Forest Frank Had Enough and Spoke Out

Forest Frank expressed frustration over social media videos, particularly one by fellow artist Cory Asbury, that mocked his recovery from a skateboarding accident, which he described as “probably the most traumatic moment of my life.” The accident left him with two fractured vertebrae, and he attributed his healing to a divine miracle healing by God. While some view the social media banter among Christian artists as harmless fun, others criticize it as insensitive, given the severity of Frank’s experience.

Frank took to social media to express himself, “Man, this is super tough. I know you all are going to be like ‘Forrest, you’re way too sensitive,’ but this is like … making fun of probably the most traumatic moment of my life [and] my wife’s life.

Frank was hospitalized after a fall that fractured his L3 and L4 vertebrae. He documented his recovery online, sharing his pain and new music written during his hospital stay. His song “Lemonade” topped Apple Music charts across all genres, and “God’s Got My Back” also gained viral popularity.

How do Christian Radio & Records industry leaders see this playing out?

Matt Pelishek (KAXL/Bakersfield) says, “In media, we all want to get in on a moment. Trends and memes are just a part of cultural relevancy. What I loved about what happened in our industry, is that when it went too far and was actually hurtful, it was addressed respectfully but honestly from Forrest, and was reciprocated by those who did the videos. Sure there were mistakes, but we watched the process of vulnerability, humility, apology, and forgiveness play out in front of a massive audience. I think that speaks volumes for Christian artists.”

Two weeks after the accident Frank reported that scans showed his back had healed, allowing him to resume performing within three weeks. The accident inspired a collaboration with David Crowder, who had also recently broken his leg, resulting in their song “The Rock.” However, the incident also prompted parody injury songs from artists Cory Asbury, Matthew West, and comedian Shama Mrema.

Josh Lauritch (55 Promotion) says, “If I’m learning anything from Cory Asbury’s and Matthew West’s videos and Forrest Frank’s responses, I’m learning that we need a reformation in Christian music and in Christian radio. People were making fun of Forrest and this was a serious thing that he faced. Forrest said in response to Cory directly “[it] just feels like the artist community is trying to go viral making fun of our pain before my family has healed from it…which is wild. You’re a leader to the sheep…” I’m really glad Cory responded to it in a humble and vulnerable way. Beauty will come from this. Forrest said he has a one track mind…”I used to be lost and then Jesus saved my life and I’m going to try my hardest to dedicate every iota of my energy towards sharing that especially on social media…lost people are watching. As a believer, I signed up for mockery from the world and I signed up for unity with my brothers and sisters in Christ. What I’ve seen is crickets from the world and mockery from my brothers and sisters in Christ.” May the Holy Spirit develop this one-track mind in us all. As you’ve seen from the video, they talked and the Holy Spirit did something really beautiful.”

In a video, Cory Asbury humorously pretended to be recovering from surgery, revealing it was a vasectomy, and performed a rap with lines like “Snip, snip season, but we stay winning souls/ Spread the Gospel, not my seed.” Frank did not demand the videos stop but raised concerns about the broader implications of such content.

Lauritch further explained, “This clout chasing and cynicism is rampant in the Christian radio world and in Christian music. It needs to change. Everyone has a story and everyone has their own pain and trauma and insecurity to navigate. But every day, we accept the cynicism and wild jokes. I hear them at every industry gathering. I’ve made them myself over the years. We create narratives about others in our heads and then we spread them with our friends. What if we used this situation between Cory and Forrest as an example in our own lives?”

Frank wrote a song titled “Misunderstood” for Asbury, inviting him to collaborate on addressing the issue of their social media controversy. Frank praised Asbury’s songwriting depth and suggested they tackle the subject together. In response, Asbury apologized in a video, expressing regret for unintentionally mocking Frank’s traumatic experience and affirming his willingness to collaborate on the song, calling it powerful.

Dave Cruse (The JOY FM) told HisAir how he feels, “I’m personally not a fan of jumping on bandwagons and trends. The first couple of parody vids were fun, then it started to feel old pretty quickly and eventually, I felt, crossed the line of propriety and good taste. I didn’t really consider it from Forrest’s viewpoint until his reaction vid. I understood his point and thought he’d handled it well. I saw Matthew West post his side of the story after pulling his video and thought that was pretty well explained as well. We talked about it on our show and used it as a good example of how easily social media can create unintended hurt and a positive example of Biblical confrontation and resolution.”

In a video posted on Monday, Matthew West shared that Forest Frank had contacted him directly to express discomfort with a video he made, which Frank felt trivialized the serious moment in his life. West promptly apologized, removed the video, and spoke with Frank over the phone to resolve the issue. West emphasized that his intention was not to offend and described their resolution as handled in a “biblical way.” He expressed a desire for Christian artists to support each other, especially in their shared mission of spreading the message of Jesus.

Joseph Reed (Singing News) says, “Forrest Frank’s transparency about his skateboarding accident and faith-driven recovery showcases genuine vulnerability and a powerful testament to God’s work in his life. While some peers’ parodies and jokes may have been intended as humor, they risk appearing insensitive to his trauma. We should uplift artists who boldly share their faith and focus on healing and unity. Regardless of whether healing came through doctors, a misdiagnosis, or a miracle, 1 Corinthians 10:31 reminds us to “do all to the glory of God.”

In the comments of Matthew West’s video, Forest Frank expressed gratitude for West resolving their issue in a “biblical way.” Frank appreciated West’s clarification to his audience, noted he now understood West’s playful nature after their phone call, and said they reached a positive resolution. He looked forward to giving West a hug at their next meeting.

Josh Lauritch concludes, “If you’re battling cynicism and envy and pride or insecurity and that’s the root of your jokes and gossip when you’re with your colleagues, I want you to know that there’s grace for you. If you hear others talking this way and feel like you need to say something, I challenge you to take the same approach that Forrest took in this situation…reach out and say something. If they don’t respond well, I’ll join you in the conversation like Matthew 18 outlines. See what God wants to do through that approach. Our job is to walk the way of Jesus, not to market Him or use Him to build our own kingdoms. We need a reformation in our industry and honestly, it starts with me. If you want to join me, let’s walk it out this new Way together.”