Lana Del Rey has a knack for making people uncomfortable. It’s part of the brand, right? But back when she dropped Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, one specific track sent the internet into a genuine tailspin. We aren't talking about a controversial lyric or a moody music video. We are talking about a four-and-a-half-minute recording of a man preaching over a piano. That man was Judah Smith, the leader of Churchome and a guy famously known as the "pastor to the stars."
People were confused. Some were flat-out angry. Honestly, the sight of a megachurch pastor on a Lana record felt like a glitch in the matrix for a fan base that is largely LGBTQ+ and, let's be real, pretty wary of organized religion. But as we look at where they are now in 2026, it turns out that "Judah Smith Interlude" wasn't just a random artistic choice. It was the start of a public association that eventually led to him officiating her wedding to Jeremy Dufrene in late 2024.
The Interlude That Sparked a Thousand Think Pieces
If you've listened to the track, you know it’s weird. It’s a literal voice memo of a sermon. You can hear Lana in the background. She’s giggling, she’s whispering "yeah," and at one point, she laughs at a line about God being an artist.
Critics jumped on it immediately. Was she mocking him? Was she "exposing" the absurdity of megachurch culture? Or was she actually... into it?
The sermon itself focuses on "lust" and "desiring what you have." For an artist whose entire career has been built on longing, yearning, and the "experience of being an American whore" (her words, not mine, from A&W), the juxtaposition was jarring. But Lana eventually clarified things in her own cryptic way. She thanked Judah and his wife Chelsea in her album credits for giving her "good guidance" even when they didn't know they were doing it.
Basically, she wasn't trolling. She was listening.
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Who Exactly is Judah Smith?
To understand why this partnership rubbed people the wrong way, you have to look at the man behind the microphone. Judah Smith isn't your average small-town preacher. He’s the lead pastor of Churchome, a high-tech, celebrity-heavy congregation that swapped traditional pews for an app and VIP seating.
- The Bieber Connection: Before Lana, he was most famous for being Justin Bieber’s spiritual mentor. He’s been in the inner circle of the Biebers for years.
- The Controversy: Like many megachurch figures, he’s faced heat for past comments. There are reports of him calling homosexuality a sin in older sermons and maintaining a pretty traditional stance on abortion.
- The Vibe: He’s been described as more of an "influencer" than a traditional theologian. He wears designer clothes. He hangs out at Coachella.
For many Lana fans, especially those with religious trauma, seeing him featured on a "safe space" album felt like a betrayal. They saw a man who represented a system that often excludes them. But Lana has never been one to follow the "ally" rulebook perfectly. She’s always moved toward things that fascinate her, regardless of the optics.
The Bayou Wedding and the 2024 Connection
Fast forward to September 2024. The world was already buzzing because Lana Del Rey had just married an alligator tour guide named Jeremy Dufrene in a surprise ceremony in a Louisiana bayou. It was peak Lana—unpredictable, Southern, and slightly swampy.
But then the marriage license details leaked. The officiant? Judah Smith.
This moved their relationship from "I put a recording of you on my album" to "I trust you with the most sacred moment of my life." Even a year later, in the summer of 2025, Lana was still posting about him. She shared a photo from her wedding day specifically to promote one of Smith's live services, captioning it, "May 12 angels guard you while you preach tonight."
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It’s clear now that she wasn't just using his voice for "texture" on a song. She joined his community.
Why This Connection Matters in 2026
We often want our favorite artists to be one-dimensional. We want them to represent our politics and our values perfectly. But Lana Del Rey has always been a collage of contradictions. She’s a Fordham philosophy student who studied metaphysics. She’s a former choir kid. She’s someone who reportedly tried to hex a president but also finds solace in a traditional sermon about fidelity and marriage.
The Judah Smith connection is a reminder that Lana’s "religion" is a mix of high art, personal grief, and a desperate search for structure. She’s spoken openly about her fear of death and her anxiety about her family. For her, Churchome seems to provide a sense of "home" that she couldn't find in the Hollywood scene.
What Most People Get Wrong About the "Cult" Rumors
Look, the word "cult" gets thrown around a lot whenever a celebrity joins a trendy church. Is Churchome a cult? Probably not in the literal sense. Is it a high-control environment that markets itself to the elite? That’s a more fair question.
Fans often worry that Lana is being "brainwashed," but that ignores her agency. If you look at her lyrics across Ocean Blvd, she’s asking: "When’s it gonna be my turn?" She was looking for a family. She was looking for a husband. She was looking for a reason to stop "yearning" and start "having."
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Judah Smith’s message—specifically the one about wanting what you already have—seems to be the exact medicine she wanted to take. Whether or not you like the doctor is a different story.
Actionable Insights for the Curious
If you’re trying to make sense of the Judah Smith and Lana Del Rey connection, don’t look for a political statement. Look for the human elements.
- Listen to the transition: Play "A&W" followed immediately by "Judah Smith Interlude." The shift from the "American Whore" narrative to a sermon about domesticity is the key to the whole album.
- Check the credits: Read the liner notes for Ocean Blvd. Lana's gratitude toward the Smiths is sincere, not ironic.
- Observe the shift: Notice how her post-2024 public image has shifted toward a more "settled" life in the South. The influence of Churchome’s teachings on marriage and "the life in front of you" is visible in her choices.
Ultimately, Lana is doing what she’s always done: pulling pieces from different worlds to build her own. She’s just as likely to quote a priest as she is to quote a poet or a biker. It’s not about endorsement; it’s about her personal journey through the "tunnel."
Stay updated on her latest appearances at Churchome events through their official app, as she occasionally pops up in their digital community spaces.