Was Joe Jonas' Ego The Reason He Stopped Speaking To His Brothers After Their Band Broke Up?

Summary

• Joe Jonas considered quitting the Jonas Brothers multiple times and grew distant from his brothers after their split in 2013.
• Joe Jonas struggled with jealousy towards his brother Nick's solo success.
• They were able to reconcile and reform the Jonas Brothers in 2019.

Joe Jonas spent years with a relatively spotless reputation. The musician was adored as part of the Jonas Brothers, he scored a hit single with his other band, DNCE, and he was married to another beloved celebrity, Sophie Turner. Unfortunately, public opinion on Joe soured in 2023.

The "Cake By The Ocean" singer was involved in a high-profile divorce with Turner, and fans accused him of trying to launch a smear campaign against his ex-wife to retain custody of their two daughters. Joe Jonas seems like an entirely different person after all the divorce drama, and fans have reconsidered the past controversies that have involved him. Some have even theorized that Jonas played a role in the dissolution of the Jonas Brothers.

Joe Jonas Stopped Talking To His Brothers Because He Felt Betrayed By Their Decision To Break Up The Band

The Jonas Brothers had a staggeringly busy schedule during the late 2000s. They had movie and TV roles in Jonas and Camp Rock, as well as a global touring schedule and a contract that led to them releasing a new album for four straight years between 2006 and 2009. Each of these albums performed well on the Billboard charts, in addition to spawning hit singles.

Despite the success, Joe Jonas told Vulture that he considered quitting the band at various points. "There were days when I wanted to give up sometimes," he admitted. "When it all felt too overwhelming and exhausting. But my brothers helped me get through a lot." They did for a little while, at least.

The Jonas Brothers got into a shouting match after a concert in 2013, and despite Joe's prior doubts, Nick was the one who suggested that the band break up. Joe recounted the incident during his Vulture profile and admits that things nearly got physical. He remembers shouting at Nick, and considering punching him at one point:

"The fight got loud. I was screaming. When Nick presented the idea of closing a chapter and moving on, I freaked out. I didn't know whether to pick up and leave or just punch something because I was furious. I'd spent so long working with my brothers on this band, and in my mind, it felt like we were just giving up."

While it was not something he wanted to hear at the time, Joe later conceded that a break-up was the healthiest thing the Jonas Brothers could have done. "Once I started peeling back the layers, I understood," he added. "There were a lot of dysfunctional things going on." The band announced their split in October 2013, and each member embarked on solo careers.

While the split was presented as amicable in the public eye, things were different behind closed doors. Joe was furious with his brothers, and grew estranged from them in the years that followed. "I felt betrayed, I felt lied to, I felt angry, numb," he told the hosts of the Chicks In The Office podcast. "I thought that me, Kevin and Nick were going to do this forever, and that it was us against the world."

Joe Jonas Was Jealous of Nick's Success And Cried When Nick Beat Him Out For A Role On The Voice

Joe Jonas' ego was a big part of why he had a difficult time reconnecting with his brothers. The singer struggled to record a solo album, and when he did finally put one out, "Fastlife" (2011), it received mixed reviews and failed to spawn a hit single. Nick Jonas, on the other hand, became a solo pop star.

Nick's self-titled 2014 album drew critical praise and landed a Top 10 single with "Jealous", which is a fitting title given the emotions it sparked in Joe. During an appearance on the Dax Sheperd podcast Armchair Expert, Joe admitted that he was jealous of his brother's success as a solo artist, and that his jealousy was compounded when Nick was hired to be a judge on the reality competition The Voice in 2018:

"It was at the most picturesque setting — it was at the Fleetwood Mac show at [Madison Square Garden] — and as they’re playing 'Landslide'. I found out that he was going to be a judge on The Voice, and I was so jealous I cried my eyes out. I’m super happy for him, but I’m also bummed because I want that f**king gig!”

Joe had been a judge on the Australian version of The Voice, and felt that he should have landed the gig based on his experience. "I just enjoyed the job, so I was like, what the f**k? But he crushed it and, you know, it was great," he added.

Nick also talked about navigating jealousy with Joe when the two of them auditioned for the Broadway musical Wicked. "We never talked about this publicly, but we both auditioned for the same role, Joe and I," he revealed on Armchair Expert. "It was for Wicked, actually. Naturally, we're brothers, we're competitive in sports and other things."

In the case of Wicked, however, neither of them got the role.

Joe Jonas Was Able To Reconcile With The Jonas Brothers And Reform The Band In 2019

Joe eventually found success with the band DNCE, whose 2015 single "Cake By The Ocean" peaked at number nine on the Hot 100 Chart, but he remained estranged from his brothers for most of the 2010s. He admitted to not seeing Nick or Kevin once he got married, and blamed it on lack of time rather than any lingering feelings of resentment.

Nick Jonas was concerned that the opposite was true. He felt he had burned bridges with Joe based on the aforementioned shouting match, and admitted to Cosmopolitan that he thought he would never hear from Joe again:

"I feared that, you know, they would never speak to me again, for real. And it took a couple of months of tricky conversations and navigating all that for us to be able to reconnect just as family again."

The brothers were able to put their differences aside and come together to reform the Jonas Brothers in 2019. That being said, Joe was the most reluctant to join the trio. During the band's appearance on the aforementioned podcast Chicks In The Office, Nick revealed that Joe was the most reluctant to put out new music. He initially agreed to return on the condition the band only perform old songs.

"I had to work Joe a little bit more," Nick explained. "Kind of tease it and sort of yeah, drop little hints. At first, he was like, 'No new music. I’ll do it but just play the old stuff.' And then he came around as well." The decision to release new music paid off, as the band scored their first ever number one single with "Sucker."

The band continues to tour, and Joe, despite having problems with his brothers at various points, and regretting a few of the life sacrifices he made as a teenager, is happy to be back together. "We got a do-over, and I think this time around we're gonna do it right," he told CBS News.