14 DAY TRIAL // Early last week, there was some online frenzy about ‘80s pop star Tiffany outing one of her former boyfriends, Jonathan Knight of New Kids on the Block, on live TV. In a post on his official blog, Jonathan is speaking out.
Just because he hasn’t been featured on the covers of the most popular celebrity magazines in a coming out issue doesn’t mean that he ever hid his orientation, he says.
Similarly, just because he’s now back with the New Kids on the Block doesn’t mean that he has to do that now: his personal life is his own, but he’s never made a secret of being gay, he continues.
This comes as a response to speculation that Tiffany outed him by accident, by saying that he wasn’t into men when she dated him, it only happened afterwards.
“I have never been outed by anyone but myself! I did so almost twenty years ago. I never know 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!” Jonathan says on his blog (via here).
“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!” he continues.
Being on the cover of a magazine with a caption like the one mentioned above means absolutely nothing, he adds; what matters is who he really is. And those close to him know that without him needing to appear on a magazine cover.
“I love living my life being open and honest, but at this time I choose not to discuss my private life any further! 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!” Knight adds.