Erm, this TV star went to jail because she genuinely thought the world was going to end
'I became a hardened criminal'
Sometimes the most unbelievable celebrity stories are 100 per cent true, and this one definitely fits the bill.
Long before Sherri Shepherd became a familiar face on daytime TV, she had a run-in with the law that sounds straight out of a comedy sketch. The twist? It all started because she genuinely believed the world was about to end…
Wait, Sherri went to actual jail?!
Yep. Sherri Shepherd, beloved for her work on The View and countless sitcom appearances, actually spent eight days behind bars. In a recent episode of her daytime talk show on Wednesday, September 24, she opened up about the incident, explaining that it stemmed from a rather unusual spiritual miscalculation.
Sherri revealed that she used to be part of a religion that convinced her the Rapture, the prophesied event when believers are taken to heaven, was coming.
“They told us to get our house in order,” she joked on her show. “And I said, ‘Why? I’m not going to need a house where I am. I don’t need those worldly possessions.'”
Her literal interpretation of the prophecy led her to skip paying bills, taxes, and even traffic tickets.
“I did not pay my bills. I didn’t pay my taxes. I did not pay my traffic tickets because why would I pay anything when the world’s about to end? My registration had been expired for two years. I had seriously $10,000 worth of unpaid moving violations.”
Despite the bills stacking up, she added: “Why would I show up to court when the world is about to end and I’m about to get taken up to heaven? Jesus don’t care about no parking tickets!”
Things escalated when she was pulled over on her way to perform at the Comedy Store in Hollywood.
“The world never ended. I went to jail. And you can tell I was not expecting to go to jail ’cause when the police pulled me over, I was wearing this,” she recalled, laughing as a throwback photo flashed onscreen of her in a brightly colored shirt and wild platform heels.
“I went to jail for eight days, and because I fell for the Rapture, I became a hardened criminal,” she added.
What is ’the Rapture’?
For those who might be scratching their heads, the Rapture is a concept in certain Christian teachings. It’s believed to be a future event when all true believers will be taken up to heaven, leaving the rest of the world behind.
Many take it seriously, and over the years, various dates have been predicted by different religious figures, none of which have come to pass.
In Sherri’s case, she took the idea literally and personally, acting as if the end of the world was imminent.
She handled the story with her trademark humour, sharing it as a cautionary tale for people. While eight days in jail was surely no laughing matter at the time, she now uses the story to show that even celebrities can get caught up in the most unexpected situations!
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