Before the Jonas Brothers an epic comeback in pop music history, they shocked the world with their sudden breakup in 2013.
Before the Jonas Brothers made one of the most successful comeback stories in pop music history, they shocked the world with their sudden breakup in 2013.
While fans were left heartbroken, the decision to split wasn’t made lightly, and according to the brothers, it was years in the making.
Now, Kevin Jonas is opening up about hitting rock bottom before the Jonas Brothers’ epic comeback, and how losing nearly everything taught him lessons he never wanted to learn.
Kevin Jonas Says He Lost Nearly Everything During Jonas Brothers Hiatus
The 37-year-old guitarist and oldest of the Jonas Brothers recently appeared on “The School of Greatness” podcast with Lewis Howes, where he revealed that a string of failed business ventures wiped out most of his wealth during the band’s six-year hiatus.
“I lost most of it, like, down to the one 10% left,” Kevin admitted, recalling the financial hit he took in 2016.
During the band’s break, Kevin stayed busy launching several entrepreneurial efforts, including a residential development company called JonasWerner, a food discovery app called Yood, and a partnership with video-sharing platform We Heart It. But not all ventures were successful, and one in particular left him financially drained.
“I invested in a bunch of property and doing other things, and I was building at the time and, sadly, it just wasn’t the right partnership if you know what I’m saying,” he said. “I can’t really get too much into it.
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Kevin Calls The Band’s Reunion A ‘Second Shot At Life’
The experience was humbling, but ultimately transformative.
“The sad part of it is I’ve learned a lot of lesson in that,” Kevin shared. “And thankfully for life in general, we had a second shot and bite at the apple with the band coming back together, and actually it was kind of fortuitous in a way, I learned this lesson.”
“[I] never wanted to learn it, but I did,” he continued. “But then, at the same time, [I] re-evaluated how to approach life from that perspective and looking to the future, and at the same time [I] was able to really feel honored that we could have a second shot at it.”
Unlike his brothers Nick and Joe, Kevin is also a full-time girl dad, raising daughters Alena, 11, and Valentina, 8, with his wife, Danielle Deleasa, whom he met in 2007 while vacationing in the Bahamas.
Kevin Jonas Compares Jonas Brothers To A Startup
While Kevin once stood at the edge of financial ruin, today he’s back in the spotlight with his brothers, and seeing their journey through a new lens.
“I look at a band like ourselves as a startup,” he explained. “You start in your garage, you’re making music, you build your product, you go out, you get an investor. My dad was our lead investor. He supports you. You start to go on the road, and all of a sudden, you get a second investment, and that’s the label, and then you have distribution.”
With 18.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify and over 20 million records sold worldwide, the Jonas Brothers are far from finished.
“So, it’s nice to be able to have teammates with these guys and our management team that has been with us for so long,” Kevin said. “And I think we’re a good unit now, and sometimes it takes time to make decisions, and I think that’s okay.
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Why The Band Broke Up
The trio officially called it quits in October 2013.
Just days before they were set to launch a major fall tour, the band abruptly canceled all dates, sparking speculation. A spokesperson later confirmed the worst, citing a “deep rift within the band” and “creative differences.”
The truth was even more personal. Nick, the youngest of the three, was the one who pulled the trigger.
“I was feeling kind of trapped,” Nick admitted during a “Good Morning America” interview after the split. “I needed to share my heart with my brothers.”
The group had been together for nearly a decade, and while they found massive success as a Disney-backed pop band, the creative and personal tensions were bubbling under the surface. Each brother was beginning to outgrow the group, and their visions for the future no longer aligned.
After Going Their Separate Ways, The Jonas Brothers Reunited With A No. 1 Hit
Following the breakup, each brother went their own way.
Nick launched a successful solo career with hits like “Jealous” and acting roles in “Kingdom” and “Jumanji.”
Joe formed the band DNCE and saw chart success with “Cake by the Ocean”.
Kevin leaned into entrepreneurship and fatherhood, stepping away from the spotlight to raise his growing family.
After nearly six years apart, the Jonas Brothers stunned fans by reuniting in 2019 with the surprise release of “Sucker”. The track debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, a first for the band, and marked the start of their “Happiness Begins” era.
