her show's happened: In September 2020, a federal warrant was issued for Harris alleging that, when he was 19, he asked 13-year-old twin boys to send nude photos, one of whom agreed to do so. On the second season of Cheer, the boy described how the abuse began, saying, "I told him that I was 13, and then after that — right off the bat — he asked me, 'Can I have butt pics?' or 'Can you send butt pics?'" Harris was soon arrested and charged with the production of child sexual abuse images (according to authorities, Harris admitted to trading sexual images with 10–15 children he knew were minors). Court documents also stated that the then-19-year-old Harris had sex with a 15-year-old in February 2022, Harris pleaded guilty on charges of child sexual abuse images and traveling for illicit sex with minors. He was sentenced to spend 12 years in a federal prison in Oklahoma City. Rock star Gary Glitter How he's famous: Gary Glitter — real name Paul Gadd — was a popular British glam rock star of the '70s and '80s. He sold over 20 million records and released scores of hit singles in the UK, including "Rock and Roll Part 2," which has been played endlessly at sporting events across America. The song was also used in the film Joker when Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck dances down a staircase. What happened: In 1997, Glitter brought his laptop in to be repaired, and the technician found sexual abuse images of children on the hard drive. After police searched Glitter's home and found more images of children, he was arrested and eventually sentenced to four months in jail. After being released, Glitter left the UK, where he'd become persona non grata. In 2005, Glitter established a new home in Vietnam, but within months, authorities arrested him for molesting two girls, ages 11 and 12. Glitter was found guilty and sentenced to three years in jail. At his sentencing, the judge said: "His lewd acts have compromised the dignity of the Vietnamese people, law, and common sense." Glitter, meanwhile, claimed his innocence and said it was all a "conspiracy."Upon completing his sentence in 2008, Glitter did everything he could to avoid being deported to the UK, including feigning having a heart attack. Nevertheless, he eventually was returned to England and placed on the sex offender's registry. Four years passed uneventfully until ITV aired a documentary about Top of the Pops host Jimmy Savile and his alleged sexual abuse. In the documentary, there was a segment accusing Glitter of raping a 13- or 14-year-old girl in Savile's BBC dressing room during the late '70s. This led to Glitter being arrested and standing trial for sexually abusing three young girls, ages 12, 11, and less than 10, between the years 1975 and 1980. Glitter was found guilty and sentenced to 16 years in jail, with the judge saying at the hearing, "It is difficult to overstate the depravity of this dreadful behavior."In February of 2023, Glitter was released from jail after serving half his sentence. However, one month later, he was thrown back into jail after violating his release conditions by trying to access the dark web and viewing downloaded images of children. The now-79-year-old disgraced pop star was denied parole earlier this year and remains behind bars. Football star Dave Meggett How he's famous: A 10-year veteran of the NFL, Meggett won a Super Bowl in 1990 with the New York Giants and made two All-Pro teams (once with the Giants and once with the New England Patriots). Meggett played running back and receiver but was best known as an elite return specialist. At the time of his retirement, he had the most punt return yards in NFL history (3,709).What happened: In 1998, Meggett was accused of sexually assaulting and robbing a Toronto sex worker, but prosecutors eventually dropped the sexual assault charge and only tried Meggett for the robbery; the trial ended in a hung jury. This started a pattern of Meggett escaping serious accountability for his crimes, even as he was subsequently accused of sexual assault by three additional women — including one who said Meggett put a date rape drug in her drink at a bar, dragged her to his Porsche, and then raped was finally brought to justice in 2009 after he broke into the home of a woman he'd loaned $200 and sat on the edge of her bed. She awoke, startled, and he demanded she repay him. When she didn't have the money, he said, "I'm gonna get a down payment now" and raped her. Once Meggett left, the victim went to the hospital, where doctors found vaginal abrasions consistent with sexual was convicted of burglary and criminal sexual conduct and sentenced to 30 years in prison. He's presently incarcerated at South Carolina's Lieber Correctional Institution and isn't eligible for parole until July 6, 2034. UPDATE The post has been updated to include a statement from the Church of Scientology.
