Was Jonathan Knight forced to come out as gay? Confirms His Marriage to Partner Harley Rodriguez!

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Over the weekend, Jonathan Knight of New Kids on the Block came out as homosexual on the band’s website.

After ’80s pop sensation Tiffany outed him on Bravo’s Watch What Happens: Live, rumors began to circulate about their relationship. In addition, Knight told Towleroad that he has always been open about his sexual orientation:

None of my secrets have been revealed to anyone but myself! It’s been about twenty years since I last did it. I had no idea that just because NKOTB and I were back together, I would have to do it all again in public. The fact that I am gay has never been a secret in my life, and I have always been extremely out and proud. In order to make it as a public person in the LGBT community, it seems you need to have the words “I am gay” printed underneath your photo on a magazine cover. If this is what was expected, I am sorry I have not done so! I think it’s more effective to lead by example than to follow the advice of a magazine headline. If you have ever doubted my sexual orientation, you clearly don’t know me.

Jonathan Knight stayed quiet about his sexuality for a while.

 During the height of his New Kids on the Block stardom, the 53-year-old was secretive about his personal life. Jonathan was rumored to be dating 1980s teen pop star Tiffany while she was on tour with the band in the 1990s, although the two denied dating at the time.

A man claiming to be Jonathan’s ex-boyfriend told the National Enquirer in 2009 that Jonathan is gay. Tiffany addressed Jonathan’s sexuality on an episode of the Bravo late-night talk show Watch What Happens Live, two years after their initial conversation.

Andy Cohen inquired if she had dated any of the NKOTB members, and she said she had a “very brief” relationship with Jonathan.

jonathan knight gay

“I try to be as transparent as possible in all aspects of my life, but I just don’t feel like talking about my personal life right now.” I don’t think I should have to explain my sexual orientation to my family and friends any more than my straight band mates do.

The Bravo host once asked Tiffany about her tour mates, the New Kids, if the two ever got romantically involved. After a moment of silence, she said, “I’m the shy one. After that, [he] realized he was gay. There’s no way that I could have done it. That didn’t sit right with me. Perhaps I did, I thought. When I go back to when we were dating, I had a great time with him. We regularly treated each other to facials. He was quite approachable.

Later, she expressed regret for being so open, but Knight tweeted his support for her and that he harbored no ill will. To paraphrase, “I wish those who speak ill about Tiffany and Deborah would cease!”

New Kids on the Block dominated the adolescent boy band genre before the likes of One Direction, the Backstreet Boys, and N’SYNC ever gained widespread popularity.

The band’s original members included Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood, and the Knight brothers, Jordan and Jonathan, all of whom were raised in Massachusetts in the late ’80s. Many members of NKOTB have moved on to new projects, but the band has continued to perform, create songs, and get together.