The Surprising Celebs Who Practiced Celibacy

Andrew Garfield

Andrew Garfield once embraced celibacy for a role, and found it deeply spiritual. Preparing to play a 17th-century Jesuit priest in Martin Scorsese’s Silence, Garfield abstained from sex and fasted for six months. Speaking on a podcast in 2022, he recalled the experience as “pretty wild” and “trippy,” saying it helped him develop discipline and presence.

Orlando Bloom

Before finding love with Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom took a break from sex and found it surprisingly enlightening. The actor told The Sunday Times that his period of celibacy helped him connect more deeply with himself and the feminine energy around him. Though he admitted the idea “sounds crazy,” Bloom said the experience was transformative.

Julia Fox

Julia Fox has been refreshingly honest about her celibacy, revealing in May 2024 that she’s gone over two years without sex and feels better than ever. “2.5 years of celibacy and never been better,” she commented under a TikTok post. Later, on Watch What Happens Live, she explained that her choice was partly a reaction to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, calling it her way of “taking back control.”

Charlie Sheen

Charlie Sheen surprised fans when he revealed to Page Six that he’s been celibate for eight years—the same amount of time he’s been sober. The popular actor, who’s been open about his past struggles with sex addiction and substance abuse, reflected on how far he’s come.

Lady Gaga

Back in 2010, Lady Gaga surprised fans by saying she was celibate and totally fine with it. Speaking to the Daily Mail, the singer explained that she was single and too busy to get to know anyone, so she’d chosen to focus on herself. “It’s OK not to have sex,” she said confidently. “I’m celibate, celibacy’s fine.”

Suki Waterhouse

Before falling for Robert Pattinson, Suki Waterhouse went through what she called a “brilliant” period of celibacy and it changed her for the better. On the Driven Minds: A Type 7 podcast, she explained that avoiding dating, flirting, and even texting freed her from chaos and outside validation. “It turned out to be great,” she said, describing how it helped her get comfortable being alone.

Lenny Kravitz

Rock icon Lenny Kravitz has long been open about his decision to stay celibate. Back in 2008, he told Maxim he’d been abstinent for three years, saying he made a promise to himself to wait until marriage. For Kravitz, it’s about more than willpower, it’s spiritual. “The women have got to come with something else, not just the body, but the mind and spirit,” he said.

Russell Wilson

Russell Wilson and Ciara famously chose to abstain from sex before marriage, guided by their faith. Wilson recalled asking Ciara if she’d be open to “doing it Jesus’ way,” explaining that he felt God had brought them together for a greater purpose. The singer agreed, saying they’d wait “until the deal is sealed.”

Jessica Simpson

Jessica Simpson proudly spoke about waiting until marriage to have sex, calling her virginity “something I stand strong in.” Before marrying Nick Lachey in 2002, she told People that remaining abstinent wasn’t always easy, but she respected her choice and saw it as empowering. “Virginity can be cool and sexy,” she said.

Julianne Hough

Before her rise to fame, Julianne Hough shared that she planned to wait until marriage to have sex. In a 2008 CosmoGirl! interview, she said that while everyone’s choice is personal, abstinence can make a relationship stronger. “When you say no, down the line, it will be a better decision,” she said.

Kevin Jonas

As the eldest Jonas Brother, Kevin Jonas was open about practicing abstinence until his 2009 marriage to Danielle Deleasa. During their teen fame, all three brothers wore purity rings, but Kevin was the only one to keep his vow. “We’d have gone crazy waiting any longer,” he joked to People, adding that marriage made the wait worth it.

Hilary Duff

Back in her Disney Channel days, Hilary Duff wasn’t afraid to stand apart from her peers by choosing to stay a virgin until marriage. Speaking to Elle in 2006, the actress said that while her older boyfriend made it harder to avoid assumptions, she was proud of her decision. “It’s definitely something I like about myself,” she said, explaining that while she thought about sex like anyone else her age, it never seemed as special as people described.

Mariah Carey

When Mariah Carey married Nick Cannon in 2008, she revealed that they had chosen celibacy before tying the knot and she has no regrets. “It’s not that we had no intimacy, we just didn’t have complete intimacy,” she told The Mirror. Carey explained that both she and Cannon shared similar beliefs and wanted their wedding night to feel truly special.

Colton Underwood

Former Bachelor star Colton Underwood became known as “the virgin Bachelor,” but later opened up about what was really behind his celibacy. In a 2021 Good Morning America interview, he revealed that his choice stemmed from confusion about his sexuality. “I was a full virgin before The Bachelor, and I could never give anybody a good answer of why,” he said.

Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj once joked that she was “just chillin’” and happily celibate. In a 2017 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the rapper shared that she’d decided to take a year off from dating and intimacy altogether. “I’m celibate. I wanted to go a year without dating any man. I hate men,” she teased, with her signature sass.