List of Celebrity Jehovah's Witnesses

[The Librarian]

español / Italiano

Part of a series on: Jehovah's Witnesses >

Baptized JW's

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Serena Williams- tennis player ; 8 Grand Slam champion. Her "baptized" status is disputed since she has never been disfellowshipped for having a baby out of wedlock with Drake or her publicly nude photographs. Let's just say she is now the most famous celebrity who CLAIMS to be one.

Venus Williams - tennis player ; 5 time Grand Slam champion

Damon Wayans - TV and Film Comedy Star. Part of "The Wayans Brothers" TV show back in the 1990's. - Their father was a JW (someone mentioned even Anointed)

Michael Jackson (deceased)

Michael Jackson's Children and Mother Katherine Jackson

Rebbie Jackson - Singer, daughter of Katherine Jackson

Prince Rogers Nelson (deceased)

Marques Houston - Singer and former member of the kid group "Immature" (and his manager)

 

Coco Rocha - International Fashion Model

Terrence Howard - actor; Ray, Hustle & Flow, etc. Children and brother are JWs. Studied when he was 17 years old. (not himself a JW)

Bria Valente - Prince's Ex-GF back in 2007 - She has since remarried to another brother

George Benson - Musician / singer (see also: George Benson and Friends - Sing Praises to Jehovah)

"El General" - Panamanian singer

Bobby Martin - Grammy winning producer. 

Mateo - African Musician 

Aoife Ní Thuairisg - Irish Television Presenter

Tulsi Giri - Prime Minister of Nepal

Bill Underwood - Reporter for the Phoenix Times Examiner

Alexander P. Stewart - US Civil War Confederate General

Allison Lozz - Mexican Actress (former). recently left novelas (soap operas) to be a more active in the ministry

Maurizio Bianchi - Musician

Ivana Brkic - Croatian Musician

Angelo Palego - Leader of team searching for Noah's Ark

Firpo Carr - Historian, author of Germany's Black Holocaust: 1890-1945; Wicked Words: Poisoned Minds - Racism in the Dictionary; founder: Scholar Technological Institute of Research, Inc. (STIR)

Henry Carr - Olympian and NFL player (deceased)

Herman Pizzanelli - Leading Uruguayan concert guitarist in the 1960s (convert to JWs)

Willie Wise - NBA professional basketball player for Seattle Super Sonics and Denver Nuggets

Dave Meyers - Professional basketball player (Los Angeles Lakers in 1970s)

Mark McCumber - Professional golfer

Dave Pear - NFL professional football player for Colts, Buccaneers, and Raiders (convert)

Kid Gavilan - welterweight champion boxer; elected to boxing Hall of Fame in 1990 (convert to JWs)

Jorge Påez "El Maromero" - Boxing World Champion 

Pele Reid - Boxing Champion

Shont'e Peoples - professional football player (Saskatchewan Roughriders); convert to JWs

La Lupe - Cuban salsa singer (convert)

Janis Gill - ex wife of country music superstar, Vince Gill, is one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Vince Gill is NOT a Witness. He is strongly and violently opposed.

Fedor Chistyakov - Russian Singer

Richard Cameron - Dutch Musician

Valerie Campbell - Mother of Naomi Campbell

Tom Edur - Former NHL ice hockey player

Mrs.Ida Eisenhower - (Mother of President Dwight D Eisenhower)

Leopold Engleitner - Buchenwald concentration camp survivor and centenarian

 

Mickey Spillane - Novelist

Larry Graham - Sly & the Family Stone

Danny Granger - Indiana Pacers small forward; Professional Basketball Player
Teresa Graves - Reputedly the first black woman to play the lead in a police movie, also a singer

Gary Gygax - Co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons 

Scott Johnson - Actor

Phillip Landry - Musican

Maher Shalal Hash Baz - Japanese musician, name comes from the Book of Isaiah

Margaret Keane - "Big Eyes" artist who said converting "changed her life."

Peter Knowles - Famous soccer player in England who quit his football career in 1970 aged 24 to join the Jehovah's Witnesses

Brian Locking - Bass guitarist with The Shadows for eighteen months, but left to Jehovah's Witnesses activities.

Hank Marvin - Lead guitarist for The Shadows

Bohumil Müller - Czech survivor of the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp and underground religious leader under Communism.

Viv Nicholson - famous London lottery winner in 1961. She then became a devout JW. The musical Spend, Spend, Spend was based on her story.

Evelyn Ntoko (first wife of Nelson Mandela)

Lieby Piliso - Nelson Mandela's younger sister

Ken Richmond - The man who banged the gong in the Rank Organisation film logo from 1955 onward.

Gevorg Petrosyanm -The Georgian-Armenian “Caruso,” who drives a taxi, but dreams of the stage

Miu Sakamoto - Japanese Singer, a Daughter of Ryuichi Sakamoto and Akiko Yano

Damo Suzuki (Converted in the 1970s, current membership status uncertain)

Bobby Tambling - English footballer

Phil Terry - member of the 60's R&B group The Intruders.

David Thomas - Avant-garde rocker, "Jehovah's Kingdom come"[2][3]

Jean Terrell - Replaced Diana Ross in the Supremes in 1970.

Akira Toriyama - Japanese Mangaka(Cartoonist), Author of Dragon Ball(Manga)

Yoshito Usui - Japanese Mangaka, Author of Crayon Shin-chan

Reena Virk - Canadian child murder victim

Lark Voorhies - actress, Saved By The Bell

Lou Whitaker - Former MLB baseball player for the Detroit Tigers.

Chet Lemon - played with the Detroit Tigers along with Lou Whitaker

Akiko Yano - Japanese Singer, Former wife of Ryuichi Sakamoto

Solveig Romero - Mexico and Switzerland, Actress and wife of Martin Campbell, the director of James Bond Casino Royale

Chuck Winfield - Former Trumpet player for Blood, Sweat, and Tears.

Rosalia Valdez - Former actress who left fame in Mexico to become a witness, daughter of famous Tin Tan Valdez.

Carmina Villarroel - Filipino actress

Patience Dlaminh - a weather forecast reporter in South Africa / Regional 'celebrity'

Red Shea - Guitarist for Gordon Lightfoot (passed away in 2008)

Tom Reynolds - He was one of the singers in the late 60's early 70's band 'Hamilton, Joe,Frank, & Reynolds.

Toun Oni - Nigerian actress (featured in the TV drama 'fuji house of commotion') She was an active witness before her death a few months ago. In fact, she died of heart problems during the Lekki assembly hall construction work.

Paul i.k Dairo (used to be one of Nigeria's top musicians); Last i heard of him, he is one of Jehovah witnesses.

Wolf-Ekkehard Lonnig - a scientist from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Germany

Hayden Covington - leading attorney for the Jehovah's Witnesses, Watchtower Society; won multiple U.S. Supreme Court cases; represented Muhammad Ali in court [not sure if he left eventually or not?]

Chappel Fisher - Country Music DJ in Florida, USA

Michael Worilds - NFL Player

Tony Garcia - Artist, DJ, Producer, Re-mixer, Arranger, Composer,Writer of Dance Music EDM, Funk Melody Freestyle Music Owner of High Power Records


Honorable B. Dwight Goains - US Federal Judge

Micaiah and Tabitha Bethune - Owners of the Fashion Industry "The Wild Life Reserve" out of New Orleans

Alex Rance - Soccer Star

Pavel Pavlov & Aleksandr Kryukov - Ukrainian YouTube Stars

Minh Hung Godenzi - Miss Hong Kong 1984

Danny Collision - NBA Player currently in California

Clarion Chukwurah - Nollywood Actress

Irina Bohr - Russian singer

Alisson Euler de Freitas Castro - Brazilian Footballer

Carlos Gonzaga - Brazilian Singer

Andriy Mykolayovych Nesmachniy (Ukrainian: Андрій Миколайович Несмачний)

PC-One - Star of Slam in Haiti

Jacy Brean - Author 

Mina Godenzi - Actress, Model and Miss Hong Kong

Phillip Ingram - Musician

Ramón Gómez Valdés de Castillo aka "Don Ramón" - Famous Mexican Actor

Kenya Moore - not sure as to her current status though. 

Anneliese Zelina - Model

Nicolas King - Singer

Rob Richie - Major league baseball player with the Detroit Tigers

Darren Collison

 

 

Raised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses

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President Dwight D. Eisenhower - WWII General and 34th President of the United States (1953–1961)

Luke Evans - Actor

Toni Braxton - Singer
Michael Sam - First Gay NFL football player

Nathan Day, frontman of grunge / Britpop group Darlia - "I grew up with a family whose parents were Jehovah’s Witnesses, so I felt very isolated."
Kia Kahlo - Witness to rap

Jacqueline Woodson

Meg Myers - Musician / Singer

Nathan Haines - Saxophonist

Shushila Takao - Actress in New Zealand show "Filthy Rich"

Kim Holland - Dutch Porn Actress

Little Scream - Montreal musician

Kelsey Lu - Fashion model

Rebekah Vardy - I'm a Celeb star

Alex Avery - Comedian in Portland, OR

 

List of former Jehovah's Witnesses

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Michelle Rodriguez - actress, raised by mother

Donald Glover - (aka Childish Gambino)

Gregg Alexander - The New Radicals' lead singer; raised by mother

Carol M. Swain - political scientist; professor at Vanderbilt University; author of Black Faces, Black Interests and The New White Nationalism in America: Its Challenge to Integration; left the Witnesses at the age of 20, in 1975 (Ms. Swain was born in 1954 into an extremely poor household in rural Virginia, not far from Roanoke. She grew up with 11 brothers and sisters, dropped out of school in the ninth grade and married at age 16 -- in part, she says, because she saw no need to plan for a lengthy future. She was a Jehovah's Witness, and she believed that Armageddon would begin in 1975)

Peter Andre - Singer raised in Australia, presently living in London with wife pin up model *Jordan

Naomi Campbell- Supermodel; Raised by mother

Geri Halliwell - Singer (Spice Girls); Raised as a Jehovah's Witness[verification needed]

Barbara Grizzuti Harrison - American writer of Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses(converted to Catholicism)

Nancy Garrido - the now infamous kidnapper of Jaycee Dugard

Latoya Jackson

Michael Jackson - Michael became a Jehovah's Witness but disassociated himself shortly after his hit album, Thriller

Olin R. Moyle - Former Watchtower Chief Attorney

Dave Mustaine - Guitarist (ex-Metallica; Megadeth; ex- MD .45)

Miki Nakatani - JapaneseActress, Raised as a Jehovah's Witness

Gloria Naylor - novelist, author of The Women of Brewster Place (1982, American Book Award)

Patti Smith - Singer and poet

Leo Volpe

Jill Scott-Singer; raised as one of Jehovah's Witness

Hinano Yoshikawa - Japanese Fashion model and actress, Raised as a Jehovah's Witness

K-os - Canadian R&B artist ; Raised Jehovah's Witness

Rene Montes de Oca Martija - dissident human-rights activist in Cuba (son of JW)

Selena Quintanilla Perez - Tejano singer ; raised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses

Sherri Shepherd from The View. Her father is an elder in his congregation.

Jill Scott - a singer,poet & actress from USA, she played in the movie - 'why did i get married'

Maureen Mwanawasa, wife of late Zambian president, though she disassociated herself, but she still attends meetings. the late president was also studying with JWs, his mother was a JW. his children also attend meetings, i think one is a publisher.

Thandiwe Banda our current Zambian first lady who was a JW until recently when she disassociated herself. Reportedly a former pioneer.

Mamontha Modise was a JW. travels all over the world to report current news 2 South Africans.

Ja Rule - Rapper - raised a jehovahs witness and is no longer one, in an interview he said his mother was disfellowshipped

Jaywon; currently a musician, was raised a witness, later decided to follow a way of life thats suits him.

Rick Haynes - Musician

Travis Scott - NFL football player for Rams (raised JW)

Scott Cheshire - Gotham City Writers

Eddie Griffin - Comedian

Leaders of the music band Shakespeare's Unit
 

Rumors of:

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Eddie Murphy - Not verified yet

Josh Groban - We don't know what to think yet.. ? Some have suspicions....

Omarion - I believe he is only "studying"

 

Jackie Chan - (I still don't believe the photo)

 

Please Read

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Some people have wondered if we have listed people who simply studied briefly with Jehovah's Witnesses. As far as we know, this is not the case. Anybody can sit down and meet with Jehovah's Witnesses to study their beliefs. In no way would we consider that grounds for identifying somebody as a Jehovah's Witness. All of the people listed on our page have actually been considered Jehovah's Witnesses or considered themselves adherents of the faith, either by way of having been raised in the faith or because they were an active convert to the faith.
Of course no insult is meant to Jehovah's Witnesses or anybody else by hosting this list. Personally, reading the biographies and faith statements of many famous Jehovah's Witnesses has helped tear down some stereotypes for me. It simply isn't true, for example, that this faith necessarily stifles creativity or achievement. Clearly, many adherents to the faith (including people raised in it as well as converts who chose to become Witnesses as adults) have been very famous creative people or have been very successful, as measured by worldly standards.
Regardless of the obvious tensions between the pressures of worldly fame, versus remaining active in a religious faith which expects all of its members to live according to the highest Biblical standards of ethics and morality, there are indeed many "famous" adherents who have strived to remain faithful. Even for those who have failed to balance fame and success with the demands of their faith, the teachings and values they were raised with or embraced at some point as an adult remain forever an influence in their lives. Were this not true, these individuals would not be listed here at all. This list is based on what famous people themselves have said to interviewers and to the public. We have no access to actual Jehovah's Witness membership or attendance records. If a celebrity or famous person doesn't talk publicly about their experiences as a Jehovah's Witness, we would have no way of knowing about this part of their lives.
The actions of a single individual should never be used to judge an entire group of people, and I believe most people realize this. Anybody who does try to condemn Jehovah's Witnesses by the behavior of their "worst" lapsed members or former members will stand instantly condemned themselves. This is because the cumulative behavior of the famous (and infamous) members of the group the accuser belongs to is far worse than anything they will be able to dig up relating to people who have been Jehovah's Witnesses. This is true of essentially any sufficiently large religious group. It is true also of anti-religious people, who are nearly always wise enough to avoid condemning entire groups by the actions of individuals, lest they be asked to answer for the hundreds of millions of murders perpetrated by Lenin, Pol Pot, Stalin, Adolph Hitler, Mao, Mussolini, Nicolae Ceausescu, Joseph Goebbels, Maximillien Robespierre, etc.

 

[JW Insider]

Found this on Barbara Anderson's site (ex-JW researcher for Bethel Writing Dept). Apparently it's from about 1953.

Here is a sample portion of the list. The whole list is found at the link. Includes Mickey Spillane, etc. Several of these people had been more or less famous in the 1940's. Bonnie Boyd Heath was also somewhat famous (or infamous) in the Witness rumor mills, but that's another story.

 

MovieStars-ActiveJWs-BonnieBoydHeath.pdf

[Jack Ryan]

 

[The Librarian]

I added Basketball Player Darren Collison to the list - Thanks Isabella for the heads up.

[The Librarian]

Added Major League Baseball player for the Detroit Tigers to the list:

 

[The Librarian]

Someone in the Italian group here mentioned that I should add the two in the link above both as well known writers.

[Matthew9969]

I think you forgot the governing bodies names.