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Ryan Gosling, Amy Adams and singer Benson Boone are among the small group of celebrities who were raised in the Mormon Church.
Mormon typically refers to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a religion of the Latter Day Saint movement of Restorationist Christianity which was founded back in the 1800s. They “embrace Christianity and Joseph Smith’s teachings,” per History, and many rules come from the faith. For instance, devout Mormons have to abstain from alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and more. Many focus on being honest and friendly, while some focus on the more restrictive rules in the faith. It all ranges.
Now, quite a few celebrities have talked about their upbringings. While some have called out some of the teachings, others claim they were happy with what they were taught as a kid from the religion. Other celebrities have not been as open about their experience in the Mormon Church.
From very unlikely comedians like Chelsea Handler to Oscar-nominated actors like Adams and Gosling, there are quite a few celebrities who were raised Mormon (and probably way more than you think)!
Check out which surprising celebrities were raised as Mormons below:
A version of this article was originally published on Oct 2023.
Benson Boone
Grammy nominee Benson Boone grew up in a Mormon family in Washington before finding fame after he dropped out of American Idol in 2021.
The “Beautiful Things” singer has not spoken about his religion publicly but he did briefly attend the Idaho campus of Mormon college, Brigham Young University before dropping out according to a Grammys profile.
Dan Reynolds
Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons opened up to People in July 2024 about his experience as an ex-Mormon.
He recalled that he was raised in a “really conservative” Mormon household, but he has since left the religion.
“There’s obviously parts of the Mormon religion that I feel pretty strongly are harmful, especially to our gay youth,” he said. “At times I feel pretty isolated from my family, but I also love them and am close to them and see them, and there’s no animosity there. I’m on a different path. I have to love myself enough to follow my truth.”
Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera was reportedly raised Mormon in her early years. Her parents reportedly wed in the Washington DC Latter Day Saints Temple but later split and Aguilera became a Roman Catholic, per Talko. She has never spoken about Mormonism.
Chelsea Handler
So Chelsea Handler’s mother was Jewish and her father was Mormon. When she grew up, she decided to focus on her family’s Jewish faith.
“I chose Jewish obviously. Mormonism is so ridiculous,” she told author Judy Blume at the 2020 MAKERS Conference. “But I related to… that conflict of religion for both parents.”
Jewel
Jewel was born in Utah while her father was attending BYU and was raised Mormon after moving to Alaska.
She revealed in her 2015 memoir that her family stopped attending church after her parents divorce, when she was 8.
“I grew up in a very traditional Mormon family,” she told People in May 2024. But everything changed when my mom left. My dad started drinking and being physically abusive, so like hitting us, and that’s what caused me to move out.”
Derek Hough & Julianne Hough
Utah-native Derek Hough and Julianne Hough were raised as Mormons.
“I’m not practicing, but I’m so glad I was raised Mormon,” Hough told the New York Post in October 2013. “No sex before marriage, no drinking, no caffeine, no smoking, no swear words, no R-rated movies.”
Amy Adams
In a 2013 interview with The Sun, via Belfast Telegraph, Adams opened up about growing up in the Mormon Church until she was 11.
“I grew up as a Mormon and that had more of an impact on my values than my beliefs,” she said.
She added that she still feels “religious guilt” when she “misbehaves” or drinks too much. “”What I still feel and rely on from that kind of teaching, is how you can bring a lot of joy to the people around you by being positive and hopeful,” she added.
Katherine Heigl
Grey’s Anatomy star Katherine Heigl looks back happily on her childhood faith. She told Good Housekeeping in 2014 that she no longer practices Mormonism but had some good things to say about the religion.
“That [Mormon] structure and discipline was really good for me,” she said. “I had a childhood that was a childhood. I listened to my parents. I respected the rules.”
David Archuleta
American Idol alum David Archuleta was a devout Mormon ever since his childhood but revealed in 2022 that he had taken a step back from the church after coming out as queer.
He told People that coming out caused a “faith crisis” which lead to depression and suicidal ideation. “That’s pretty much rocked my world,” he said.
“I tried to hide from this all my life, and I can’t. I just had to take a step away, take a break from religion — because for my own sanity, I did not want to weigh out whether it was better for me to live and exist, or if it was better for me not to exist,” he explained.
Pat Priest
The Munsters alum Pat Priest was raised in a Mormon family in Utah.
Eliza Dushku
While Eliza Dushku was raised in the Mormon faith, she no longer practices it, and she left soon after she started working on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
She revealed in a speech at the Equality Now Gala in 2012 that Her family disapproved of her character faith, and she left. “My problems with the church have to do with its stance on homosexuality, and other things,” she added.
Donny & Marie Osmond
Both Donny and Marie Osmond were raised Mormon and continue to practice the religion today.
Ryan Gosling
Ryan Gosling opened up to The Guardian in 2007 about being raised in a Mormon family in Canada.
“We were brought up pretty religious,” Gosling said. “My mother admits it. She says, ‘You were raised by a religious zealot.’ She’s different now, but at the time, it was a part of everything – what they ate, how they thought.”
Brendon Urie
Brendon Urie revealed back in 2016 that he was raised Mormon but left when he became an adult. He said to Genius, “I still use a lot of good values from growing up in the church, and there was a sense of community. But you were also being heavily judged by people that wanted to look down on you for not being as great as they are.”
Win Butler
Arcade Fire’s Win Butler was also raised a Mormon by his mother, per TheTalko.
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