Losing My Religion… Stars who quit the Church

Faith and fame don’t always mix. While some celebrities found comfort in religion, others walked away — citing hypocrisy, trauma, or the search for spiritual freedom. These stars opened up about why they left the church behind and what they found on the other side

Katy Perry

Before she kissed a girl, Katy Perry was singing gospel. Raised in a strict Pentecostal household, she said she “wasn’t allowed to listen to secular music.” In 2013, she told Marie Claire: “I don’t believe in a heaven or hell, or an old man sitting on a throne.”

Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt grew up Southern Baptist but later called himself an atheist — though now identifies as “agnostic.” Speaking to GQ, he said: “I’d go to church and feel guilty they weren’t telling the whole story. Religion didn’t work for me.”

Megan Fox

Megan Fox once described being part of a “very strict Pentecostal church,” where she witnessed people speaking in tongues.

She told Rolling Stone: “It scared me.” As an adult, she’s embraced spirituality on her own terms, saying she’s “much more connected to the universe than to religion.”

Hugh Jackman

Before Wolverine, Hugh Jackman considered becoming a minister.

He told Parade: “My dad became born again after my parents divorced. For me, religion felt too rigid.” Jackman still meditates daily but says he “prefers spirituality without the structure.”

Amber Heard

The Rum Diaries star revealed she left the church at 16 after coming out as atheist.

In an Interview with The Times. She said: “I realised I couldn’t reconcile my sexuality and faith. I’d rather be honest about who I am.”