18 celebrities who have spoken publicly about religion

Super Bowl champion Aaron Rodgers spoke openly about religion during a 2020 YouTube video with his then-partner, Danica Patrick. In the clip, the then-Green Bay Packers star quarterback mentioned how he participated in the Christian group YoungLife during college and credited his friends with helping him figure out what he believed. “Ultimately, it was that rules and regulations and binary systems don’t really resonate with me," he said. 

“I don’t know how you can believe in a God who wants to condemn most of the planet to a fiery hell,” he said. “What type of loving, sensitive, omnipresent, omnipotent being wants to condemn his beautiful creation to a fiery hell at the end of all this?”

“I think that there’s this narrative that exists out there that Hollywood is anti-Christian or anti-religious, but it’s just not the case,” Passengers star Chris Pratt told the Associated Press in 2018. “They are kind of not anti-anything. They are kind of pro whatever is authentic to you. And I like that. Because it’s authentic for me to be pro-Christian, pro-Jesus. That’s my thing. I like it.”

Amber Heard spoke about how being raised in a "religious" home impacted her ability to process her sexuality as a bi-sexual woman. "... being an outspoken lesbian, atheist, vegetarian, I remember when I told them about my relationship, that I was in love with this woman, and at the beginning of that, it was just tears, tears."

Former E! News host Giuliana Rancic has been open about her cancer journey. After undergoing surgery to remove cancerous tissue, Rancic told People how her faith had changed. "We go to church every Sunday. And we did before, but it never meant as much as it does now," she said. "We prayed on our own, but now we prayed together, and you'll never know how much that means until you do it," she continued. "Bill and I have changed our lives in that one way."

Big Brother and CBS The Talk host Julie Chen revealed that after her husband, Les Moonves, was accused of sexual harassment at work, she strengthened her relationship with God. Since then, the television personality has hosted "God 101" hangouts on her YouTube and has also authored a book, But First, God. During an interview with People, she encouraged people to look into Christianity. “... it is never too late for anyone to start a personal relationship with God,” she said. “Once you do, you'll have peace that transcends all understanding. You're not alone.”

Legendary actor Denzel Washington once described himself as a "God-fearing man" during an interview with The Times . During another interview, Will Smith told readers that Denzel once mentioned religion after he came under scrutiny for striking Chris Rock across the face. "At your highest moment, be careful; that's when the devil comes for you," Smith revealed.

Matthew McConaughey once revealed that he and his family enjoy attending a non-denominational church in Texas. "It’s based in the faith that Jesus is the son of God, that he died for our sins, but many different denominations come in," he told GQ. 

Like other celebrities, Selena Gomez says she's a Christian, "but I'm not religious." 

"I’ve been a Christian for a while now. I don’t talk about it too much — I want to, but it’s gotten a bad rep. I just want to make it clear that I love being able to have my faith and believe in what I believe in, and that truly is what gets me through," she told Vogue.

It's no secret that Justin Bieber is a religious man. In 2020, he released a pop song with gospel themes called "Holy." During an interview with Zane Lowe and Apple Music in 2020, Bieber explained how God's love changed his life. 

“... [Now] the way I look at my relationship with God and with Jesus is I'm not trying to earn God's love by doing good things. God has already loved me for who I am before I did anything to earn and deserve it. It's a free gift by accepting Jesus and just giving your life to Him," he said.

Daniel Radcliffe, known for his role in Harry Potter, is agnostic. “I personally am agnostic leaning toward atheism,” the 35-year-old said in 2019. “I don’t expect there to be a God and an afterlife — I would be pleasantly surprised if there was.”

Zac Efron is another actor who believes in agnosticism. “I was raised agnostic, so we never practiced religion," he told Rolling Stone in 2007. However, the High School Musical singer said his parents "were very strict."

Mark Wahlberg is a practicing Catholic. However, he's uninterested in pushing that on his children. "Hopefully, instead of forcing that on them, they'll say, 'Well, if it works for Dad, maybe it'll work for us,'" he told Today in 2022. 

Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth encouraged "people of all faiths" to accept Jesus during an acceptance speech in 2011. "... even if you don't believe in Jesus the way I do. He did teach love. Not just tolerance but acceptance," she said.

Stephen Colbert has a strong religious foundation; however, the talk show host once lost his way. "I was sort of convinced that I had been wrong all this time, that I had been taught something that wasn't true," he said during an interview with Faith in Focus.

Brad Pitt spoke about not believing in a God during an interview with HuffPost. "I don't think anyone really knows," he told the publication. "You'll either find out or not when you get there; until then, there's no point thinking about it."

Pirates of the Caribbean star Orlando Bloom told the Sunday Times that he's been a practicing Buddhist since his teenage years. "I chant for 20 minutes every day, religiously," he said. "I’ve had a Buddhist practice since I was 16, so that’s infiltrated my whole being. I’ll read a bit of Buddhism, and then I’ll type it up and add it to my [Instagram] Stories." 

Keira Knightley once made a sarcastic comment about religion during a chat with Interview Magazine. "If only I [weren’t] an atheist, I could get away with anything," she said. "You’d just ask for forgiveness, and then you’d be forgiven. It sounds much better than having to live with guilt."

Although Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are married, they have different beliefs about religion. In an interview with Vanity Fair, the actress told the publication that she and her children attend church weekly. "That’s how we are raising our children," she said.