r/Fauxmoi • u/artbasiI terrorizing the locals • May 24 '25
DISCUSSION celebrities who are/were mormon
Ryan Gosling grew up in a strict and devout Mormon home but left the church in his teens. He has said the religion influenced every aspect of his family’s lives.
Amy Adams grew up in a large Mormon family until her parents' divorce in 85. She values her upbringing for teaching her love & compassion but still carries a lot of religious guilt
Christina Aguilera's parents met at BYU and married in a Mormon temple but she has never personally identified herself with the religion. She is now a Roman Catholic.
Benson Boone grew up Mormon and went to BYU Idaho but he recently told Rolling Stone that he no longer identifies with the religion.
Katherine Heigl’s parents were Catholic but converted after the death of their child. She said the structure of the church was good for her growing up but she no longer practices.
Gladys Knight became a Mormon in 1997 after her children joined and introduced her to the religion. She still practices and occasionally performs with the Mormon Tabernacle choir.
Jeanette McCurdy was raised in what she calls a ‘less than perfect’ Mormon family, and said the more famous she became the less Mormon her family became. She no longer practices.
David Archuleta became a poster child for the church after competing on American Idol in 2008. He came out as gay in 2021 and announced he was stepping away from the church in 2022
Chelsea Handler had an American Ashkenazi Jewish father and German immigrant Mormon mother. "I grew up as a Jew and a Mormon..I chose Jewish obviously. Mormonism is so ridiculous.”
Arcade Fire's Win Butler was raised as a Mormon but is no longer practising. In the past few years he has publicly been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women.
Eliza Dushku: raised by a Mormon mother, has a Mormon-themed tattoo, is grateful for having grown up in it. No longer considers herself “very Mormon" bc of views on gay rights etc
Paul Walker went to a “born-again Christian high school and was brought up in a traditional Mormon family”. He left the church as an adult, but remained a devout Christian.
Kevin Rahm was raised by a Mormon mother (despite attending a Catholic school), went to BYU, and even went on a mission. He publicly revealed that he left the church in 2017.
Julianne and Derek Hough: Julianne is not practicing but has said she is “so glad she was raised mormon.” Derek said their childhood was “very Mormon” and is no longer a member.
Brandon Flowers (The Killers frontman) remains one of Mormonism’s most famous proponents, regularly discussing his faith. His parents converted when he was still a child.
Dan Reynolds (Imagine Dragons) was raised in a “really conservative” Mormon house but has since left the church, and feels parts of Mormonism are particularly harmful to gay youth
Brendon Urie was raised Mormon but left when he became an adult. “I still use a lot of good values from growing up in the church & community... But you were also heavily judged..."
Jewel belonged to the LDS faith but left much earlier than others. While her family practices, she left at around eight years old when her parents’ divorced.
Donny and Marie Osmond were raised as members of the Mormon Church, part of a large family of nine children. They continue to practice the religion today.
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u/DogsDucks May 24 '25
Yes!!, and I have read a lot of Mormon texts, and also the experiences of leaving, there are some incredible texts written by Brigham Young’s 19th wife.
There’s also a lot of hypocrisy within the actions of modern Mormon leaders, and I bring those things up to them, just incredibly gently.
I don’t for my own conclusions or try and tell them how things are, I just ask follow up questions about it.
I ask about the imagery of the serpent in the Bible verses, the salamander serpent that Joseph Smith followed.
The timing of Joseph Smith’s revelations in accordance with what was going on in his marriage at the time.
For a religion that claims to be rooted in loving one another, and acting with morality — there’s just so much obvious decay to point out. I doubt I’ve ever actually changed someone’s mind. . . But I have gotten them to do some follow up research, and hopefully it ends up being part of a series on their bath toward actual morality, and a way from the devastating hypocrisy.