Dylan Novak is on a mission to help save celebrities’ souls, intentionally bringing the Gospel to some of the biggest names in entertainment.
Novak, founder of Celebrity Evangelist, routinely attends autograph signings and other events to present the salvation message to well-known performers. Most recently, he made headlines for his 2023 interaction with singer Ozzy Osbourne, who died July 22 after a battle with Parkinson’s disease.
The evangelist attended an event with Osbourne’s family near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during which he presented the former Black Sabbath frontman with a personalized Bible.
Many have reflected back on this interaction in the wake of Osbourne’s death.
“Ozzy was incredibly kind,” Novak said, recalling the experience. “So, I get up to him, shake his hand, told him it was an honor to meet him, and after just kind of a brief introduction, I said, ‘The reason I came to meet you today is because I love and care about you and your soul.'”
Novak, who comes to such events prepared after researching each celebrity’s spiritual life, told Osbourne he had seen the singer say in a past interview that he identifies “more as a Christian than anything else” and wished he could read the Bible more frequently.
So, Novak told Osbourne he had a New Living Translation Bible for him that would be easy to read, and the singer was more than receptive.
“He immediately grabbed it and he went right to the Gospels, just kind of thumbing through it,” Novak said. “And he looked up at me and he said, ‘Well, I can understand this.'”
He continued, “And … [he] just had such a sweet smile. He loved the fact that it had his name on the cover.”
Novak also wrote a handwritten letter to Osbourne, something he routinely does with celebrities to respect their time and deliver the full Gospel message he wishes to give.
“I want everybody to feel like ‘I’m seen as an individual soul, and I’m loved, and cared about on an individual level,'” Novak said of his reason for writing these personal letters.
When it came to Osbourne, he followed this same pattern and told the singer why he had penned the note.
“I said, ‘I don’t want to be rude, and I know you don’t have a lot of time. I’ve said everything in this letter that I want to say,'” Novak recounted, noting he told Osbourne Jesus loves him and that “He’s the answer.”
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The two spoke a bit more, and then Novak said he went to an adjacent room, where he shared the Gospel with the rest of the Osbourne family. Jack, Osbourne’s son, spent about half an hour speaking with Novak, and the two discussed his dad.
“One of the things he said was, ‘Thank you for not thinking dad’s evil,'” Novak said, explaining that he took a photo with the family before the encounter ended.
Two weeks later, though, Novak ran into Jack at another event — and that’s where he learned the full impact his kind gesture had on the singer. Jack noticed Novak and walked over to chat with him.
“He said, ‘You’re the one who gave dad the Bible, right?'” Novak said. “I said, ‘Yep, that was me.’ He said, ‘Can I just tell you — you have no idea how much dad loved that.'”
Jack reportedly proceeded to tell Novak that Osbourne was deeply moved by the Bible — so much so that, when the singer got in the elevator at the autograph signing days before to head up to bed, he asked for the Bible.
When he learned it was locked up in a suite with other materials, he asked someone to retrieve it. At first, the family said they’d be able to get it the next day, but he insisted.
“[Jack] said, ‘Dad goes, ‘No. I want it tonight. I’m not going up until I get my Bible,'” Novak said. “So they went back downstairs, unlocked the entire floor, went to the room where Ozzy’s stuff was, grabbed the Bible, brought it back to him.”
And the story didn’t end there, as Osbourne reportedly sent them back downstairs a second time to fetch Novak’s letter as well. Beyond that, Jack shared that his dad didn’t often keep the many gifts he received, but that the Bible was different.
“That Bible and your gift — that’s on his nightstand, and everybody that’s come over, he has shown them the Bible, shown them that his name is on there, that it’s where he can understand it,” he said. “He said, it’s not in any way like, ‘Oh, look, someone brought me a Bible.’ It’s like, ‘I am honored I got this gift.'”
Novak said he had tears in his eyes at hearing this news. Jack then proceeded to thank Novak for his kindness to his dad and family.
“Jack was like, ‘I just can’t thank you enough for loving, and caring on me and my family. That just really meant a lot,'” he said.
Novak didn’t speak with Osbourne again and it’s unclear what the singer believed at the time of his death. Yet Novak’s actions — offering a Bible and sharing the Gospel — ensured he heard biblical truth.
Ultimately, Novak is hoping Celebrity Evangelist offers others in Hollywood the opportunity to hear about Jesus, and he has plans to continue sharing the Gospel throughout Tinseltown. Find out more here.
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