Kevin Jonas Talks About His Solid Marriage to Wife Danielle & E!’s New Show “Married To Jonas”
August 18, 2012 1 Comment
Married To Jonas on E!
I recently spoke with eldest Jonas Brother, Kevin Jonas, to discuss his forray into reality television with E!’s newest reality series, Married To Jonas (Sunday, August 19th at 10 ET/PT on E!). The latest Ryan Seacrest produced reality vehicle takes a look inside the young married life of Kevin Jonas and his wife Danielle as they balance Jonas Brothers insanity and day-to-day married life in suburban New Jersey.
Speaking with Kevin Jonas felt like speaking to one of my twenty-six year old brother’s friends (in a good way!), or my brother for that matter. Kevin’s voice and intonation doesn’t carry an ounce of celebrity bravado and his stories about courting his wife Dani, how they chose their wedding destination (with the help of a former boy bander), and why he decided to jump into the pool of celebrities putting their personal lives on television for the viewing public. As Jonas is all too aware, it’s this new phenomenon of voyeristic celebrity-watching that the public craves and he is happy to be in the fray to keep his music at the forefront of fans’ minds.
While his wife Danielle Jonas was busy doing her share of the Married To Jonas press, Kevin Jonas and I had some one-on-one time to talk about what it means to be a famous recording artist/reality TV star.
Allison Kugel: I read that it was your brother Nick who originally wanted the recording career, and you and Joe came on board to support Nick’s singing aspirations. Is that how the Jonas Brothers happened, or did you want a career in music as well?
Kevin Jonas: I was only interested in playing guitar and different things like that. But when it came to the career, it was one of those things where I always thought it would be fun to be in a band. I never expected the life that I ended up leading. We wrote a song together as the Jonas Brothers and somehow it just made so much sense. I was really blown away by the connection that we had.
Allison Kugel: You wrote that first song, and then how did it become the hysteria that the Jonas Brothers were a few years back?
Kevin Jonas: We wrote that song in 2005 and 2006 and it started then. It took a long time for things to culminate and years had passed and we moved from one label to another and then we really just built up a fan base. We really owe it to our fans. Honestly, it transcended everything that we ever imagined and it really kind of blew us away.
Allison Kugel: How do you feel about the label “reality TV star” as it pertains to your Jonas Brothers music career?
Kevin Jonas: Honestly, you can see amazing Grammy nominated and Grammy-award winning artists that are all over reality TV, whether it’s The Voice, American Idol, whether it’s music related shows or not. Cee Lo Green has his own reality show beyond The Voice. People are doing TV because it’s a market that seems to be working for people to get into the line of sight for their fans.
Allison Kugel: Do you think it’s because now the public wants more than just an artist’s work, they want to be privy to your personal life?
Kevin Jonas: Absolutely. For some reason it’s like they have to be more invested. It almost takes more out of you as the artist. You can’t just put out music and that’s enough. They want to be a part of every aspect of your life.
Allison Kugel: Is it that people want to know that in your everyday life when you’re not on stage, on the red carpet, or in the studio you’re kind of just like them?
Kevin Jonas: It’s partially that, and it’s partially the thought of humanizing the artist so that it’s relatable. And you also want to know where they’re coming from in terms of why they’re writing the songs that they write.
Allison Kugel: I watched the first episode of Married To Jonas and I have to ask, what is it about your mom that makes your wife Danielle so nervous?
Kevin Jonas: I think the idea is that my mom has had four boys and she has done a good job, and Danielle is the first other girl among all these boys and my mom. So [Danielle] is taking on a very intense role as well. I imagine I was the same way early on with her father, you know, I wanted to impress him. I wanted to show him that I could take care of his daughter.
Allison Kugel: What have Danielle and your mother bonded over?
Kevin Jonas: They’ve bonded so much in dealing with the travel, dealing with the life. No other person knows how to deal with the schedule and the way we have to do things other than my mom, from a woman’s perspective.
Allison Kugel: Were either of Danielle’s two sisters Jonas Brothers fans prior to you meeting Danielle on vacation in the Bahamas?
Kevin Jonas: It was one of those weird situations where her sister found out about us on the plane ride to the Bahamas. She actually saw a picture of us in one of those pop star magazines from back in the day, from early 2007. She was like, “Oh, look at these [guys].” Then, literally, maybe two hours later when she landed in the Bahamas and got to the hotel, I was standing by a pay phone when I first saw Danielle and her sister, and that’s when her sister asked to take a picture of us, because she had just seen us [in the magazine]. She’d never heard our music before, she didn’t know anything. But it was so early in the Jonas Brothers’ career that it was really a positive for me and Danielle because she was there through everything.
Allison Kugel: And because of that you feel that you can really trust her.
Kevin Jonas: Oh, my Gosh, absolutely! There has never been a minute where I haven’t trusted that girl.
Allison Kugel: I’m a Long Islander so I think it’s pretty cool that you and Danielle got married at Oheka Castle in Huntington on Long Island. How in the world did you happen to find out about Oheka Castle as a wedding venue?
Kevin Jonas: You’re going to laugh, but I called Joey Fatone (former member of ‘N Sync). I said, “Hey where’d you get married?” And he was like, “Well, I got married here.” I remember looking at their wedding and liking where it was, and I was like, “Oh, it’s Long Island. I can make that happen.” So Joey Fatone is actually the reason we got married where we did.
Allison Kugel: What’s your relationship like with your show’s producer, Ryan Seacrest?
Kevin Jonas: I speak to him all the time, weekly, if not daily. He’s always checking in and always saying, “Hey, I saw this latest cut, loving the show, it’s really interesting.” Beyond that, our reputation with Ryan goes back years with the music, the shows, and all those things. And he knew getting into this that we weren’t just the typical family signing up for a show. We had certain things we had to arrange and certain things we had to protect. He knew the dynamic of the band so he wasn’t out there trying to accomplish something that we weren’t also trying to accomplish.
Allison Kugel: What are you and your wife Danielle’s methods for handling aggressive female fans?
Kevin Jonas: Dani has always been so good about it. It’s amazing how well she has always handled it. Sometimes people will ask, “How do you deal with this?” But it’s really cool that the fans have taken her in. They’ve taken her in and they respect her, and sometimes a girl will ask [my wife] if she can take a picture with me. It’s kind of awesome.
Allison Kugel: So, there’s never been a situation where somebody pushed her aside or tried to shove their phone number at you?
Kevin Jonas: No, no, no. But even if there was something like that she would’ve brushed it off; she always has.
Allison Kugel: What kind of role does religion and spirituality play in your marriage?
Kevin Jonas: A huge part. We founded our relationship on a lot of the things we have in common. We come from the same place in the things that we believe and the values, and how we want to raise our kids. It’s very important to us both.
Allison Kugel: You’re both Christian, but are you more religious or more spiritual?
Kevin Jonas: I think it’s more spiritual. The word “religion” really makes me feel like there are certain things that you have to do, unlike in having a relationship. And that’s more of what we have. Our relationship is what’s important.
Allison Kugel: Every marriage is different. No two marriages operate in the same way. That being said, what’s one thing that works for you and Danielle that other people may think is quirky, or that wouldn’t necessarily work for other married couples?
Kevin Jonas: Even just living in New Jersey, with everything that we have to do. Most people feel like it’s crazy when everything we have to do is in the city or in LA. People look at us like we’re making things hard for ourselves. But at the end of the day, this is what we want and this is our decision.
Allison Kugel: How do you think the show Married To Jonas is going to affect your relationship as the season plays out and you see the footage on TV?
Kevin Jonas: It’s a very real mirror. We’re growing because of it. The show’s made us have to talk about everything and really share your feelings, and in doing that you grow. Sometimes in marriage you sweep things under the rug and you choose your battles. You work together to compromise a lot of times, but with this you see everything and talk about everything. You really grow as a couple. Sometimes it’s good and sometimes it’s bad, but for us it’s been a good thing.
Allison Kugel: How will the show incorporate the making of your new Jonas Brothers album, and time with your brothers in the recording studio?
Kevin Jonas: It will cover it here and there, for sure. We are excited about working on an album and making music. The show is really about me and Danielle and our relationship and family, but [music] is a big piece of who I am because I am a Jonas brother.
Allison Kugel: Is your wife interested in music?
Kevin Jonas: Listening to it, yeah. Singing (laughs), no.
Allison Kugel: On a scale of one to ten how would you rate Danielle’s singing abilities?
Kevin Jonas: Never heard her sing. She will not sing in front of me. So I can’t even give you a good answer on that.
Allison Kugel: Does Danielle ever feel like she’s married to all three Jonas brothers?
Kevin Jonas: I don’t think she ever feels like she’s actually married to them, but I think she does feel like she’s married to our schedule. We are a very busy family and we work very hard. Sometimes we get caught up in that and we have to travel so much. Sometimes we go along with it, sometimes we make our own decisions and our own plans, but it does take some getting used to.
“Married To Jonas” premieres Sunday, August 19th at 10PM ET/PT on E!
Follow Kevin Jonas on Twitter @kevinjonas.
Celebrity Interviews, Music, Television
Dani is beautiful and amasing…..you deserve the best….keep your chin up….your gorgeous….everyone women like me love you…