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Jonas Brothers Reveal Why They Took Off Their Purity Rings
By Tess Farrand, Staff Writer
Many teens fawned over the Jonas Brothers, Kevin, Joe and Nick, in the heyday of the 2010s. The brothers got their start in the entertainment industry when they played at the MOVIEGUIDE® Annual Faith & Values Awards Gala & Report to the Entertainment Industry and then through various projects on Disney Channel. During the height of their fame, there was a particular point of interest with fans at the beginning of their careers. The Jonas Brothers wore purity rings which piqued the public’s interest in their moral values and faith.
On THE LATE LATE SHOW with James Corden, Corden frequently takes his musical guests on a car ride segment titled “Carpool Karaoke.” Here, guests sing their hits songs and talk about what they’re up to in the industry and in life. Last week, The Jonas Brothers made an appearance in conjunction with their recent band reunion for their new single “Sucker.”
The middle brother Joe responded to Corden when he asked about the history of the rings. “Purity rings were to wait for the right person when the time was right,” Joe responded. As the brothers grew up, they took off their purity rings. Joe explained, “here’s the catch; when you’re 12 and you do that… we grew up in a church, and our dad was a pastor… it was kind of just natural for everyone we grew up [with] to go through this. Some people said, ‘I’ll wait for the right person’, some people say ‘I’ll wait till marriage.’ When you’re about 15/16, and you start dating, you go ‘wait a minute’….”
In tandem with their Disney image, the purity ring conversation somewhat branded the Jonas Brothers in a light that they never planned to share with the world. Joe recalled, “the funny thing is we were never going talk about it… because it’s not for the world.” He continued, “but of course, you have three young guys wearing rings on their fingers, everyone’s like ‘are they married already?’”
The purity ring conversation began with an interviewer probing them about the topic. Joe explained, “we were in an interview one day the guy asked about [the rings], and we said, ‘we don’t want to talk about it’ and he said, ‘well I’m going just to say you’re in a cult.” Joe continued. “we were scared to death. It was one of our first interviews, so we were like ‘fine we’ll talk about them.’ We explained, just like I did to you [Corden].” He added, “the next thing you know it’s “The Jonas Brothers and Their Purity Rings” and that was what people ran with forever, that was the running joke.”
At one point the buzz about their personal lives prompted a change. “We found the humor in it sometimes, but of course we kind of just decided at one point, ‘hey this isn’t who we are we are we don’t need to be wearing these anymore, this is annoying, people are making fun of it anyway.’ We can make fun of it ourselves,” Joe concluded. Corden then asked, “so who took their ring off first?” A laugh track played in the background as the three brothers looked around jeeringly. “Kevin,” Nick blurted out. Kevin, the oldest Jonas brother was the first to get married to his wife Danielle in 2009 and didn’t outright say if that was the reason for taking his ring off.
Many may not know that Kevin, Nick and Joe grew up using Movieguide® reviews saying in an interview when he was a tween, “We use [the site], actually. We go online, we check out all the things that they’re doing, you know, we go, ‘Oh, this one has too many bad words. Oh well. We’ll go see this [other movie] instead.’ It’s good. We love it.” Additionally, The Jonas Brothers also performed at the 13th Movieguide® Awards.
Joe Jonas in an essay he wrote for The New York Times talked revealed how a church scandal involving money in his childhood church upset him greatly. He stated, that he still believed in God, but no longer considered himself religious. Teenage stardom brought on many pressures and temptations, including drug use, drinking, and other nefarious activity. Nick, the youngest of the brothers, has had the most successful career of the three brothers, starring in major movies like JUMANJI: WELCOME O THE JUNGLE.
There’s no doubt it’s extremely difficult to grow up under the spotlight and hold onto your Christian values. Many celebrities have fallen away from their childhood faith, others haven’t. Some have fallen away and have come back to the faith. Although the Jonas Brothers don’t frequently discuss their relationship with God, we can pray that their Christian upbringing isn’t forgotten, and for those who may have strayed, that they’d come back to a relationship with God.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
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