Ignoring the idiom "You can't judge a book by its cover," AL(dot)com, an outlet owned by Alabama Media Group, a subsidiary of New York billionaires Donald and Samuel Newhouse's Advance Publications, recently wrote a story focusing on three minutes of a one-hour-and-a-half podcast to shame a Christian podcaster and former reality TV star Madison Prewett Troutt for a previous addiction to sexual sin, ignoring the broader message of her confession and faith based recovery.
In a podcast last week, Prewett, an Auburn University graduate who gained fame appearing on "The Bachelor" before leaving the show for faith-based reasons, confessed that it was through her faith she's overcome a personal addiction to porn and masturbation, detailing her personal history and her hope that sharing her story will help others.
Starting the hour-and-a-half "Stay True Podcast" episode, Prewett admitted, "I'm actually a little nervous because this is a topic that can be hard to talk about. Even for me, it's a topic that is I think, shied away from for a lot of people even in the church and really just all over."
Rather than telling her full story, AL(dot)com chose to ignore the way that the sexual sin impacted her life and why she decided to share her story. Prewett said, "I was robbed of confidence, I questioned my worth and my identity. Every time I gave in to sexual sin, I didn't know my purpose. I felt confused. I didn't have clarity."
The description of the podcast says, "The stuff no one really talks about—but so many people struggle with. In this episode, Madi gets real about something people often stay silent on. If you've ever felt stuck in shame, afraid to be honest, or wondered if freedom is even possible… you're not alone. And you don't have to stay stuck. This convo is raw, honest, full of grace, and practical truths that will help you get free. It's time to stop hiding and start healing."
Prewett explained that throughout the years, she's encountered women who have shared their quiet struggle and the negative impact that occurs because the problems are so frequently talked about as a "male problem."
Quoting Romans 8:1, Prewett spoke to her listeners, saying, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
She said her addiction started with "music and shows." She explained that her introduction to sexual content came through visiting a friend's house while in middle school and being exposed to nudity through a TV show, which then led her to search the internet.
"I had already had moments of being curious about things and having certain feelings or wondering certain things or fantasizing about certain things," she explained. "I had not told that to anyone."
"I had not pursued to do anything about that, but I was curious, and I was about 13 years old. I went over to a friend's house, and her parents weren't around, and she turned on this show that was extremely inappropriate," Prewett described. Throughout the podcast, Prewett explains that sexual sin doesn't come in the most extreme forms, it's not just porn and sexual acts pointing out sexual content can come by way of lyrics, tv shows, at one point she mentions Netflix, romance novels, lusting after people you see at the gym, or even idolizing marriage.
There is nearly 45 minutes of content between mentions of masturbation, yet that's what the AL(dot)com story focuses on, quoting Prewett as saying, "It's still a choice for me every single day, even as a married woman, to not return back to the past of my sexual sin addictions."
"It's still a choice every single day for me not to choose to lust after things that I see online or to give into a feeling that arises," without explaining how she has come to overcome her addiction: through her reliance on her faith, the accountability of trusted friends and practices that she learned through the years to identify and overcome her unhealthy and addictive habits.
Prewett discusses not only her own experiences but also speaks directly to practical ways that others can and should overcome their sexual addictions or conflicts with purity.
Prewett breaks early in the podcast to announce that she was working on her new book when the idea for this podcast came to her. The book, "Dare to Be True," is set to release on September 23, 2026.
"In this book, we're going to be tackling all the things from sin and shame and the lies around eternity and the lies around your identity and your purpose and live free," she explained.
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