Before she was making audiences laugh on daytime TV, Sherri Shepherd says she was taking some divine advice a little too literally and it cost her more than just a few late fees.
On a recent episode of her talk show Sherri, the comedian and former The View host shared a jaw-dropping confession: she once ignored bills, taxes, and even court dates because she thought the Rapture was coming. For real.
“I really didn’t think I’d be here today,” the 58-year-old said. “I thought the Rapture was going to take me up to heaven.”
Back then, she explained, she was deep into teachings that warned the end was near. Believing she wouldn’t be around much longer, Shepherd figured earthly responsibilities like taxes and parking tickets no longer mattered. “Jesus don’t care about no parking tickets,” she joked, saying she racked up over $10,000 in fines.
Her wake-up call came one night on the way to a show at the Comedy Store in LA. Police pulled her over and, thanks to those ignored warrants, she spent eight days in jail.
That moment shifted her mindset.
“I became a hardened criminal — all because I thought Jesus was coming,” she laughed.
Fast forward to today, Shepherd says she’s wiser and no longer falls for every viral end-of-world prediction that pops up on social media. When TikTok lit up recently with new Rapture rumors tied to a September 23 date, she didn’t flinch. “This one, I didn’t fall for the okeydoke,” she said. “I’ve been through this before.”
Raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, Shepherd was once immersed in strict religious teachings. But she’s since left that faith and now calls herself a Christian with a focus on grace over fear. Her experience, she says, taught her to question and not blindly follow every doomsday message she hears.
As for the Rapture, the belief still holds power in parts of evangelical culture. It’s the idea that true believers will be taken to heaven before a period of global tribulation. But not all Christian denominations embrace it, with many calling it a more recent interpretation of scripture.
For Shepherd, though, the lesson is clear: Jesus may come back someday, but until then, pay your taxes… and your parking tickets!
