Fox News announced a Jesus podcast. The celebrities involved say they had no idea the project was in the works

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Kristen Bell and Brian Cox are among the actors who said they were unaware that audio they had recorded 15 years ago was being ‘repurposed’ for the new project

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Fox News has unveiled a new Christian-centered podcast, boasting a star-studded lineup of celebrity voices. The twist: many of the actors “involved,” including Kristen Bell and Brian Cox, say they were unaware of the project until recently.

On Wednesday, the conservative network announced its Life of Jesus Podcast. The 52-episode podcast series, premiering November 30, will “bring stories from the New Testament to life through immersive storytelling,” a press release states. It is the latest addition to FOX Faith and FOX News Media’s religion vertical.

The press release adds that the podcast will feature over 100 notable actors voicing characters from the Bible. Among the celebrities are Bell (Mary Magalene), Cox (Voice of God), Sean Astin (Matthew), Neal McDonough (Jesus), Malcolm McDowell (Caiaphas), John Rhys-Davis (narrator) and Julia Ormond (Mary Mother of God).

All of the names listed were previously part of the 2010 audiobook The Truth and Life Dramatized Audio Bible, released by Ignatius Press at the time.

Bell, 45, and Cox, 79, have since come forward, insisting that they had no idea their voices, originally used in the 15-year-old project, were being “repurposed” for the new venture.

The Succession star’s representative told Rolling Stone that “Brian recorded audio for a project over a decade ago.”

“He was unaware that the audio would be repurposed for a new podcast series in 2025,” Cox’s representative added Thursday. “Brian only became aware of the podcast today.”

Meanwhile, a representative of Bell told the publication that the Frozen actor was “blindsided” by the forthcoming endeavor, and had only found out about it when the network asked her team if she would appear on Fox & Friends the day before the press release was sent out. The representative said that Bell had never given permission for the old audiobook to be recycled and used for a new podcast series.

McDowell’s representative similarly shared with Entertainment Weekly: “We had no knowledge these recordings were being redistributed as a podcast until this week. This was long ago forgotten about.”

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Rhys-Davies also first found out about the “repurposed” project earlier this week, his representative told Rolling Stone.

In an alleged note obtained by Rolling Stone from a producer associated with the podcast, at least one star was asked to “not mention that this audio New Testament Bible was produced years ago, we’d like it to feel like something that was produced more recently.”

When approached for comment, a Fox News spokesperson told The Independent: “Gulfstream Studios produced the Life of Jesus Podcast from The Truth and Life Dramatized Audio Bible, which was licensed by FOX News Audio, with full cooperation and participation by all the actors involved.”

The Independent has contacted the representatives of all the actors involved.

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