Jenny McCarthy a Nun? Former Playmate 'Confesses' Childhood Dream

(PHOTO:REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni)
Actress Jenny McCarthy poses at the Women in Film 2009 Crystal and Lucy Awards in Century City, California June 12, 2009. The awards, presented by Women In Film, Los Angeles, honor outstanding women for their contribution to the entertainment industry.

By Sami K. Martin , Christian Post Contributor

October 4, 2012|12:20 pm

Jenny McCarthy, a former Playboy model and Playmate of the Year, did not set out to become a media sensation. Instead, the actress and activist wanted to be a nun … until she realized she would not be allowed to have children. McCarthy tells all about her desires in her new book, "Bad Habits: Confessions of a Recovering Catholic."

"I, Jenny McCarthy, wanted to become a nun. That's right: a nun. I even put a towel on my head in the shape of a nun's veil, and blessed those around me with my awesome holiness," McCarthy wrote for The Chicago Sun Times. "Then, everything changed the moment I visited our parish convent."

At the convent, McCarthy spoke with the nuns about what she wanted to be when she grew up. McCarthy noted that she was holding a Cabbage Patch doll at the time.

"With absolute sincerity I replied, 'A nun … and a mom,'" McCarthy told the inquiring sisters.

"They all chuckled and I couldn't understand what was so funny. They then explained to me that nuns don't have children. I knew in my soul that even though I wanted to go to heaven, I yearned to be a mom more than anything in the world. I ran over to my mom and tapped her on the leg and said, 'Mom, I don't want to be a nun anymore,'" McCarthy explained.

She then went on to famously pose for Playboy, which launched her as a sex symbol and helped her gain footing in the entertainment industry. McCarthy did become a mom, though, and is fiercely passionate about taking care of her son, 10-year-old Evan.

McCarthy also became an activist after Evan was diagnosed with autism. She has been outspoken in her belief that vaccinations can cause autism.

"I know children regress after vaccination because it happened to my own son," she wrote in a piece for the Huffington Post.