"'Frankie could theoretically act,'" he recalled being part of the conversation in question. "'He could be in their shows. He can continue that legacy of that mascot-like character.'"
Even though he recently showed a sense of humor about it on TikTok, Frankie also talked about how he "always hated" the nickname "Bonus Jonas" and revealed that he joined Twitter at the age of 12 just to see the hurtful jokes and memes that people were making about him.
"It became a form of self-harm to look at these things," Jonas said. "Then it became essentially an OCD, like a tic. I couldn't stop. I checked it every day, and I had to to feel OK, in a way."
"I was this joke, and my entire identity to people was 'adjacent,' which really affected myself and the way that I thought about the world and the way I felt about myself."
Eventually, Frankie became so "disillusioned with it all" that he "wanted to disappear." "But I wanted to do everything I could to get back to that normal life that I thought I watched die," he explained.
In the interview, Frankie also talks about dealing with anxiety, obsessive thoughts, and PTSD over the years — and he explains that even though he's found an audience on TikTok, he still struggles from old habits related to growing up in the public eye.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, The National Alliance on Mental Illness is 1-888-950-6264 (NAMI) and provides information and referral services. You can also contact GoodTherapy.org, an association of mental health professionals from more than 25 countries who support efforts to reduce harm in therapy.
