Zooey Deschanel, Raised By Catholic Mom, Converts For Jewish Husband: 6 Celebs Plus Porn Star Who Converted For Love


Zooey Deschanel is delighted with life right now. The New Girl actress is newly wed, and a new mom. And although Zooey did not grow up practicing a specific religion, Deschanel shared that marriage has changed her past. As a result of her recent relationship with Jacob Pechenik, Deschanel now is Jewish, reported Us Weekly.

With a Quaker father and Roman Catholic mother, Zooey has described her family as liberal.

“I don’t attach myself to any one religion,” said Deschanel previously. “I was raised in the ‘you can be whatever you want’ kind of way. And in the end, I was like, ‘Eh.'”

However, the New Girl actress, who has a 3-month-old daughter named Elsie Otter, made the decision to convert prior to getting married in the early summer.

Zooey Dechanel converted for love.
Zooey Dechanel converted for love. [Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]
“Zooey con­verted to Judaism for Jacob,” said a source. “They’re loving the baby and marriage!”

Elsie was born in July, and Zooey and her husband chose the name together.

“We just really liked the name Elsie and then we both love otters, they’re very sweet and they’re also smart,” said Deschanel. “They use tools…they hold hands while they sleep…They’re wonderful animals.”

Zooey Deschanel poses with husband Jacob Pechenik.
Zooey Deschanel poses with husband Jacob Pechenik. [Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]
In addition to Zooey converting for her husband, a former adult film actress has converted to Judaism, reported the Jerusalem Post.

Once known as the queen of porn, Jenna Jameson now is set to be featured in a reality show that will showcase both her marriage, which will occur in Israel, and her decision to convert to the Jewish religion.

During her 15 years in the porn field, Jenna won more than 35 awards for adult film. Now 41, Jameson has retired. She’s become fond of kosher cooking. But her new true love, Bitton, confessed that it was challenging when he had to inform his family that he was set to wed the queen of adult film.

“Look, I didn’t come to my mom and say, ‘I’m dating the biggest porn star in the world.’ I mean, there are porn stars, and then there’s Jenna Jameson,” explained Bitton. “At the start, I didn’t tell her who she was. It was a slow process. I let her know in bits and pieces until eventually she was able to accept it. And then it was fine.”

Former porn star Jenna Jameson converted for love.
Former porn star Jenna Jameson converted for love. [Photo by Valerie Macon/Getty Images]
The new reality show will resemble Keeping Up With The Kardashians in some ways. It will showcase the lives of both Jameson and Bitton on their path to the altar.

Jenna has also shared her religious conversion on Twitter. A fan recently asked Jameson whether she was learning Hebrew, and Jenna revealed that she is.

And there are many other celebrities who also have changed their religions for love, points out the New York Daily News.

Katie Holmes was Catholic, and although she never became a Scientologist formally, Holmes at one point studied and practiced the religion while with Tom Cruise. However After her divorce, Katie became a parishioner at a New York Catholic church.

Isla Fisher devoted three years to getting ready to convert for Sacha Baron Cohen.

“I will definitely have a Jewish wedding just to be with Sacha. I would do anything — move into any religion — to be united in marriage with him,” said Isla.

Marilyn Monroe changed religion at one point.
Marilyn Monroe changed religion at one point. [Photo by Keystone Features/Getty Images]
Ivanka Trump and Marilyn Monroe have more in common than you might think. Both women chose to convert to Judaism because of their marriages.

Ivanka initially was Presbyterian. However, when she tied the knot with Jared Kushner, Trump converted to Judaism.

“I really find that with Judaism, it creates an amazing blueprint for family connectivity,” mused Ivanka.

In contrast, Monroe was raised by Christian Scientists, then converted to Judaism as a result of her marriage to Arthur Miller. Following their divorce, she no longer observed Jewish traditions.

And it’s not just women who change religions when they marry. Following his marriage to Roseanne Barr, Tom Arnold began practicing the Jewish religion and kept doing so even after they divorced.

“It’s easier to deal with anything that comes your way, if you can hand it over to something bigger than yourself,” revealed Arnold.

And one of the most famous actresses, Elizabeth Taylor, converted to Judaism following the passing of Michael Todd, who was her third husband and was Jewish. Taylor subsequently Todd’s best buddy Eddie Fisher, who was Jewish.

[Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]

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