Gwen Stefani is facing renewed backlash after promoting a 40-day Lent prayer challenge in partnership with the Catholic app Hallow, with some No Doubt fans accusing the singer of undergoing a “MAGA makeover.”
According to Fox News, the reaction followed a video Stefani shared, encouraging fans to participate, saying, “Hey everyone, I just got my ashes, and I’m ready for Lent… It’s going to be incredible. Check it out. God bless.”
Online response has been split. Supporters applauded Stefani for publicly embracing her faith, while critics pointed to Hallow’s perceived ties to conservative politics and its alignment with traditional Catholic values.
Several widely shared posts framed the partnership as a notable shift in her public-facing image, while others rejected the political framing altogether.
Hallow—sometimes criticized as a “pay-to-pray” app—is a Catholic prayer and meditation platform built around structured, audio-guided sessions. The app includes daily prayers, rosary recitations, Bible studies, and sleep meditations. A free tier is available, but expanded content, including seasonal programs like the Lent challenge, sits behind a paid subscription.
Launched in 2018 by CEO Alex Jones (no relation to the InfoWars founder), alongside co-founders Alessandro DiSanto and Erich Kerekes, Hallow has grown to more than 20 million downloads since its initial launch. Its model blends traditional Catholic practices with a subscription-based wellness format.
In addition to Stefani, the app has been promoted by openly religious celebrities such as Mark Wahlberg and Chris Pratt.
The current backlash follows earlier moments that prompted similar scrutiny. In April 2025, Dear Media noted that Stefani drew criticism after praising a Tucker Carlson interview with Jonathan Roumie, who portrays Jesus in The Chosen.
Long before that, commentary from a 1998 story on In Music We Trust examined Stefani’s role within the “women in rock” landscape during No Doubt’s rise.
At the time, critics focused on the gap between her presentation and the feminist framing often applied to her work, arguing that her public persona emphasized style, image, and adaptability over clearly defined ideological positioning common for the so-called “riot grrl” movement of the time.