How Frankie Jonas Really Feels About His “Bonus Jonas” Nickname

In an interview with Bustle, Frankie Jonas regarding his true thoughts when it came to his widely-known nickname. Scroll on for more details from the TikTok standout.

By Kisha Forde Apr 23, 2021 2:23 PMTags
Watch: How Frankie Jonas Became the Internet's Favorite Jonas Brother

Meet Frankie Jonas—with the bonus being a thriving career of his own making.

In a recent interview with Bustle, the 20-year-old actor got candid about growing up in the public eye, the impact of social media and how much he's grown into the person he is now.

One detriment during his star-studded adolescence was actually the nickname he received as the youngest brother of the famous musical group, The Jonas Brothers: made up of older siblings Joe JonasKevin Jonas and Nick Jonas.

Fans of the popular trio gave him the moniker affectionately, but for Frankie, it was a name that held negative weight.

"I always hated that nickname," he revealed. "A lot of my problem with being in the public eye was that I was seen as this commodified vision of myself."

His older brother, Joe, also revealed he apologized to his brother for the nickname once he learned of how it affected him.

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Frankie Jonas' Top Twitpics

"I refused to call Frankie ‘Bonus Jonas' after he opened up to me about how that was hurtful to him," Joe shared. "It completely makes sense, and we've had lengthy conversations and apologies behind closed doors that showcased my understanding and respect for his wishes. I think to feel like you are second, third, or fourth best from something is unfair; we are all equals."

The slow but steady spotlight surrounding the Columbia University student now is a sharp contrast from just two years ago when he deleted all of his social media accounts in an effort to maintain a sense of privacy.

Because, as Frankie revealed in the interview, his very first experience with social media was quite upsetting. At just 12 years old, he downloaded Twitter and searched his name to heartbreaking results. "A lot of it was like, ‘If you ever feel forgotten, remember this guy.' Or, ‘Frankie Jonas is a talentless sack of s—t," he shared.

But now, in an ironic twist, Frankie's popularity on social media has soared, thanks to his authentic and candid nature—and discussions of his intimate struggles.

"This experience on TikTok is so different because I'm being so authentically myself and not caring and just doing what I can," Frankie stated.

His handle @iamfrankiejonas impressively has close to 2 million followers. He also dishes out sound advice on two other accounts:@frankiejonastherapist and @frankiejonassongwriter.

Now with Frankie Jonas' new layer of stardom, he's the famous brother everyone is buzzing about.