Movieguide Awards: Paula Abdul speaks of upbringing in mixed-faith home, gratitude and miracles

By Jeannie Ortega Law, Christian Post Reporter Friday, February 24, 2023

HOLLYWOOD — Legendary choreographer and TV personality Paula Abdul said she's had many "amazing" religious teachers in her life, having been raised in a family of "mixed religions" with a Jewish mother and a Catholic father who later became a born-again Christian.  

Speaking of her faith at the 30th annual Movieguide Awards, the “American Idol” judge said she “was fortunate to be raised in a family with mixed religions.” 

“My mom being Jewish, my father [was] Catholic but adopted into a Jewish family. Then he ended up getting married again and became a born-again Christian,” she told The Christian Post on the red carpet. “I had the loveliness of having places that I can go to worship. I've had many amazing teachers!”

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Hailing the awards show for recognizing family-friendly entertainment, Abdul said: "It's so important to have a platform and have a celebration where everything is about uplifting the family and faith. Especially during the hardest of times, it's so important to remember that you have an internet that can connect you with people who are going through the same thing you're going through. You're never alone. Don't ever be worried or afraid to reach out for help. That's courageous, that's powerful.” 

The "Straight Up" singer also shared advice for fans who will be watching her announce some of the nominations at the Movieguide Awards on UPtv this Sunday, saying, "Remember to walk in gratitude, because when you do that, miracles happen." 

Abdul has been a household name for decades and rose to prominence when she was 18 as a dancer for the Los Angeles Lakers. She later became the head choreographer for the Laker Girls before being discovered by Janet Jackson. Soon after, she released several successful albums, with her first No. 1 hit being her debut album, Forever Your Girl, in 1989. 

Coming out of the pandemic and knowing how important it is to care for one's mental health, Abdul shared that dancing, among all of the arts, "is the one ... visual and physical outlet [where] you can forget all of your problems. Your serotonin level is proven to change, and it just produces happiness,” she explained. “Without having to even articulate a word, you're able, through movement, to just let go.

"The power of dancing can change people's lives from the inside out,” she added.

Abdul also told CP that because of her late father's strong faith and experiences with Judaism, Catholicism and Evangelical Christianity, she joked with him that she had had a dream that one day she was going to produce a musical” based on his life called “Jew-sus, the musical.”