Jonas Brothers Reflect on Teen Stardom, ‘Bizarre’ Talk of Sex Lives

The Jonas Brothers have opened about the “bizarre” ways they were treated and discussed as teen stars, including the often overwhelming speculation about their sex lives.

Reflecting on their career with Variety ahead of a Hollywood handprint ceremony outside the TCL Chinese Theatre, the Jonas Brothers spoke about their early days as Disney idols and tabloid sensations. At the time, the band were simultaneously known for wearing purity rings and insisting they would abstain from sex before marriage, while tabloids and paparazzi breathlessly documented their dating lives. 

“There was a lot of interest in our sexual life during our teenage years, which was odd,” Joe Jonas said. 

Nick, meanwhile, called all the attention and speculation “very inappropriate,” and said he doubted teen stars of today would receive similar treatment. In that regard, he said he hoped that what the Jonas Brothers endured helped lead to this positive change. 

“If we were a small part of things — course-correcting people taking that much interest in teenagers’ sex lives — then I’m happy we went through whatever we went through to get there,” he said. “But yeah, it was a bizarre time.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Nick spoke about the band’s willingness to embrace the pressure of stardom even as they were young kids, while adding that, if he had the chance, he’d encourage his younger self to “take a little pressure off.”

He continued: “I think we came up in a time — our work with Disney — and obviously, demographics of that being primarily a younger audience, teens, so there’s this real pressure to be a role model, to be an example. I think back when we would’ve said, ‘Oh, we love that. We don’t mind the pressure. We’re trying to be good guys.’ I think as a 33-year-old, talking to my 13-year-old self, I’d say, ‘Hey, don’t try to carry the world on your shoulders. If you just need to be a kid growing up, going through experiences, do that.’”

It’s been a busy year for the Jonas Brothers, who released their most recent album, Greetings From Your Hometown, in August, and spent much of the past few months on the road. (The tour was both in support of the new album, and in celebration of the band’s 20th anniversary.) The band still has several more tour dates lined up, with the trek set to wrap with a New Year’s Eve concert in Miami that will stream live on Samsung TV Plus.