Playboy playmate and TV host Jenny McCarthy describes her devout Catholic upbringing on a new book, and admits: “Jesus was my Bieber”.
The 39-year-old former pin-up has released a new book titled “Bad Habits: Confessions of a Recovering Catholic”, where she details her religious upbringing.
In an interview with Nightline’s Juju Chang, McCarthy – who was Playboy’s Playmate of the Year at 22 – reveals she went to church at least twice a week growing up in Chicago.
She also took Chang on a tour of her childhood home, and said as they toured her childhood bedroom, “I had a Jesus poster, the Pope was over there, I had some ‘I love Jesus’ t-shirts and bags hanging up. Jesus was my Justin Bieber.”
McCarthy – who also admits she wanted to be a nun growing up – also told GMA: “My mom wouldn’t let us have Fonzie posters on the wall growing up so I was stuck with Jesus, so I couldn’t help but have a crush on him.”
She also told how when she first made out with a boy she covered up her Jesus poster, “I cut out a picture of Cyndi Lauper and pasted her picture over Jesus. Thanks Cyndi.”
Of her dreams of one day becoming a nun, “Until we went to the convent one day, my mom is a hairdresser and was doing their perms, and we opened the door and saw what they looked like in common folk clothing. And had a conversation with them about what I wanted to be when I grew up which was a mom and a nun, and they told me that wasn’t possible, so I knew that wasn’t my destiny. I had to take off the habit and put on my push-up bra.”