Mischa Barton was born in London, England but from her grade school days on, grew up in New York City.
Barton appears to be a Catholic, or at least sometimes a Catholic. The only proof I have of this is from a group of photos snapped of her leaving the Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Beverly Hills on a weekday in 2008, shortly after she was arrested for driving under the influence.[1] I'm sure you can imagine the cynicism with which Hollywood gossip writers reported that paparazzi moment.
None of us can say whether her appearance at church was a publicity stunt or a genuine act of repentance, but by the time 2009 rolled around, she described herself as "not a religious person."[2] Then again, is that a picture of a crucifix around her neck in 2013?[3]
So maybe her relationship with God has gone through some permutations. One thing you can count on, however, is that she won't be joining any of the trendy religions any time soon. She said about some of Hollywood's latest spiritual fads,
I'm not one of these people really into the latest fetishes like yoga or the Kabbalah. I can't imagine anything worse than wearing a trendy red bracelet around my arm and running around saying, "I'm at peace with myself."[4]
So without anything else to go on, I'm going to put Barton in the Catholic, not religious category. Keep us updated in the comments if she starts praying in public, talking about the Pope, or announces herself an atheist.
Liberal Politics and the Proud American
Just as you would expect from a tabloid scandal-afflicted Hollywood star, Barton is in the politically liberal camp. She doesn't talk about politics too much, and she doesn't appear to have made any campaign contributions, but she had some nice things to say about Obama's first inauguration on her blog.
Barton, who became an American citizen in 2006, said his speech that day made her cry, and rang true for her as a naturalized citizen. She wrote,
Had he not won, I would not be proud to be an American any longer. . . . I have all my faith in Obama. I'm not a religious person but may God bless him and his family.[5]
I couldn't find anything about her opinions on other hot liberal social issues like gay marriage or gun control, but I think it's safe to assume she's a fan of both. Again, if you catch anything else, drop us a line in the comments.
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