Sofia Richie and 5 Other Celebs Who Converted to Judaism for Their Famous Partners
Celebrity relationships remain a source of fascination for fans around the world. In particular, high-profile marriages capture the imaginations of pop culture fans who love to read about true love. Sometimes, celebs choose to go the extra mile for their new partners, converting to their new spouse’s religion either before or after the ceremony. While Sofia Richie is the most recent example of a celebrity to convert to Judaism around the time of her marriage, she’s hardly the first.
Sofia Richie converted to Judaism for Elliot Grainge
Richie announced her engagement to music executive Elliot Grainge in April 2022. At that time, the two had been dating for about a year. Recently, Richie revealed that she’s made the decision to convert to Judaism ahead of the couple’s planned nuptials. The model took to her Instagram stories in early April to share “What a magical day. I want to thank cantor Nathan Lam for helping me along this journey of converting to Judaism.”
As reported by Us Weekly, Richie grew up in a Christian household, attending Oaks Christian School and attending church with her family. While Richie didn’t detail her reasons for conversion, she has been open about how important faith is to her – so it is likely that she wanted to convert to develop an even closer relationship with Grainge.
Isla Fisher
Isla Fisher is another celebrity who converted to Judaism for her husband, actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. As reported by Insider, Fisher converted to Judaism, Cohen’s religion, in 2007, three years before their wedding. In 2004, Fisher told the London Evening Standard that “I would do anything — move into any religion — to be united in marriage with him. We have a future together, and religion comes second to love as far as we are concerned.”
Ivanka Trump
In 2009, Ivanka Trump, the daughter of Donald Trump, converted to Judaism for her husband, Jared Kushner, who is Jewish. Trump was raised Presbyterian but told Vogue in 2015 that Judaism has been a “great life decision” for her. “I really find that with Judaism, it creates an amazing blueprint for family connectivity,” she said.
Natalie Portman’s husband
Natalie Portman is proudly Jewish – and not long after their 2012 nuptials, Portman’s husband, dancer Benjamin Millepied, decided to convert as well. According to US Weekly, Millepied told Israeli newspaper Yediot Acharonot that becoming Jewish is “very important for me” and that he had “fallen in love” with Portman’s native country of Israel.
Karlie Kloss
Model Karlie Kloss is married to Jared Kushner’s brother, Josh Kushner. The two started dating around 2012 and tied the knot in 2018. Kloss converted to Judaism ahead of their wedding, telling British Vogue in 2019 that she took conversion very seriously. “It wasn’t enough to just love Josh and make this decision for him. This is my life and I am an independent, strong woman,” Kloss said. “It was only after many years of studying and talking with my family and friends and soul searching that I made the decision to fully embrace Judaism in my life and start planning for a future with the man I chose to marry.”
Marilyn Monroe
Finally, iconic actor Marilyn Monroe also converted to Judaism in 1956, ahead of her wedding to playwright Arthur Miller. As reported by Insider, Monroe’s mother was a practicing Christian Scientist, but the star opted to adopt Judaism not only because it was Miller’s religion, but because she connected deeply to the ideals of the religion. Even after Monroe and Miller split in 1962, it is believed that Monroe continued to practice Judaism.
