What is a purity ball? Speaker Mike Johnson under fire as pictures with teenage daughter at 2015 event surface

Republican Speaker Mike Johnson has come under fire. Still, it's not for any policy decision but an old unearthed video of him and his daughter attending a purity ball. The video comes from a profile of the speaker in a 2015 German TV news segment, where he could be seen attending the so-called purity ball with his then-13-year-old daughter, Hannah.

A purity ball is a conservative Christian ball. In the vent, a father and his daughter dress up in formal attire for an evening of dancing and dinner, just like any ball, but a purity ball ends with the daughter signing a contract with her father declaring that she would abstain from dating and s*x until marriage.

A screenshot of the covenant signed by Mike Johnson and his daughter (Image via n-TV)

The purity ball and the purity movement rose in popularity in the '90s and 2000s. During the formal event, fathers promise their daughters to protect their purity of mind, body, and soul. In contrast, daughters promise their fathers to keep away from s*xual activity until their marriage is complete.

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Mike Johnson and his daughter's eventful Purity ball

According to information unearthed by ABC News, back in 2015, German TV station n-TV released a segment focusing on purity balls and the purity movement. The segment was told through the eyes of Mike Johnson and his family. In the segment, Speaker Johnson and his then-teenage daughter Hannah could be seen attending a purity ball.

The link to the segment provided by ABC News shows that the father-daughter duo were joined by other fathers and daughters all enjoying the seemingly joyful evening. The piece also showcased Hannah getting ready for a monumental occasion in her life.

The dressing was formal, and the decorations looked wedding-like as Johnson, dressed in a suit, opened the car door for his daughter, now in her 20s, sported a white dress. Johnson adorned a white flower bracelet on his daughter's hand as they posed for a picture together.

Hannah recited a pledge as Mike Johnson nodded in approval, signing a "Purity Covenant". During the pledge, ABC News translated that Hannah promised her father to:

"Make a commitment to God, myself, my family, my friends, my future husband, and my future children ... to a lifetime of purity, including s*xual purity."

Mike Johnson's wife, Kelly Johnson, who used to run a Christian counseling service that rallied against homos*xuality and abortion rights, was also present at the event and had some interesting things to tell the news outlet. She told the German news station:

"We don't talk to her about contraception. S*x before marriage is simply out of the question."

The segment, which is only 2 minutes and 50 seconds long, ends with the girls and their fathers dancing and laughing together at the event, all having a good time.

Kelly Johnson speaking to the outlet (Image via n-TV)

Louisiana's James Michael Johnson, popularly known as Mike Johnson, was only elected as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives in October of this year. Johnson has been criticized for his staunch conservative viewpoints when it came to matters like homos*xuality and abortion rights. He is also an avid Donald Trump supporter, endorsed by the former president himself.