11 Celebrities Who Have been Raised As Jehovah’s Witnesses

Whereas beliefs differ from individual to individual, many Jehovah’s Witnesses select to not rejoice holidays, don’t vote in elections, and steer clear of music and tv. Though it might sound constricting, many followers say that the observe 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 mother and father and their spiritual beliefs, he wasn’t allowed to look at tv, attend magic exhibits or rejoice birthdays. Wanting again, Donald says it made him really feel like an outcast, particularly rising up within the South — nevertheless it utterly formed his artistic id.

“Being a Jehovah’s Witness was fascinating. 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 may have Jewish youngsters within the class who don’t rejoice Christmas everybody understands, however if 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 advised the Each 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 making an attempt to reconcile actually liking stuff on the planet but additionally being advised it’s dangerous makes you need to determine, ‘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 not a working towards 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 id. He defined that he knew if he got here out, it might have implications for his mother and father, and he could be expelled from the group. On high of that, he was bullied at school for his faith. Wanting again, he says he needed to “try to make the most effective 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 stated 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 depart residence legally. If I might 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 have been working towards Jehovah’s Witnesses, and whereas she was rising up, she needed to observe lots 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 observe 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 Pink Desk Speak: The Estefans.

“So far as spending a lot of time with that facet of the household, no. I grew up figuring out that you simply’re on this alone,” she continued. “Your mother provides beginning to you, your loved ones takes care of you, however in a way you must make your individual on the planet. For me, to produce other folks resolve what that appears like, I might 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 choices. Though the faith typically impacts her profession as a mannequin, she nonetheless says it’s extremely necessary to her.

“My religion is all the pieces. There aren’t many Witnesses who’re within the public eye. I can’t even identify any. It’s laborious typically if you’re there alone. You’re not there with somebody who can maintain your hand and say we’ll do that collectively,” she advised Du Jour journal.

She added, “My record [of what I won’t do] in contrast with another mannequin’s is insane. No spiritual artifacts, no authorities artifacts. If I’m taking pictures with a male mannequin, what’s he precisely doing with me? What’s he sporting? If I’m working with different fashions, what are they sporting? Are they enjoying one thing that I don’t need? At first, 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 observe 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 advised the Each 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 observe the faith at present. 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 kids within the religion.

“Being a Jehovah’s Witness is necessary 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 — regardless that 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 stated 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 bought to apologize for.”

When Geri Halliwell was somewhat woman, her mother grew to become a working towards Jehovah’s Witness. Wanting again, she says it was unusual to instantly cease collaborating 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 a section of lacking out birthdays and Christmas, and that’s fairly uncomfortable if you’re eight years previous. You’re feeling very excluded. Fortunately, my mum realised it wasn’t for her,” Geri advised The Guardian.

Ja Rule was introduced up in a Jehovah’s Witness family, however when he was a preteen, his mom determined to depart the faith. It drove a wedge within the household ,and the rapper was not allowed to see his mom. He noticed how damage 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 have 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 have been kinda just like the black sheep now. No person was coping with my mom, and that was loopy.”

Ja Rule not practices the religion however says that after he grew to become well-known, his household lastly reopened their strains of communication along with his mom.

Sherri Shepherd says the Jehovah’s Witness religion was chargeable for breaking up her household when she was somewhat woman. Sheri defined that as a baby, 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 advised as a younger woman we needed to cease speaking to my dad regardless that he lived in our home,” she stated on the Journeys of Religion podcast. “He labored three jobs to care for us and I bear in mind my two sisters telling him, ‘We are able to’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 mother and father’ 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 working towards Jehovah’s Witnesses, however she determined to depart the faith when she was a younger teenager. Though she determined to not observe the religion, her sister continued to take action — and they’re nonetheless shut regardless of their spiritual 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 examine it,” she advised Rolling Stone.

She continued, “My sister continues to be Jehovah’s Witness. We discuss on a regular basis. I prefer to preserve abreast of what she’s doing and what she believes in. I imagine there’s 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.”