“I think Christianity does get a bad rap,” she said. “But I think that’s why, if you’re a true Christian, you have to lead by example and be the light,” Scherzinger said.
She recalled an incident from late 2024, shortly after the U.S. presidential election, when she commented on an Instagram video posted by comedian Russell Brand. The video showed Brand wearing a hat that read “Make Jesus First Again,” a phrase modeled on President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. Scherzinger wrote, “Where do I get this hat?!” and added emojis of prayer hands and a red heart.
Brand had publicly endorsed Trump’s campaign and had recently converted to Christianity. Scherzinger’s comment prompted online criticism for its perceived political implications. She deleted the comment and issued a statement explaining that her intent had been to affirm the Christian message, not to signal political support.
She addressed the backlash by stating that she cared deeply about many of the “marginalized communities feeling hurt and concerned by the results of the presidential election,” in which Trump was victorious over former Vice President Kamala Harris and Republicans took control of both houses of Congress.
“Like so many others, in times of adversity and uncertainty, I turn to my faith,” Scherzinger said at the time. “I believed that the posts I engaged with were about encouraging people to choose love and faith — ‘putting Jesus first.’ For me Christ embodies peace, compassion, hope, and above all — unconditional love, especially for those who may feel it the least right now.”
Nearly a year later, she tells Variety she does not regret expressing appreciation for the Christian message behind Brand’s video. She said her decision to speak out about her faith was rooted in her upbringing and the values instilled in her by her family.
Scherzinger was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, and was raised by a single mother and her grandparents. As a toddler, they moved to Kentucky. Her grandfather used to be an atheist but is now a leader of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
She credited both her grandparents, whom she refers to as “Papa” and “Tutu,” with raising her in a devout Christian environment.
“My papa started out as an atheist, and then he would go on to be a priest and then a bishop, and now he’s an archbishop for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church,” Scherzinger said in the new Variety interview. “My tutu’s mother had 22 pregnancies — four miscarriages and 18 children — living in a little three-bedroom house and having no money but a strong faith. That’s the blood that I am.”
By Christian Post
