11 Celebrities Who Have been Raised As Jehovah’s Witnesses

Whereas beliefs range from individual to individual, many Jehovah’s Witnesses select to not rejoice holidays, don’t vote in elections, and keep away from music and tv. Though it might sound constricting, many followers say that the follow 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 previously.

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 dad and mom and their non secular beliefs, he wasn’t allowed to look at tv, attend magic reveals or rejoice birthdays. Wanting again, Donald says it made him really feel like an outcast, particularly rising up within the South — but it surely fully formed his inventive identification.

“Being a Jehovah’s Witness was fascinating. I believe 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 might 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 otherwise. A part of the faith is instructing you that the world is an evil place, so attempting to reconcile actually liking stuff on this planet but in addition being instructed it’s dangerous makes you wish to determine, ‘What is that this?’ and ‘Why am I being drawn to this?’ My inventive outlet was positively formed by being a Jehovah’s Witness.”

Donald is now not a training Jehovah’s Witness.

Luke Evans knew he was homosexual rising up, however since his household have been Jehovah’s Witnesses, he made the selection to cover his identification. He defined that he knew if he got here out, it might have implications for his dad and mom, and he can be expelled from the group. On prime of that, he was bullied at school for his faith. Wanting again, he says he needed to “try to make the perfect of a state of affairs.”

“I simply knew that due to the faith it might pose a really troublesome state of affairs 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 unsure I believed in any of it, if I’m blatantly sincere, however I didn’t have a lot alternative. I used to be too younger to go away dwelling legally. If I might have left, they’d have dragged me again.”

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

Michelle Rodriguez’s mom’s aspect of the household have been training Jehovah’s Witnesses, and whereas she was rising up, she needed to observe loads of their very strict guidelines. She didn’t rejoice birthdays and couldn’t even watch Disney films. Now, as an grownup, she says she might by no means follow a faith that was so limiting.

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

“So far as spending a lot of time with that aspect of the household, no. I grew up figuring out that you simply’re on this alone,” she continued. “Your mother offers start to you, your loved ones takes care of you, however in a way it’s a must to make your personal on this planet. For me, to produce other folks resolve what that appears like, I might by no means dwell that life.”

Coco Rocha grew up in a household of training 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 choices. Though the faith typically impacts her profession as a mannequin, she nonetheless says it’s extremely necessary to her.

“My religion is every little thing. There aren’t many Witnesses who’re within the public eye. I can’t even title any. It’s laborious typically 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 every other mannequin’s is insane. No non secular artifacts, no authorities artifacts. If I’m taking pictures 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 taking part in one thing that I don’t need? To start with, the shoppers would say, ‘That is an excessive amount of,’ however over time, those I favored saved working with me.”

Naomi Campbell’s mom, Valerie, reportedly raised her daughter as a Jehovah’s Witness, however Naomi seemingly didn’t select to follow 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 have been each raised as Jehovah’s Witnesses and nonetheless follow the faith in the present day. Wanting 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 necessary to me, however I’ve by no means actually practiced it and have been desirous 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 usually acknowledged birthdays and holidays like Christmas — though his father didn’t approve.

“I like it. I believe 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 residing a life that I acquired to apologize for.”

When Geri Halliwell was somewhat woman, her mother grew to become a training Jehovah’s Witness. Wanting again, she says it was unusual to instantly cease participating in holidays, and it made her really feel remoted. Finally, her mom determined it wasn’t proper for them, and so they left the church.

“I used to be introduced up a Jehovah’s Witness. My mom went by means of a section of lacking out birthdays and Christmas, and that’s fairly uncomfortable while you’re eight years previous. You are 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 wish to have something to do with the faith.

“I used to be residing with my grandmother on the time. My mother would get me on the weekends and stuff like that. After which they have been like, ‘You’re not gonna be capable of 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 dwell with my mom.’ We have 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 when he grew to become well-known, his household lastly reopened their traces of communication together with his mom.

Sherri Shepherd says the Jehovah’s Witness religion was liable for breaking up her household when she was somewhat woman. Sheri defined that as a toddler, she was compelled to cease speaking together 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 though he lived in our home,” she mentioned on the Journeys of Religion podcast. “He labored three jobs to deal with us and I keep in mind my two sisters telling him, ‘We will’t discuss 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 dad and mom’ divorce. Sherri, her sisters, and her mom then moved to California, and whereas they weren’t energetic 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 have been training Jehovah’s Witnesses, however she determined to go away the faith when she was a younger teenager. Though she determined to not follow 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 after 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 discuss on a regular basis. I wish to preserve 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 this stuff, have been so corrupted and so infused with energy that I actually don’t have curiosity in any of it – governments, faith, companies. However I do have curiosity within the human situation.”