Celebrities Who Have Been Celibate: Nick Cannon, More

Not every A-list celebrity is scoring when it comes to their sex life! While some stars have shared NSFW details about what goes on behind closed doors, others have been open about their vows of celibacy.

Some practiced abstinence after losing their virginity (or even having multiple children, like Nick Cannon), and others said they were waiting until marriage to have sex. In Touch takes a look at stars who did not get busy between the sheets during their vow of celibacy.

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Justin Bieber

The “Sorry” singer may be in his dad era, but before the Biebs reconnected with his now wife, Hailey Bieber, he was actually over a year into a “self-imposed” celibacy. In a February 2019 interview with Vogue, he told the publication he had “a legitimate problem with sex” — and wanted to feel closer to God. “He doesn’t ask us not to have sex for him because he wants rules and stuff,” Justin said at the time. “He’s like, I’m trying to protect you from hurt and pain. I think sex can cause a lot of pain. Sometimes people have sex because they don’t feel good enough. Because they lack self-worth. Women do that, and guys do that. I wanted to rededicate myself to God in that way because I really felt it was better for the condition of my soul. And I believe that God blessed me with Hailey as a result. There are perks. You get rewarded for good behavior.”

Nick Cannon

Now a father of 12, the comedian and television host took a brief break from sexual intercourse after conceiving his eighth child, Legendary Love Cannon, whom he shares with model Bre Tiesi. “My therapist was one of the [people] who said that I should probably be celibate because I had shared that news, that Bre was pregnant,” Nick said on his talk show in January 2022. “That was the reason why I started my celibacy journey back then. … I was [celibate] because I was dealing with [this].” He previously explained that he wanted to be celibate to “be the best father I can be, the best businessman I can be.”

Lady Gaga

Speaking to the Daily Mail to promote Mac’s Viva Glam campaign, which supports global HIV and AIDS projects, the Grammy Award winner said safe sex is, well… no sex at all. “I can’t believe I’m saying this — don’t have sex,” she told the publication in 2010. “I’m single right now and I’ve chosen to be single because I don’t have the time to get to know anybody. So it’s OK not to have sex, it’s OK to get to know people. I’m celibate, celibacy’s fine.” She added: “It’s OK to be whomever it is that you want to be. You don’t have to have sex to feel good about yourself, and if you’re not ready, don’t do it. And if you are ready, there are free condoms given away at my concerts when you’re leaving!” Though she was single at the time, Gaga is off the market — she’s been linked to businessman Michael Polansky since early 2020.

Jessica Simpson

The “Irresistible” singer, who famously wore a purity ring as a teenager, was always very open about wanting to wait until marriage to lose her virginity. “Of all the things about myself, staying a virgin until my wedding night is the thing that makes me most proud,” she said on Newlyweds about her marriage to Nick Lachey. The two divorced in 2006, and Jessica began dating retired NFL tight end Eric Johnson in 2010; they tied the knot in 2014 and share three children: daughter Maxwell Drew, son Ace Knute and daughter Birdie Mae.

The Jonas Brothers

When Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas and Nick Jonas hit the scene in the early 2000s, they famously wore purity rings to show they were planning to wait until marriage. When asked about the rings during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live, the brothers all agreed that they were a bad idea. Nick then clarified, “Well, in theory, they’re not a bad idea. But you should know what you’re signing up for before you sign up for that.” Joe added, “When you’re 12 versus when you’re like 16, it’s a very big difference.”

Colton Underwood

When the former pro football player competed on the dating show The Bachelorette and The Bachelor, he became known as the “virgin Bachelor.” However, on April 14, 2021, he publicly came out as gay during an interview with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America, explaining why he was celibate for all those years. “I was a full virgin [before The Bachelor], and I could never give anybody a good answer of why I was a virgin,” he said on GMA. “The truth is I was a virgin Bachelor because I was gay, and I didn’t know how to handle it.” During his time on The Bachelor, Colton told one of contestant, “The thing I realized is that everyone who asks me why I’m a virgin, they expect this simple answer. They want a reason. And my reason is complicated.”

Hilary Duff

The Lizzie McGuire star, who dated Joel Madden in the early 2000s, opened up to Elle in 2006 about why she was planning to save herself for marriage. “It’s hard having a boyfriend who’s older because people just assume,” she said at the time. “But [virginity] is definitely something I like about myself. It doesn’t mean I haven’t thought about sex, because everybody I know has had it and you want to fit in. But when they talk about it, it doesn’t sound special, like you would imagine it to be. It just seems like everybody has slept with each other — you know what I mean.” She later married NHL player Mike Comrie in 2010, but the couple divorced in 2016. She married singer-songwriter Matthew Koma in 2019, and they share three daughters: Banks, Mae and Townes. She shares son Luca with her ex Mike.