Categories: Celebrity News

Liam Neeson stopped going to confession at 15 after being shamed by priest for embarrassing reason

Liam Neeson shared his embarrassing reason for skipping out on confession beginning at age 15 in a new interview.

Neeson, 71, told comedian Conan O’Brien for an upcoming podcast episode that an admission once got him reprimanded by a priest.

The “Retribution” star, who grew up Catholic, recalled a missionary visiting his church in Ireland from Africa.

“It was a great event when you had a missionary visiting from Africa. And he’d be there for a week and you’d go to Mass every night,” Neeson explained. “And as an altar boy, I’d be serving at Mass, but to hear your confession from him, it was like a big deal.”

LIAM NEESON SAYS HE DOESN’T LIKE WATCHING OR FILMING SEX SCENES: ‘I JUST GET EMBARRASSED’

Liam Neeson admitted he stopped going to confession at age 15 after being reprimanded by a priest. (Francois G. Durand/WireImage)

The “Taken” star recalled “old women just outside the confessional kneeling down and saying their prayers” before he and the priest, who had a booming voice, began the confessional.

“So we start, and I had learned how to pleasure myself at home, onto the sheets, right? I had looked up the appropriate word,” Neeson admitted. “I remember that… ‘Masturbate’? ‘Masturbation’? OK. That seems harmless enough.”

Before Neeson made what would become an embarrassing confession, he copped to things like arguing with his mom and fighting with his sister. However, when the actor admitted to masturbating, the priest yelled out, “‘You what?!’ This guy, literally, I mean, he almost said things like, ‘The grass will grow over the palm of your hand before you’re 21! Stop that evil practice!'”

Liam Neeson believed old women waiting outside the confessional had overheard the embarrassing moment. (Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

The 15-year-old Neeson was aware of the old women waiting outside during the ordeal and left immediately.

“That was the last time I ever went,” he said.

Liam Neeson poses in France in 1992. (Getty Images)

Neeson hasn’t spoken often about his faith publicly, but has revealed that he’s always been “drawn” to religion.

“There’s always a little light that goes off in my head when I read a script that’s faith-based in some way,” he previously told MovieGuide. “I was brought up quite a staunch Catholic. I was an altar boy for quite a few years as a kid. The Church has always appealed to me in some way, especially when I became an actor, and I’m certainly questing after God and the nature of God. So, I am drawn to it, I must admit.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Share

Recent Posts

Trump announces newest nominations to lead DOJ, regulate US railroads

President-elect Trump dropped his latest round of nominations Saturday afternoon, including two picks to help…

1 hour ago

Lara Trump removes herself from consideration for Marco Rubio’s US Senate seat

Lara Trump, President-elect Trump’s daughter-in-law, said Saturday she is removing herself from consideration for Florida…

1 hour ago

More than 30 dead in Brazil bus and truck collision

close Video Fox News Flash top headlines for December 21 Fox News Flash top headlines…

3 hours ago

Rockin’ around the congressional Christmas tree

"Rockin' around the Christmas treeAt the Christmas party hop" – Brenda Lee It’s a yuletide…

3 hours ago

Trump nominates TV producer, creator of ‘The Apprentice,’ to serve in new administration

President-elect Trump announced Saturday he has tapped the creator of "The Apprentice" to serve a…

6 hours ago

Lawmakers react to stopgap funding and averting government shutdown

As the dust settles on Congress frantically passing a stopgap bill at the eleventh hour…

8 hours ago