'I have lived my life very openly and have never hidden the fact that I am gay,' '80s boy-band member says.
By Gil Kaufman
Jonathan Knight
Photo: Jason Kempin/ Getty Images
You can't out New Kids on the Block's Jonathan Knight because he already came out, like, a long time ago. The 1980s-boy-band member was seemingly pushed out of the closet by fellow '80s teen pop star Tiffany recently when she told Bravo's "Watch What Happens Live" that she was in a relationship with a member of NKOTB around 20 years ago.
"The quiet one, the shy one," Tiffany said in reference to Knight. "[He] became gay later. I didn't do it. I had issues with that. I was thinking maybe I did. Now looking back when we were dating, he was so much fun. We used to do facials together. He was so easy to talk to."
After Tiffany was slammed on some online forums for the comments, Knight released a statement over the weekend confirming the news, which he said was not really news. According to the website Towelroad.com, in the statement posted on the fan forum on the NKOTB website, Knight wrote, "I have never been outed by anyone but myself! I did so almost 20 years ago. I never knew that I would have to do it all over again publicly just because I reunited with NKOTB! I have lived my life very openly and have never hidden the fact that I am gay! Apparently the prerequisite to being a gay public figure is to appear on the cover of a magazine with the caption 'I am gay.' I apologize for not doing so if this is what was expected! My belief is that you live your life by example, and not by a caption on a magazine! If there ever has been any confusion about my sexuality, then you are someone that doesn't even know me!"
Knight will take part in the upcoming tour by the superstar boy-band pairing of NKOTB and the Backstreet Boys. He added in his comments that like his bandmates, he doesn't feel that he has to discuss his private life in public. "I love living my life being open and honest, but at this time I choose not to discuss my private life any further!" he wrote. "My fellow band members don't discuss their private lives with their loved ones and I don't feel that just because I am gay, I should have to discuss mine!"
Showing that there are clearly no hard feelings, Knight also came to Tiffany's defense when the singer was attacked by angry fans, tweeting, "I'd also appreciate it if the people talking trash about Tiffany and Deborah [Gibson] knock it off and stop being nasty!" He also tweeted a personal message to his ex, writing, "@tiffanytunes Tiff, please don't lose any sleep over it! I know you weren't being mean and I found it to be funny!"
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