Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds says he was expelled from Brigham Young University after he confessed to his bishop that he had sex with his girlfriend. Reynolds, 39, shared the story in a street interview with reporter Kate Mackz published Wednesday, October 28, and described a yearlong repentance process that followed.“It is not something I would recommend to any kid to ever have to go through,”he said.
BYU, the Utah college closely tied to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, enforces a strict honor code that includes abstinence and sobriety. Reynolds, who spent two years on a Mormon mission in Nebraska and says he is no longer religious, has been known for his openness about faith and mental health. He shares four children with ex-wife Aja Volkman, and he and actress Minka Kelly split in October after four years together.
The story is already sparking conversations about purity culture and the honor codes at church-affiliated schools, especially among people who grew up in similar environments. Being honest with someone you trust is supposed to be the safe move, and Reynolds says it’s the thing that changed his college plans.
Did you grow up with a strict honor code or house rule you look back on now and question? Tell us in the comments.
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