Celebs You Didn’t Know Were Jehovah’s Witnesses
By Juliet Smith
2 years ago
Serena Williams
Image Source/ Sports IllustratedWorld famous tennis player Serena Williams was raised a Jehovah's Witness and still practices, however it wasn't until 2017 that she started to fully come to terms with the religion. She has since spoken out, saying:"Being a Jehovah’s Witness is important to me, but I’ve never really practiced it and have been wanting to get into it."
Michelle Rodriguez
Image Source/ PinterestBeing brought up in a strict Jehovah's Witness family wasn't easy for the Lost actress. She spoke out about how strict her family were, as she was forced to attend church everyday and wasn't allowed to watch films. She says:"I'd go knocking on people's doors with my grandma trying to save their souls."
Donald Glover
Image Source/ VultureDonald Glover, a.k.a. Childish Gambino, was raised as a fully-fledged Jehovah's Witness. Although, since then, Glover has converted to atheism, his experiences as a Jehovah's Witness still resonate with him, saying that being a member of the religion amplified his "alienness."Prince
Image Source/ The GuardianDespite being raised as a Seventh Day Adventist, Prince became Jehovah's Witness in 2001. He was in debates with fellow musician Larry Graham about the religion and spoke out about his distaste towards conversion:“I don’t see it really as a conversion. More, you know, it’s a realization. It’s like Morpheus and Neo in The Matrix.”
Michael Jackson
Image Source/ NME.comLegendary musician MJ was no stranger to religion. His mother, Katherine, left the Baptist tradition and become a Jehovah's Witness in 1963. Jackson would later disassociate himself from the religion after their negative reaction towards his Thriller video in 1987.Geri Halliwell
Terrence Howard
Image Source/ DefamerThe Empire actor Terrence Howard has spoken outwardly about his interest in being a Jehovah's Witness, stating that he wants to become a member of the faith despite previously being Muslim. His wife, model Mira Pak, actually raises their two sons in the religion.The Notorious B.I.G
Image Source/ BillboardInfamous rapper The Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, was raised as a Jehovah's Witness and, like many of his celebrity counterparts, denounced his religion as an adult. It's no surprise considering his song lyrics which speak of violating Mother Mary.Naomi Campbell
Image Source/ British GQModel Naomi Campbell was raised a Jehovah's Witness and her mother has faced public scrutiny for raising Campbell under the religion. However, Campbell's mother Valerie has spoken out about her decisions:“I was raised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, but she had to choose her own faith. When she asks me, of course I give her all the necessary literature to use."
Janet Jackson
Image Source/ PinterestGiven that MJ was raised as a Jehovah's Witness, it comes as no surprise that his sister Janet Jackson was also raised the same. Although she believed in God, Jackson's reflection on attending the Kingdom Hall was not a particularly positive one:"I was asleep. I know that's awful. I was so tired, so busy, so knocked out, I'd fall asleep."
Patti Smith
Image Source/ The GuardianPunk Rock star Patti Smith was raised under the Jehovah's Witness faith by her mother. While her father was an atheist (that read the bible) her mother was a devout Witness and would take her children up the streets delivering copies of Watchtower, the Bible-based magazine.Venus Williams
Image Source/ The Japan TimesUp here with her sister is Venus Williams who also still practices being a Jehovah's Witness. Raised under the faith by her mother, Oracene Price, Williams still takes an active participation in the religion and takes time to log her hours for the required door-to-door ministry.Dave Mustaine
Image Source/ IMDbThe Megadeath guitarist Dave Mustaine doesn't speak lightly about being raised as Jehovah's Witness. Although he's since become a born-again Christian, he holds a lot of resentment against the religion that "totally ruined his life":"You can’t have any friends because they’re all Pagan – that really scarred me."
Sherri Shepherd
Image Source/ TwitterThe American actress Sherri Shepherd speaks distastefully about being a Jehovah's Witness. She remembers as a young girl being forced to stop talking to her father after the Church punished her for committing a sin and her father questioned their protocols.Jill Scott
Image Source/ NewsweekAmerican soul singer Jill Scott was raised a Jehovah's Witness and has since denounced her faith in the religion. However, she doesn't remember negatively and has said:"I was taught that every man should be judged by his deeds and not his color, and I firmly stand where my grandmother left me."
Ja Rule
Image Source/ ComplexAmerican rapper Ja Rule was among the rappers that were raised as Jehovah's Witnesses. He denounced himself from the religion after the way they treated his mother upon her disfellowship. They told him that he wasn't going to be able to see his mother anymore.Xzibit
Image Source/ SpotifyRapper and actor Xzibit, or Alvin Nathaniel Joiner, was also raised a Jehovah's Witness. It's clear that he harbours some sort of resentment towards the faith, given his tweet posted in 2012, stating:"My dad was a devoted Jehovah's Witness, he sacrificed his entire life AND family for his faith, and them b******s aint no where around. #fake."
Coco Rocha
Image Source/ FashionistaModel Coco Rocha is an active, practicing Jehovah's Witness and is very proud of her faith. Despite her husband also being a Witness, she speaks openly about how lonely it is:“There aren’t many Witnesses who are in the public eye. I can’t even name any. It’s hard sometimes when you’re there alone. You’re not there with someone who can hold your hand and say we’ll do this together.”
Larry Graham
Image Source/ SpotifyAs mentioned with Prince's part as a Jehovah's Witness, we also have the Family Stone guitarist Larry Graham on this list. Clearly being incredibly proud of his faith, Graham has actually contributed a piece towards the Jehovah's Witnesses Watchtower publication.George Benson
Image Source/ uDiscoverMusicGrammy-winning jazz guitarist George Benson has been a Jehovah's Witness for many decades and still plays an active role in the door-to-door responsibility. A lot of people are in disbelief when Benson turns up at the door as a Witness, as he's become very popular.Lou Whitaker
Image Source/ MLive.comAmerican pro-baseball player Lou Whitaker is among the celebrities to have been raised in a Jehovah's Witness household. If you were alive during the 80s, you will remember Whitaker not standing during the national anthem due to his position in the faith.Luke Evans
Image Source/ Marie ClaireThe Hobbit actor Luke Evans was brought up as a Jehovah's Witness and recalls that it wasn't exactly an easy upbringing for him. Discussing the door-to-door activity, he says:“I remember standing there with my mum and dad thinking, ‘Oh my God, I know whose door this is, and I’ll have to see them on Monday.’ It was terrible.”
Marc John Jefferies
Image Source/ IMDbFamous for his acting as a child, the Stuart Little and Spiderman 2 actor Marc John Jeffries didn't always want to pursue acting. As a child, he had a dream of becoming a policeman, something that wasn't possible due to his religion as a Jehovah's Witness.Chet Lemon
Image Source/ South Side SoxAnother baseball player to join the list is Chet Lemon. However, instead of being raised as a Jehovah's Witness, Lemon was introduced to the faith when he was a teenager and plays an active participation in the church today. He was among the baseball players to sit out the national anthem.Dwight D. Eisenhower
Image Source/ History ChannelThe 34th President of the United States was born and raised as a Jehovah's Witness until his adult life. However, given that Witnesses are expected to keep political neutrality, Eisenhower wouldn't have been able to pursue his career in politics if he remained.Selena Quintanilla
Image Source/ NBC NewsSinger Selena Quintanilla was made infamous for being tragically murdered by the president of her own fan club in 1995. Prior to her death, Quintanilla was not shy from admitting that she believed in the Jehovah's Witness faith and actively participated in the church.Mickey Spillane
Image Source/ Frank Beecham's JournalCrime novelist Mickey Spillane converted to become a Jehovah's Witness despite the content of his novels, with pornographic and immoral themes, being looked down on and condemned by older members of the Jehovah's Witness faith. It didn't stop Spillane from becoming a worldwide phenomenon.Gloria Naylor
Image Source/ The NY TimesFamous and iconic The Colour Purple writer Gloria Naylor was raised in a Jehovah's Witness household. It wasn't until the family moved to Queens in 1963 that Naylor's mother converted to the faith and it was another five years after this that Naylor took on the title herself.Teresa Graves
Image Source/ WikipediaFamous actress and singer Teresa Graves was actual stunted in her career by the choice she made to become a Jehovah's Witness. She was a continuing character on Get Christie Love, a TV series about a female policeman murdering villains. Once leaving the show she dedicated her life to the faith.Dave Meyers
Image Source/ The TelegraphTalented basketball played Dave Meyers was another sportsman that became a Jehovah's Witness in his adult life and continued to be an active member of the faith up until his death in 2015. He spent the last years of his life organising classes and basketball sessions for children.Kid Gavilan
Image Source / YouTubeBoxer Kid Gavilan - real name Gerardo Gonzalez - is a famous Cuban sportsman best known for having never been knocked out (which is a big deal for a boxer!). He's beat fellow fighters in the ring like SugarRay Robinson and Tommy Bell. Gavilan became a Jehovah's Witness in his adulthood.Mark McCumber
Image Source / THE PLAYERS ChampionshipMcCumber is an American golf player who won the Players Championship in 1988. Alongside his sporting career, he's a very devout Jehovah's Witness - so much so that he's now dedicated to practicsing the religion, and wanting to make a good impression on behalf of the people of his faith.Gary Gygax
Image Source / WikipediaGary Gygax - full name Ernest Gary Gygax - was a famous American designer who passed away back in 2008. He was responsible for co-creating the tabletop RP game Dungeons & Dragons, alongside being an active Jehovah's Witness and Christian.Charles Taze Russell
Image Source / BritannicaAlso known as Pastor Russell, he was an active Jehovah's Witness and the founder of Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society. He passed away in 1916, but he was very vocal about his beliefs, including that Millennials who turn to a 'life of sin' will be punished for eternity.Valerie Campbell
Image Source / The TelegraphThe mother of supermodel Naomi Campbell was raised as a Jehovah's Witness and passed the religion down onto her daughter. She found her faith during a difficult time when she was having a mastectomy for breast cancer.Jacob Miller
Image Source / IMDbOne half of the TV show Nemesis Rising, Jacob Miller is openly gay and was raised as a Jehovah's Witness, but was later disfellowshipped because of his sexual orientation. His participation in the reality television show also had something to do with it.Joshua Miller
Image Source / SecondHandSongsThe other half of the band Nemesis Rising, and twin to Jacob Miller, was also raised as a Jehovah's Witness along with his brother. Joshua is also openly gay, and his relationship with this particular faith ended up the same as his brother due to his sexuality and appearance in the TV show.Marques Houston
Image Source / Page SixMarques Houston was a child actor best known for his role in the hit TV show Sister, Sister. His faith has been an important part of his adulthood, and he's even said he goes door to door to try and convert people. He's received some trolling online in response to that, but it hasn't deterred him.The Family Of Nelson Mandela
Image Source / WikipediaAlthough Mandela himself wasn't a practising Jehovah's Witness, his family was - including his first wife, Evelyn Mase, also the mother of Mandela's 4 children. She converted to become a Jehovah's Witness after her divorce from Mandela. Nelson's younger sister was also a Jehovah's Witness.Danielle Colby
Image Source / Freshly Inked MagazineDanielle Colby is an American television personality who was a burlesque dancer and also a cast member of the reality show American Pickers. Colby had originally been a Jehovah's Witness before she left the faith for a life of burlesque dancing and TV stardom.Lark Voorhies
Image Source / CNNVoorhies is an actress known for nostalgic TV shows like Saved By The Bell and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. And speaking of fresh - she's also known for a shampoo commercial or two. She's a practising Jehovah's Witness who allegedly quit Days of Our Lives because a certain sex scene would violate her religious principles.Peter Andre
Image Source / The SunMysterious Girl singer and TV personality Peter Andre is a practising Jehovah's Witness. Also known for his previous marriage to Katie Price, he grew up in Australia in a family which all held values of this particular religion - which naturally embedded itself into Peter's adult life.Krazyzie Bone
Image Source / Jean Book NerdMusician and rap star Krazyzie Bone - known for Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - was raised by parents who were devout Jehovah's Witnesses. Bone - real name Anthony Henderson - was influenced by the religion at a young age but he didn't carry it with him into adulthood when he ran into trouble on the streets and later found empowerment through his music rather than his faith.Hank Marvin
Image Source / Guitar.comMarvin is a famous singer and musician, and in 1973, he became a Jehovah's Witness when he moved to Australia. He still practices the religion, but has also concentrated on his music career, too, re-forming the Shadows and recording further hits with them.Hinano Yoshkawa
Image Source / Japan TodayYoshkawa is a Japanese actress and model. When she was younger, she married music performer Izam, whom she divorced a few months later and caused quite the scandal. Whilst previously following Jehovah's Witness teachings, she no longer practices the religion.Lord Jamar
Image Source / IMDbLord Jamar - or Lorenzo Dechalus - is an American rapper, music producer, podcaster and actor. He also founded the hip hop band Brand Nubian. While Jamar was raised as a Jehovah's Witness, that faith wasn't something he took into his adult life or career, and he no longer practices.Jesse Garcia
Image Source / IMDbJesse Garcia is an American actor who was starred in both films and movies, such as Quinceañera and a cameo appearance in The Avengers. He was born in Wyoming and raised as a Jehovah's Witness, but he doesn't practice that faith anymore.Jermaine Jackson
Image Source / Biography (Bio.)Famous American singer, member of the Jackson family & Jackson 5 and brother to the late Michael Jackson, Jermaine was raised as a Jehovah's Witness like the rest of his family. He later converted to Islam in 1989 after being impressed by the local children's faith. He's also claimed that if his brother Michael had also converted to Islam, it would have saved him.TomSka
Image Source / DebatesJungleWiki - FandomTomSka is the online moniker of Thomas James Ridgewell, a famous vlogger, content creator, filmmaker and actor. He's mainly known for live-action sketch comedy on YouTube as well as web-series. He was raised as a Jehovah's Witness but no longer practices the religion. He does still believe in a 'higher power', though.Deborah Frances-White
Image Source / Women's Prize for FictionFrances-White's podcast 'The Guilty Feminist' is a popular one, thriving on Deborah's comedy talents, as well as her work as an author and screenwriter. She also hosts seminars for corporate events to talk about important issues. She was a Jehovah's Witness in her teenager years, but later left the faith, which she has spoken about openly during her comedy shows.What To Read Next
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