11 Celebrities Who Have been Raised As Jehovah’s Witnesses

Whereas beliefs fluctuate from individual to individual, many Jehovah’s Witnesses select to not rejoice holidays, don’t vote in elections, and avoid music and tv. Though it could sound constricting, many followers say that the apply brings them peace. However like all religions, it’s not proper for everybody and as adults, many individuals select to step away from the church. That’s true for a handful celebrities who as soon as adopted the religion however have now left these beliefs prior to now.

Learn on extra to seek out out about these well-known Jehovah’s Witnesses…

Donald Glover was raised in a Jehovah’s Witness family. Between his strict mother and father and their non secular beliefs, he wasn’t allowed to observe tv, attend magic reveals or rejoice birthdays. Trying again, Donald says it made him really feel like an outcast, particularly rising up within the South — nevertheless it fully formed his artistic id.

“Being a Jehovah’s Witness was attention-grabbing. I feel it amplified my very own alienness. I used to be all the time the odd one out, and Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t rejoice Christmas, you don’t say the Pledge of Allegiance, and when you could have Jewish children within the class who don’t rejoice Christmas everybody understands, however while you say you’re a Jehovah’s Witness they are saying, ‘So… You come to my door at 9 a.m. and wake my household up? I don’t perceive any of your guidelines,’” Donald instructed the Every day Beast.

He continued, “I imagine it made me see the world in a different way. A part of the faith is educating you that the world is an evil place, so attempting to reconcile actually liking stuff on this planet but additionally being instructed it’s dangerous makes you need to work out, ‘What is that this?’ and ‘Why am I being drawn to this?’ My artistic outlet was undoubtedly formed by being a Jehovah’s Witness.”

Donald is now not a working towards Jehovah’s Witness.

Luke Evans knew he was homosexual rising up, however since his household had been Jehovah’s Witnesses, he made the selection to cover his id. He defined that he knew if he got here out, it will have implications for his mother and father, and he could be expelled from the group. On prime of that, he was bullied at school for his faith. Trying again, he says he needed to “attempt to make the perfect of a scenario.”

“I simply knew that due to the faith it will pose a really tough scenario for us, as a result of the faith wouldn’t settle for it,” he mentioned on BBC Radio Wales’ Lucy Owen programme. “I assume I selected the faith. I’m undecided I believed in any of it, if I’m blatantly sincere, however I didn’t have a lot selection. I used to be too younger to go away house legally. If I would have left, they’d have dragged me again.”

He has since disfellowshipped from the faith, and whereas his mother and father are nonetheless religious, they’ve remained on good phrases.

Michelle Rodriguez’s mom’s facet of the household had been working towards Jehovah’s Witnesses, and whereas she was rising up, she needed to comply with loads of their very strict guidelines. She didn’t rejoice birthdays and couldn’t even watch Disney motion pictures. Now, as an grownup, she says she may by no means apply a faith that was so limiting.

“Birthdays and celebrating Halloween are evil. I didn’t get to observe Disney motion pictures till I used to be in my teenagers due to all of the witchcraft,” she recalled on Pink Desk Discuss: The Estefans.

“So far as spending a number of time with that facet of the household, no. I grew up realizing that you just’re on this alone,” she continued. “Your mother provides beginning to you, your loved ones takes care of you, however in a way it’s important to make your individual on this planet. For me, to produce other folks determine what that appears like, I may by no means stay that life.”

Coco Rocha grew up in a household of working towards Jehovah’s Witnesses. When she was 21, she made the selection to be formally baptized into the religion, as the faith requires followers to attend till they’re sufficiently old to make their very own knowledgeable selections. Though the faith generally impacts her profession as a mannequin, she nonetheless says it’s extremely essential to her.

“My religion is every part. There aren’t many Witnesses who’re within the public eye. I can’t even title any. It’s laborious generally while you’re there alone. You’re not there with somebody who can maintain your hand and say we’ll do that collectively,” she instructed Du Jour journal.

She added, “My listing [of what I won’t do] in contrast with some other mannequin’s is insane. No non secular artifacts, no authorities artifacts. If I’m capturing with a male mannequin, what’s he precisely doing with me? What’s he carrying? If I’m working with different fashions, what are they carrying? Are they enjoying one thing that I don’t need? At first, the purchasers would say, ‘That is an excessive amount of,’ however over time, those I preferred stored working with me.”

Naomi Campbell’s mom, Valerie, reportedly raised her daughter as a Jehovah’s Witness, however Naomi seemingly didn’t select to apply the faith herself. As an grownup, she didn’t get baptized into the religion.

“I used to be raised to be a Jehovah’s Witness, however I let it slip,” Valerie instructed the Every day Mail. “Now I’ve discovered it once more, I really feel far more at peace with myself and the world round me. I introduced up Naomi as a Jehovah’s Witness, however she should select her religion for herself. I do give her literature on the topic although when she asks for it.”

Serena Williams and her sister Venus had been each raised as Jehovah’s Witnesses and nonetheless apply the faith at the moment. Trying again, Serena says she grew up attending church and even took half within the required evangelizing door-to-door as a part of the religion. Serena and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, have additionally chosen to lift their youngsters within the religion.

“Being a Jehovah’s Witness is essential to me, however I’ve by no means actually practiced it and have been eager to get into it,” she shared with Vogue in 2017. “Alexis didn’t develop up going to any church, however he’s actually receptive and even takes the lead. He places my wants first.”

Damon Wayans and his household have been Jehovah’s Witnesses all all through their life. Though most followers of the faith select to not rejoice holidays, Damon says his mom typically acknowledged birthdays and holidays like Christmas — although his father didn’t approve.

“I adore it. I feel the best feeling you’ll have is to be at peace with God and peace with man as a result of that places you at peace with your self,” Damon mentioned on the Membership Shay Shay podcast. “My prayers aren’t, ‘God forgive me.’ No, ‘Thanks. Thanks for my household. Thanks for this journey.’ It’s nothing however gratitude ’trigger I ain’t dwelling a life that I received to apologize for.”

When Geri Halliwell was just a little woman, her mother turned a working towards Jehovah’s Witness. Trying again, she says it was unusual to immediately cease participating in holidays, and it made her really feel remoted. Ultimately, her mom determined it wasn’t proper for them, they usually left the church.

“I used to be introduced up a Jehovah’s Witness. My mom went by way of a section of lacking out birthdays and Christmas, and that’s fairly uncomfortable while you’re eight years previous. You’re feeling very excluded. Fortunately, my mum realised it wasn’t for her,” Geri instructed The Guardian.

Ja Rule was introduced up in a Jehovah’s Witness family, however when he was a preteen, his mom determined to go away the faith. It drove a wedge within the household ,and the rapper was not allowed to see his mom. He noticed how harm she was and didn’t need to have something to do with the faith.

“I used to be dwelling with my grandmother on the time. My mother would get me on the weekends and stuff like that. After which they had been like, ‘You’re not gonna be capable to go together with your mother on the weekends anymore,’” he shared on The Breakfast Membership.

He continued, “I didn’t perceive it like that. And I used to be like, ‘Effectively that’s not gonna fly, and I’m leaving right here and gonna stay with my mom.’ We had been kinda just like the black sheep now. No person was coping with my mom, and that was loopy.”

Ja Rule now not practices the religion however says that after he turned well-known, his household lastly reopened their strains of communication together with his mom.

Sherri Shepherd says the Jehovah’s Witness religion was accountable for breaking up her household when she was just a little woman. Sheri defined that as a baby, she was pressured to cease speaking along with her father after she was punished for committing a sin, and he questioned a Jehovah’s Witness chief about their insurance policies.

“I used to be instructed as a younger woman we needed to cease speaking to my dad although he lived in our home,” she mentioned on the Journeys of Religion podcast. “He labored three jobs to maintain us and I keep in mind my two sisters telling him, ‘We will’t speak to you anymore.’ I noticed him breaking down and crying.”

Years later, when it was found that Sherri had misplaced her virginity earlier than marriage, she was placed on reproof for six months for committing a “sexual sin.” It ended up resulting in her mother and father’ divorce. Sherri, her sisters, and her mom then moved to California, and whereas they weren’t lively members, they nonetheless attended church — the identical one because the Jackson household.

Sherri says she was later “saved at a Black Pentecostal church” and left the Jehovah’s Witness religion.

Patti Smith’s household had been working towards Jehovah’s Witnesses, however she determined to go away the faith when she was a younger teenager. Though she determined to not apply the religion, her sister continued to take action — and they’re nonetheless shut regardless of their non secular variations.

“I left organized faith at 12 or 13, as a result of I used to be introduced up a Jehovah’s Witness. I’ve a really robust biblical background. I studied the bible fairly a bit once I was younger and proceed to review it, unbiased of any faith, however I nonetheless research it,” she instructed Rolling Stone.

She continued, “My sister continues to be Jehovah’s Witness. We speak on a regular basis. I wish to hold abreast of what she’s doing and what she believes in. I imagine there may be good in in all religions. However faith, politics and enterprise, all of these items, have been so corrupted and so infused with energy that I actually don’t have curiosity in any of it – governments, faith, firms. However I do have curiosity within the human situation.”