Family of Baptist Minister Who Committed Suicide After Ashley Madison Hack Tries to Move On
In August 2015, John Gibson, 56, took his own life after hackers leaked a list of names that patronized an online dating site for married people. His name was on the list. The shame of being exposed as a subscriber of a site that encouraged marital cheating may have been overwhelming for the Baptist minister.
Almost two years after the incident, his wife, Christi, who is also a minister, is trying to carry on with life. But pain has its way of holding people back and haunting them with guilt whether they could have done anything that may have prevented the destruction of their loved one.
John was among the 36 million people who signed up for Ashley Madison which marketed itself as a provider of a discreet dating experience. It was a site that catered to married people in search for an affair. In his suicide note, he apologized to his wife profusely and wrote about his struggles and depression.
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Christi is coming to terms with the loss and doesn't blame anyone for the tragedy that befell her family, not even the hackers. She said it wasn't the hack that destroyed their lives, but the concept of living a double life that was embodied in Ashley Madison. For her, it was the secrecy that brought them down.
If there is one thing Christi regrets, it is the major moments of their family. Their son Trey graduated from college, got engaged, and is about to get married. "Looking at planning our wedding, and then looking at our marriage, he is never going to be part of any of that stuff," Trey told CNN.
Daughter Callie has the same thoughts. She just turned 27 and had been attending a lot of weddings lately. "I've had several of my friends from childhood get married," she said. "I was watching them do their father-daughter dance, and it wasn't something that I had thought about before," she added.
