Celebs Who Left Hollywood to Join Controversial Religious Movements

Throughout Hollywood’s history, many famous actors and actresses have chosen to leave their careers and dedicate themselves to spiritual pursuits. Some found solace in traditional religions, while others joined more unconventional or demanding religious groups, often requiring them to completely disconnect from the world of entertainment. These choices frequently surprised the public and led to the sudden end of what could have been very successful careers. Here are some stories of celebrities who gave up fame for a life of deep religious commitment.

Allison Mack

As a film fan, I was shocked to learn about Allison Mack, best known for playing Chloe on ‘Smallville’. It turned out she became deeply involved with NXIVM, which initially seemed like a self-help organization but was later revealed to be a dangerous cult. She wasn’t just a follower; she actively recruited women into a secret group within NXIVM where they were branded and essentially forced into slavery. It was horrific. She ended up being arrested and sent to prison for her role in all of this, and sadly, she completely gave up acting to devote herself to the teachings of the cult’s leader, Keith Raniere. It’s a really tragic story, seeing someone go from a popular TV show to being involved in something so dark.

Jeremy Spencer

Jeremy Spencer, an original member of Fleetwood Mac, mysteriously vanished during a 1971 tour stop in Los Angeles. He stepped out of the hotel to purchase a magazine and never came back to the band. After several days, he was discovered with a controversial religious group called the Children of God, which would later be accused of widespread abuse. Spencer gave up his life as a rock star to dedicate himself to traveling and performing music solely for the group. He continues to be a member of the organization, now known as The Family International.

Angus T. Jones

Angus T. Jones earned the title of television’s highest-paid child actor thanks to his role on ‘Two and a Half Men’. In 2012, he surprised many when he released a video criticizing his own show. He described it as inappropriate and asked viewers to stop watching, explaining that it went against his religious beliefs. He then left the series to focus on college and work with a Seventh-day Adventist ministry. While he later became less involved with the ministry, his decision to leave Hollywood was very public and happened quickly.

Vanity

Denise Matthews, who performed as Vanity, rose to fame as a protégé of Prince and the lead singer of Vanity 6. Her life of glamour and indulgence took a dramatic turn in 1994 when she nearly died from an overdose. This experience led her to embrace Christianity, change her name, and leave her music career behind. She dedicated the rest of her life to preaching and evangelism until her passing in 2016.

Dolores Hart

Dolores Hart was a promising actress in the late 1950s, best known for sharing Elvis Presley’s first on-screen kiss in the movie ‘Loving You’. In 1963, she surprised everyone in Hollywood by ending her engagement and giving up her acting career to become a nun at the Abbey of Regina Laudis. For decades, Hart lived a private life within the monastery, eventually rising to become its Prioress. Her decision to leave her career for religious life remains a well-known story.

Cat Stevens

Cat Stevens, a popular singer-songwriter in the 1970s known for songs like ‘Wild World’, experienced a life-changing event when he nearly drowned. This led him on a spiritual journey, and in 1977, he converted to Islam, taking the name Yusuf Islam. He then sold his guitars and dedicated himself to education and charitable work. For almost thirty years, he stopped performing his older, non-religious music and distanced himself from the music industry. Later, he returned to music, focusing on songs with spiritual messages.

Nicki Clyne

Nicki Clyne, an actress who appeared in ‘Battlestar Galactica’, stopped acting to fully commit to NXIVM, a controversial group. She became a close follower of its leader, Keith Raniere, and married fellow member Allison Mack. Prosecutors believed this marriage was a way to avoid immigration rules. Even after NXIVM’s leaders were charged with crimes and the group fell apart, Clyne remained a devoted supporter, effectively ending her career as an actress.

Little Richard

Little Richard, a pioneer of rock and roll, surprisingly left the music scene in 1957, right at the height of his success. He believed that events like the launch of Sputnik and a problem with a plane were messages from God, prompting him to change his life. He went to Bible college and became a minister in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. While he did return to rock music later on, he spent his life moving back and forth between performing and preaching, often criticizing his past rock and roll lifestyle when focused on religion.

Al Green

As a huge music fan, I always loved Al Green – he was massive in the ’70s. But his life took a really unexpected turn after something difficult happened with a girlfriend. It made him rethink everything, and he ended up buying a church in Memphis and becoming a pastor. From then on, he decided to dedicate himself completely to gospel music and his faith, stepping away from the soul songs that made him famous. For years, he wouldn’t even perform those classic hits because he felt they didn’t align with his new spiritual path. And incredibly, he’s still preaching at that church today – it’s a pretty amazing story, really.

Montell Jordan

Montell Jordan was a hugely popular R&B singer in the 1990s, famous for his song ‘This Is How We Do It.’ In 2010, he surprisingly left the music industry to become a worship leader at a large church in Georgia. Jordan explained that the demands of being a celebrity didn’t fit with his religious beliefs and his marriage. He chose to focus on his faith and ministry, declining chances to perform concerts and create albums that weren’t religiously themed, effectively ending his career in secular entertainment.

Mase

Mase was a popular rapper with Bad Boy Records, but he unexpectedly retired in 1999. He said he felt called by God and didn’t want to rap about topics like money and violence anymore. He became a minister and started a church in Atlanta, dedicating five years to preaching and studying religion. While he eventually returned to making music, his initial decision to leave the hip-hop scene was very surprising to many.

Loon

Chauncey Hawkins, formerly the rapper Loon, stepped away from the music industry after converting to Islam in 2008 and taking the name Amir Junaid Muhadith. He chose to travel and share his faith instead of continuing his music career. Although his career ended when he was arrested and imprisoned for drug-related crimes, he remained committed to his religion while incarcerated. Now released, he dedicates his time to helping his community.

Napoleon

Mutah Beale, also known as Napoleon from the Outlawz rap group, was a close friend of Tupac Shakur and saw the harsh realities of the music industry. He later converted to Islam and felt his new faith didn’t allow him to continue with hip-hop. He moved to Saudi Arabia to study and start a business, and now shares his story of leaving the world of gangsta rap for a life devoted to religion.

Brian ‘Head’ Welch

Brian Welch was one of the original members of the band Korn, a pioneer of the nu-metal genre. In 2005, he made a surprising decision: he left the band, even walking away from a $23 million record deal, to focus on his Christian faith. Welch explained that he needed to change his life to improve himself and be a better parent. He then began a career as a Christian musician and author, sharing his story of faith. Later, he returned to Korn, continuing to live by his religious beliefs.

Kirk Cameron

Kirk Cameron first became famous as a teen star on the TV show ‘Growing Pains.’ Later, he became a devout Christian, which led to disagreements while filming the show because he wanted the scripts to reflect his beliefs. After ‘Growing Pains’ ended, he stepped away from mainstream Hollywood and began making and starring in faith-based films. He also started a religious ministry and creates content specifically for Christian viewers. Cameron often publicly criticizes the values he sees in mainstream Hollywood.

Stephen Baldwin

Stephen Baldwin, the youngest of the Baldwin brothers, started his career as an actor, appearing in films like ‘The Usual Suspects’. After the 9/11 attacks, he experienced a religious conversion and decided to prioritize faith-based work. He moved into directing and starring in Christian films and reality TV, becoming a vocal advocate for his beliefs and often speaking out against what he saw as negative influences in Hollywood. From that point on, his career focused entirely on projects aligned with his faith.

Andrew Keegan

Andrew Keegan, who starred in the popular 90s film ’10 Things I Hate About You,’ left acting to start a spiritual community center in Venice Beach called Full Circle. While some reports described it as a cult or new religion, Keegan disagreed with those descriptions. Full Circle hosted spiritual events until financial difficulties forced it to close. During this time, Keegan significantly reduced his acting work to focus on running the center.

June Haver

June Haver was a well-known musical actress at 20th Century Fox during the 1940s, and many hoped she would become as famous as Betty Grable. After her fiancé passed away, she turned to religion for comfort. In 1953, she left her movie studio contract and joined a convent in Kansas. She spent several months with the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, but ultimately decided that religious life wasn’t the right path for her. She then returned to private life and did not act in films again.

Colleen Townsend

Colleen Townsend was a promising actress who graced the cover of Life magazine in 1948. However, she found Hollywood to be shallow and unfulfilling. In 1950, she left acting to dedicate her life to religious service with the Presbyterian church. She married a minister and devoted herself to Christian ministry and helping others. She became well-known for appearing in a Billy Graham film where she discussed her decision to leave the entertainment industry.

Betty Hutton

Betty Hutton was a popular movie star in the 1940s and 50s, famous for her energetic performances in musicals like ‘Annie Get Your Gun’. After facing personal difficulties and a slowdown in her career, she became a Roman Catholic. Later in life, she found peace working as a cook and housekeeper at a church in Rhode Island, rarely mentioning her days as a Hollywood star. She found more contentment in this quiet life of service than she ever had with fame.

Joe Tex

Joe Tex was a popular soul singer in the 1960s, competing with James Brown in the music charts. He later joined the Nation of Islam and took the name Yusuf Hazziez. In 1972, he stopped making music to become a traveling speaker for the religious movement. Though he briefly returned to record the hit song ‘Ain’t Gonna Bump No More,’ he retired again to his ranch and remained a dedicated follower of the Nation of Islam until he passed away.

Lisa Whelchel

Lisa Whelchel became well-known for playing the privileged Blair Warner on the TV show ‘The Facts of Life’. While she was famous, she became deeply religious. After the show ended, she started refusing acting roles that conflicted with her beliefs, even turning down the part of Rachel on ‘Friends’. Whelchel then stepped away from traditional acting to become a pastor’s wife, writer, and supporter of homeschooling. She only returned to television for reality competitions like ‘Survivor’.

Susan Atkins

Before she became known for something horrific, Susan Atkins was actually a young woman trying to make it as a dancer in Hollywood. She was kind of floating around, trying to find her place, when she fell in with Charles Manson and his group – what became known as the Manson Family. They were living on the edge of the Hollywood scene, and sadly, Atkins got deeply involved. She participated in the terrible Tate-LaBianca murders, which really shocked everyone. It completely derailed her life, destroying any hope she had of a normal career. She ended up spending decades in prison for her crimes and ultimately died there.

Bobby Beausoleil

Bobby Beausoleil was a musician and actor involved in the 1960s counterculture film scene. He became connected with Charles Manson and his followers, and was later convicted of murder committed as part of the group’s crimes. Despite showing promise as an artist, Beausoleil’s life was derailed by his involvement with the cult and its violent beliefs. He has been incarcerated for most of his life, but continues to create music while in prison.

Patricia Krenwinkel

Patricia Krenwinkel was a Los Angeles secretary who gave up her former life to join Charles Manson’s group, known as the Manson Family. She took part in the notorious murders of several prominent people in Hollywood. Krenwinkel exchanged her freedom for a life in a remote desert community that believed a racial conflict was about to begin. She went on to spend more time in prison than any other woman in California’s history, and her involvement with the cult has remained the most significant part of her life.

2026-01-30 00:19