17 Lesser-Known Facts About The Jonas Brothers
When the Jonas Brothers issued a statement to People magazine that read, "It's over for now… we're closing a chapter, for sure", they broke the world's heart. Joe, Nick and Kevin Jonas, originally from New Jersey, claimed the reason behind the sudden split was, "We chose to be a family, not a band." The band was originally just Nick as a solo artist who had signed to Colombia Records but executives soon caught on that his brothers were just as talented - and just as cute.
When news of their split made headlines, millions of fans worldwide were devastated that the Disney-stars-turned-heartthrobs would no longer perform as a trio.
Sure, many admired them, but behind closed doors, were the Jonas Brothers really as squeaky-clean as the record bosses led us to believe?
Following the split, the brothers have been more open to interviews about their time together and they sure know how to spill the beans. We know every pop band has a few skeletons in the closet they want to keep there but most of their confessions were scandalous.
So just how much do we really know about the Jonas Brothers? What part of their pop history was all staged and just how dark is their history? Here we find out.
17 The "Purity Rings" Were All For Show
The Jonas Brothers' "purity rings" were so famous they even made their way onto a South Park sketch. Young fans followed in the footsteps of their idols but did the guys practice what they preached? Apparently not.
During an Ask Me Anything on Reddit, one Redditor questioned, "I'm seriously curious. Was the whole purity ring thing a part of your marketing to families and young kids?
Or were you seriously about abstaining from gettin' down and it was just publicized to give you guys a cleaner image?"
Joe wrote back, "Without a full understanding of what we were stepping into, we all made this commitment. But as you do, you grow up, you live life, you gain some world perspective and you develop your own views." He added, "I started making my own choices, fell in love with somebody, made the choice to (become romantic) with them and from that point on it was about me being a man and being OK with my choices."
16 They Allegedly Manipulated Their Fans
When you have millions of fans worldwide and girls screaming everywhere you go then temptation will always be there. You would expect with the Jonas Brothers, who had a squeaky clean image to uphold, that they would be able to control themselves but they gave in. Joe told New York magazine,
"I've dated fans… I definitely took advantage of the opportunities I had."
He recalled, "I remember I invited a fan to a movie, and we just made out the entire time. I don't even remember what the movie was about. I must have been 16 or so. Afterward, I was kind of freaking out, because I thought she'd go public and the whole world would find out. Luckily, she never did, I think because she assumed there'd be another meet-up down the road." To be honest, it's more likely she did tell people and they just didn't believe she made out with a Jonas brother.
15 Joe Was Stuck With Demi Lovato Even Though He Wanted Out
Demi Lovato dated Joe when they were both just teenagers and the turbulent relationship ended with Demi being shipped off to rehab. The last straw with Demi was when she punched a dancer during the South American leg of the Jonas Brothers' tour and she was treated for "emotional and physical" issues. Joe likely gave a sigh of relief because he wanted out of this teenager romance for quite a while.
He told New York magazine, "I felt like I needed to take care of her, but at the same time I was living a lie, because I wasn't happy but felt like I had to stay in it for her because she needed help. I couldn't express any of that, of course, because I had a brand to protect." Translation: the showmance was an awesome career boost for the both of them.
14 Did Kevin And His Wife Really Fake A Pregnancy?
When you're famous then you can expect to find some crazy conspiracies about your personal life online. in 2017, Kevin met Danielle Deleasa in the Bahamas and the couple married two years later, landing their own E! reality series Married to Jonas. In 2014, the couple announced they were expecting their first child together but fans online picked everything apart and created the theory that the pregnancy was faked.
After their daughter Alana was born, fans went back to their earlier posts and the "15-week scan" showed a fully developed baby. One conspirator wrote on Instagram "That's… a pretty developed head, ladies, and gentlemen."
They also noticed that between pictures on social media and photo shoots the bump was growing and shrinking with every different picture.
There's a number of reasons a new mom might fake a pregnancy - usually for health reasons - so if the fans are right and a surrogate was used, then we're sure the couple trusted it was the right choice for them.
13 The Brothers Left Church Over A Stolen Money Scandal
Although they give the impression that they are God-fearing guys, it turns out these son's of a pastor actually turned their back on religion when they were in their early teens. In an interview with Vulture, Joe explained, "We eventually left our church, Assembly of God, when I was 14. A scandal had erupted involving stolen money, and it caused a big rift in the church. After that, the concept of the church really upset me for a long time."
It didn't stop them from selling records in the Christian Rock category and their first album even featured the song, 'Dear God' and 'Hold On' with lyrics: "Don't give up on love. Have faith, restart." Despite these messages in their music, Joe cleared up the questions about his family, as they are "not religious in any way."
12 It's Been Speculated That They Were Badly Corrupted By Demi And Miley
Shockingly, former wild children, Demi Lovato and Miley Cyrus, corrupted the Jonas Brothers when they were younger. Joe told Vulture, "The first time I (used substances) was with Demi and Miley. I must have been 17 or 18. They kept saying, 'Try it! Try it!' so I gave it a shot, and it was alright."
These claims were fiercely denied by Miley, as the Wrecking Ball singer laughed, "There's nothing that two little girls are going to get you to do that you don't want to do.
I thought maybe he was saying that like it was going to make him look bada**. We were so young that it was actually like, 'How did you get peer-pressured by me?'" Demi denied the claims too but she said she will "always be friends" with Joe so he's clearly forgiven.
11 Joe Loved Punk But His Parents Forced His Pop Career
If he had a choice, Joe would have become a punk star but this didn't go well with the head of the household. He told New York magazine, "My parents wanted me to be this role model that I didn't always want to be. I preferred going to punk-rock shows in small venues in New Jersey, where we grew up, wearing my jean jacket and all my band pins."
He added, "That's how I fell in love with music, how I became obsessed with it. I'd stand there, watching the singer running around the stage, owning the crowd." Instead, he fell into a music career that was very pop-focused and although there wasn't much mad running around the stage - at least he got to sing. His parents' decision paid off and the band sold over 17 million albums worldwide.
10 Kevin's Real Name Is Paul But That Wasn't "Cool" Enough
Kevin is really Paul Jonas and although the credit for creating the pop band often goes to his youngest brother, Nick, he is actually responsible for forming the group.
Kevin was named Paul at birth after his father but it clearly wasn't a cute enough name for an up-and-coming pop heartthrob.
Now, he has left the fame game behind and instead chooses to stay at home with his wife and two young daughters.
During an interview on Oprah: Where Are They Now?, he revealed, "I think we had a different connection just because we were brothers. When we were on the road or at home, we were still together, and I think that made us stronger." But now their relationship is even stronger, as he added, "At the same time, I think that's what pulled it apart, which I think is inevitable when you're working with your family for so long.
9 Disney Bosses Didn't Know They Were Sneaking Out At Night
The Jonas Brothers were only teenagers when they became part of the Disney machine so it's no surprise they rebelled against their bosses. Joe revealed to New York magazine, "I used to sneak out (and meet up) with this one girl in her car. We thought we were in trouble because we were both working with Disney." They clearly didn't get caught but we're guessing if they had then the innocent Disney image might have been shattered.
Now they are all grown up, they are not shy when it comes to criticizing the powerhouse that brought them so much fame. In an article titled Joe Jonas: My Life As a Jonas Brother, he said, "Being a part of the Disney thing for so long will make you not want to be this perfect little puppet forever. Eventually, I hit a limit and thought, '(Forget) all this, I'm just going to show people who I am.'"
8 Joe Is Supposedly An Awful Boyfriend Who Played Taylor, Gigi, And Demi
Joe famously split from Demi Lovato when she was having emotional difficulties and had a short stint in rehab, but he did make clear, "It was my choice." Even though he ditched the Cool For The Summer singer during some of her darkest days she forgives him and tweeted, "(Joe was) my first serious relationship. I know him better than he knows himself."
Another time he was out breaking hearts was when he dumped Taylor Swift during a 27-second phone call.
In a MySpace post, he wrote in his defense, "Anytime you are in a relationship for any length of time there are going to be issues. Sometimes they resolve. Other times they lead to a change of heart. This was the case recently." Then he started dating Taylor's BFF Gigi Hadid - so he's certainly not Taylor's number one guy.
7 They Said Meeting Fans Is Like A "Zombie Apocolypse"
When Joe spoke to Vulture, his die-hard fans might have been upset by his comments about how they behave during meet-and-greets. He said meeting with fans "it felt like a zombie apocalypse" which seems a bit harsh considering most pop stars charge between $200 - $1,000+ for a backstage photo opportunity.
Things were actually creepy for him and the brothers at times. He remembers, "There were the moments when I'd walk into my hotel room only to find a girl I didn't know standing there. There was this time in South America where a hotel staff member snuck his kid into my room. I don't know what they were hoping would happen, but security showed her out." We guess there are some boundaries that should really never be crossed.
6 Record Bosses Call Joe's Freddie Mercury Obsession "Too Weird"
During his 'Freddie Mercury stage', Joe idolized the Queen frontman and even wrote a 12-song album in the same style however it was scrapped by executives who didn't like his new direction because it was "too weird." Joe said it was "one of (his) biggest career disappointments" ever. Songwriters who had penned hits for Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez were brought in to rewrite the songs and he said, "I really want to slam my head into a wall right now."
The brothers were willing to do whatever it took to keep them in the spotlight as this was what they believed at the time to be their 15 seconds of fame.
Joe told New York magazine, "We went along with it at the time because we thought Disney was our only real shot. And we were terrified that it could all be taken away from us at any moment."
5 They Fought Over Nick's Topless Shots
Nick was the first of the brothers to kick off the topless selfie trend and it all took place around the time the band "weren't gelling on the same things." Clearly, Nick wanted to show the world his toned physique but his 'squeaky clean' image meant that it had to be kept hidden. There might have been some comments from his brothers as he told People, "It is very different to step out on my own but I've chosen to focus on the positivity of it all and how incredible this year has been."
When he was asked if his brothers had taken well to the intimate shots, he told the magazine, "I expected (the backlash). We're brothers. It's our job to give each other c***." As an act of rebellion, Nick then took even more off for a photo shoot with GQ magazine - just like that… the child star image was gone.
4 Their Split Got Very Dark and Depressing
Kevin told People magazine that he and his brothers hit a low point following the split, revealing, "When the Jonas Brothers went dark, we went dark. We didn't do a single interview, we didn't talk to anybody, we just went dark." Adding, "I just got really depressed for a while. There's a mourning process." When questioned why the band went their separate ways, he said,
"I think it was time, and for us it took some time getting there, but we feel like it's time that the Jonas Brothers come to an end."
In an interview with Good Morning America, Nick revealed that he initiated the split and that "(he felt) like we've had some complications within the group for a long time without addressing them" and the "train will fall off the tracks." The group then all decided they would be better off spending some time apart.
3 Joe Claims He Has A Bigger Masculinity Than His Brothers
During the Reddit Ask Me Anything, Joe was asked how he measured up next to his brothers and if was mightier than the other two. Surprisingly, he actually answered the question and wrote back with pride, "I like to think so. Although, it's not often that I'm in a locker room or shower with my brothers, so I couldn't really tell you. But, I'd like the Internet to believe that I'm still killin' it."
He also revealed that his first time was with Twilight actress Ashley Greene. He laughed, "It's quite the great story because I didn't have any protection, so I went to our drummer Jack's room, who was my roommate at the time and I demolished his room looking for them. Found them underneath his underwear drawer. When he came home, he thought somebody broke into his room because his whole room was demolished because I was in dire need. Needed to happen then and now. Safety first, kids."
2 Nick Was Not Happy His Brothers Stole His Spotlight
In the beginning, the record company bosses only knew of Nick's existence and had signed him to a solo contract. Joe told J-14, "They thought Nick had an angel-like voice, which is what got him signed. He was working on that solo project and one day Kevin and I said, 'Hey, Nick, do you think we can write a song together?' We walked into the label one day and the bosses freaked out and said, 'Whoa, there are brothers?' From that moment, we immediately became a group project."
Nick had to then learn how sharing the spotlight would be better for his career in the long run but that didn't help him feeling disappointed.
The youngest of the brothers confessed, "For a minute it was a little tough."
1 They Were Forced To Look 16 When They Were In Their Twenties
The money was still pouring in for the Jonas Brothers even as they got older and most of that came from the attachment they had with their younger audience. Their bosses obviously didn't want them to grow up fast and Kevin revealed, "I had to shave every day because they wanted me to pretend like I was 16 when I was 20."
He added, "Disney made us more famous than we ever knew we could be. (We was just) frightened little kids." That would then explain why so many of their dark secrets would have been buried and the pressure to water down pop songs and wear the purity rings were all part of the 'Jonas Brothers brand.' Now we know the truth, it turns out they weren't so innocent at all.
