Safe for the Whole Family: How to Make a Christian Superstar
The story
A documentary that exposes exposes the toxic underbelly of Nashville’s multi-billion-dollar Christian music industry, tracking how a faith-based genre became a corporate machine demanding evangelical perfection. The narrative centers on the immense psychological toll of this purity culture, told through three stars exiled at the height of their fame. Audiences follow the downfall of teen sensation Nikki Leonti, shamed and dropped by her label at 17 for an unwed pregnancy. It unpacks the institutional homophobia faced by Michael Passons (Avalon), forced out after being outed as gay and rejecting conversion therapy. Alongside them, singer-songwriter Jennifer Knapp walks away from her thriving career to escape the conservative agenda before later coming out. Through these raw accounts and insights from peers, the film details systemic exile and the resilient fight to reclaim identity and faith outside the corporate church ecosystem.
