New Kids on the Block singer Jonathan Knight opened up about the challenges he and his husband have faced in starting a family.
Knight wed partner Harley Rodriguez last year and said they’ve been struggling to have a child. Speaking with Lance Bass on the Frosted Tips podcast, the singer revealed they’ve been trying for at least five years.
“We tried it … It just didn’t happen for us,” he explained, adding the two were repeatedly crushed to learn they had to go “back to square one.”
Lance, who welcomed twins with husband Michael Turchin, empathized with Jonathan. “No one understands that emotional journey,” he said, adding they used nearly a dozen donors and waited five years before welcoming Violet and Alexander.
Lance said he also questioned whether he was meant to have children when he and Turchin had to start over again. “But you know, you’re meant to have what you’re meant to have,” he offered to Jonathan.
Elsewhere in the interview, Jonathan opened up about being “so afraid” of people discovering his sexuality during the height of his fame. “My manager knew that I was gay … He pulled me aside and he was like, ‘If anybody finds out, then your career’s over. The New Kids’ career is over. My career is over. Sony is going to lose money.'”
“Looking back, that was a lot of pressure to put on somebody,” Jonathan continued, adding it contributed to a “full-on nervous breakdown” during an interview with Oprah Winfrey.
His worst fears came true when “a boyfriend of mine … sold pictures of us to the National Enquirer” in 2009 and forced him out of the closet. “That whole process was horrible,” he recalled.
Jonathan noted he’s glad things have changed and society is more supportive of the LGBTQ+ community.
Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
