If you’ve followed the Jonas Brothers over the years, you might be aware of past tensions between the three band members – Nick, Joe and Kevin – and their younger brother, Frankie.
Kevin, Joe and Nick, aged 35, 33 and 30 respectively, form the band The Jonas Brothers. They were still teenagers when they found fame through their Disney Channel performances and have since pursued successful careers as single artists before reuniting as a trio in 2019.
Not a member of the band, 22-year-old Frankie grew up in the shadow of his brothers’ success – something that ended up causing him great harm.
Frankie has been open about his parents’ decision to continue the careers of his older siblings when he was a child, he said bustle in April 2021 that he felt his future was “slowly dying.”
“It was a conversation – I don’t remember it but I was told about it – about my brothers’ fans who also had a similar kinship with me like that symbol, like that mascot. “Frankie could theoretically be acting.” He could be on their shows. He can carry on the legacy of this mascot-like character,” he said.
Frankie also noted that he hated being referred to as “Bonus Jonas” by fans of the band and later by the Jonas Brothers themselves. “My biggest problem with public perception was being seen as a commodified vision of myself,” he said.
And Frankie recalled seeing several tweets mocking him and calling him the “forgotten” Jonas brother when he was just 12.
“It became a form of self-harm to look at those things,” he said. “Then it essentially turned into OCD, like a tic. I couldn’t stop. I checked it every day, and I had to do it to feel okay in a way. It really became a serious problem for me. A lot of it perpetuated the idea that I’m just this meme.”
“I was this joke, and my entire identity towards people was ‘adjacent’, which really affected myself and the way I thought about the world and how I felt about myself,” he added.
Shortly after Frankie opened up about his heartbreaking experience, Joe revealed that he privately apologized for calling him “Bonus Jonas” for years
“I refused to call Frankie ‘Bonus Jonas’ after he told me how hurtful it was for him,” he said.
“It makes perfect sense,” he continued. “And we have had long conversations and apologies behind closed doors that have shown my understanding and respect for his wishes.”
“I think it’s unfair to feel like you’re second, third or fourth best at something,” he added. “We are all the same.”
In recent years, Frankie has garnered a huge following of his own after becoming something of a TikTok sensation — something he finds “empowering.”
“Everything I talk about on TikTok… no one knew I was speaking like this, expressing myself in what I find funny,” he said. “I was only joking because I thought no one would hear them. And then people heard them and liked them. I thought, I will continue to do this‘Cause I never really had my thing That seems to be right up my alley. It feels so empowering to have something.”
In addition to making his own music now, Frankie often posts content making fun of his older brothers. For example, last year he got internet users upset after he and his girlfriend stalked him disguised as Joe and his ex Taylor Swift for Halloween.
Fast forward to today, and Nick, Joe, and Kevin made an appearance PopBuzzs Last week, the YouTube channel answered a series of Jenga-style “truths” — and it wasn’t long before Frankie’s name was mentioned.
After pulling a Jenga block out of the giant tower, Joe read it out loud, “If you had to be stuck in an elevator with one of your brothers for 24 hours, who would you choose?” Almost instantly, he replied, “I feel like.” our youngest brother Franklin.”
Kevin’s chin dropped immediately when Joe mentioned Frankie’s name. But then Joe went on to quip, “Might clear up some things.”
At this point, Kevin burst out laughing, while Nick also chuckled along – as did the off-camera crew members. Seconds later, Nick quickly changed the subject and grabbed the next Jenga block in play.
As soon as Clip of the exchange was shared on social media, fans began to raise eyebrows at Joe’s brief comment.
“There’s so much fighting between Frankie and the other three,” one wrote tick tockbefore adding, “It’s not real, but it’s funny.”
“I have a feeling that was shade for Frankie,” another person wrote.
“Kevin’s face suggested it was some Franklin-related DRAMA,” one suggested, while another person echoed, “Oooooh Joe and Franklin have beeeeeeef.”
