Why the Jonas Brothers Took Off Their Purity Rings
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 just going 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.” {eoa}
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