Why did Bethany Joy Lenz change her name?

Bethany Joy Lenz is a renowned American actress, singer-songwriter and filmmaker, best known for her performance of Haley James Scott on the CW television drama, One Tree Hill.

Bethany Joy Lenz was born on April 2, 1981, in Hollywood, Florida, the U.S.A to Cathie and Robert George Lenz. Her father was a history teacher and therapist, while her mother worked as an entrepreneur and personnel manager.

Bethany Joy Lenz has a stepsister, Candace as well as a stepbrother, Sam. She began singing at Carpenter’s Church in Florida when she was 3 years old. She also worked in a local production of ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ at the age of seven.

Bethany Joy Lenz began her film career when she was just 11, appearing as Shelly Barnes in the 1992 release ‘Psalty’s Salvation Celebration’. In 2001, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her future in Hollywood and she appeared in guest roles on many TV series, including ‘Charmed’, ‘Felicity’, ‘Off Centre’, ‘The Legacy’, ‘Maybe It’s Me’, and ‘The Guardian’.

Bethany Joy Lenz made her debut on television with ‘Guiding Light’, the longest-running American soap opera, in which she played the role of Reva Shayne at the age of seventeen in 1998. She got her big break in 2003 when she was cast as Haley James Scott in the American drama series ‘One Tree Hill’.

In 1999, while working on Guiding Light, Bethany Joy Lenz graduated from Eastern Christian High School in New Jersey. She also landed the role of Rose Cronin in Mary and Rhoda, a made-for-television movie. She is recognized for her music as a solo artist and as a member of the band Everly.

Bethany Joy Lenz was previously married to former Enation keyboardist, Michael Galeotti, on December 31, 2005. In 2011, Lenz gave birth to a daughter, however, she divorced her husband after six years of marriage.