David Henrie says monastery visit in 2012 reshaped his faith, rejecting what he called a “secular” Hollywood lifestyle

Actor David Henrie said he rejected what he described as the “secular” Hollywood lifestyle after a monastery visit that he described as life-changing and spiritually formative. Henrie, known for starring in the Disney Channel comedy series “Wizards of Waverly Place,” made the remarks in an interview published by Fox News on Aug. 15, 2026, describing how an invitation he received years earlier led to a change in his faith and worldview.

According to Henrie, comedian and actor Kevin James invited him to the monastery in 2012. Henrie said the visit included a spiritual practice that he later described as a general confession, which he characterized as transformative. He said the experience affected the way he understood his beliefs and how he viewed the lifestyle he saw around him.

Henrie said that after the monastery visit, he began to distance himself from aspects of Hollywood culture he characterized as secular. In the Fox News interview, he framed the shift as a rejection of an environment and set of habits associated with what he called a secular lifestyle, tying the change to the spiritual impact of the 2012 experience.

The actor’s comments come as public discussions around faith and entertainment continue to be a recurring topic in celebrity interviews. Henrie’s remarks add to a broader pattern in which entertainers describe personal religious practices, including retreats and confession, as influences on their conduct and priorities.

Henrie’s reported storyline also connects celebrity influence with community institutions, since the invitation he described originated from another high-profile entertainer and involved a religious site. The account, as presented in the Fox News report, does not identify the monastery’s location or the religious tradition involved, and it does not include additional verification details beyond Henrie’s description of what occurred during the 2012 visit.

The Fox News interview characterizes Henrie’s monastery experience as central to his decision to reconsider what he sees as the pressures and norms of the entertainment industry. It also portrays his religious practice as ongoing, rather than limited to a one-time event, with Henrie linking his subsequent choices to the change he said began in 2012.

Neither the Fox News report nor the information provided here includes comments from Kevin James or representatives of the monastery about Henrie’s account. It also does not provide additional documentation such as a statement from Henrie’s representatives or a public record describing the specific confession practice Henrie referenced. Those omissions mean the details of the monastery visit are presented as Henrie’s personal testimony, rather than independently corroborated specifics.