Jonathan Knight Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics

Jonathan Knight is an American singer of the award-winning boy band, New Kids on the Block whose pop culture influence in the 80s and 90s was only seconded by its hysteric fans. Although considered the ‘shy’ member of the group, in reality, Jonathan suffered from extreme anxiety and felt overwhelmed with the immense pressure that followed their success. He quit the band in 1994 and subsequently, the members officially disbanded. After living away from the spotlight for more than a decade, Jonathan and the other boys announced their reunion in 2008. Since then, the band has enjoyed a revival in their popularity and have performed on stage with the best musical acts like Lady Gaga, 98 Degrees, Debbie Gibson, etc. He has more than 300k followers on Instagram and Twitter.

Born Name

Jonathan Rashleigh Knight

Nick Name

GQ, Jizz, Jon

Sun Sign

Sagittarius

Born Place

Worcester, Massachusetts, United States

Residence

Essex, Massachusetts, United States

Nationality

American, Canadian

Education

Jonathan attended the William Monroe Trotter School in Roxbury, Massachusetts.

Occupation

Singer, Dancer, Real Estate Developer

Family

• Father – William Allan Knight (Episcopal Priest)
• Mother – Marlene Lenore (née Putnam) (Episcopal Priest)
• Siblings – Allison Knight (Older Sister), Sharon Knight (Older Sister), David Knight (Older Brother), Christopher Knight (Older Brother) (Adopted), Jordan Knight (Younger Brother) (Fellow member of New Kids on the Block)
• Others – Floyd Archibald Putman (Maternal Grandfather), Pearl May Johnston (Maternal Grandmother), Jane Van Zandt (Stepmother) (Episcopal Priest), Evelyn Melendez (Sister-in-law) (Wife of Jordan), Dante Knight (Nephew) (Son of Jordan), Eric Knight (Nephew) (Son of Jordan), Matthew (Nephew)

Manager

As a part of New Kids on the Block, his band is managed by Jared Paul.

Genre

Pop, R&B

Instruments

Vocals

Labels

• Interscope Records
• Columbia Records

Build

Average

Height

5 ft 11 in or 180.5 cm

Weight

79 kg or 174 lbs

Boyfriend / Girlfriend / Spouse

Jonathan has dated –

1. Tiffany Darwish (1988-1990) – Jonathan first met singer-songwriter, Tiffany Darwish in May 1988, at the age of 19, when his band became the opening act for her concert tour. The two soon began dating but as the boys became teen sensations, they were advised to keep their relationship a secret so as not to deter his female fan following. Also, their hectic schedules made it difficult for the lovebirds to spend time together and caused their break up 2 years later in 1990. In 2011, Tiffany accidentally confirmed that Jonathan was gay on the talk show Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen. Nevertheless, their friendship has remained intact over the years and the two reunited onstage in 2016 when she performed with his band on the Mixtape tour.
2. Kyle Wilker – Model Kyle Wilker was allegedly in a relationship with Jonathan for 4 years in the past. Knight, who had never spoken about his sexual orientation before, was outed by Wilker as gay in 2009. He sold their story and personal pics to the National Enquirer for an estimated sum of $8,000.
3. Harley Rodriguez (2008-Present) – While Jonathan was preparing for his band’s reunion in 2008, he met fitness trainer Harley Rodriguez at Barry’s Bootcamp. Sparks flew instantly and the two began dating soon after. In 2015, both Jonathan and Harley legally changed their last names to Knight-Rodriguez to celebrate the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize gay marriages nationwide. He proposed to his long-time partner in November 2016 while holidaying in Africa with both their mothers. The couple spoke about having a low-key wedding ceremony and set a tentative wedding date for 2018. However, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed their plans. In August 2022, during an interview, Jonathan revealed that they had tied the knot.

Race / Ethnicity

White

He has Scottish, English, and German (distant) ancestry.

Hair Color

Black

Eye Color

Hazel

Sexual Orientation

Gay

Distinctive Features

• Elongated chin
• Widow’s peak

Brand Endorsements

Jonathan has done endorsement work for the following brands –

• QVC
• Modern Barn
• Le Labo Fragrances
• Taco Bell Arena
• AMA (Argentinian Supper Club)
• Revive Massage Therapy & Spa
• Cottonelle’s ‘Go Commando’ campaign (with New Kids on the Block)

Best Known For

Being a member of the multi-platinum selling pop group New Kids on the Block

First Album

• With New Kids on the Block –

His band released their debut album, aptly titled New Kids on the Block in 1986 which featured tracks like Stop It Girl and Be My Girl.

• With NKOTBSB (New Kids on the Block + Backstreet Boys) –

Their debut album, NKOTBSB was released in 2011 and reached #7 on the US Billboard 200 charts.

First Film

Jonathan made his theatrical film debut in 2008, playing himself in the German-comedy 1½ Knights: In Search of the Ravishing Princess Herzelinde. The film was initially released in Switzerland and Germany.

First TV Show

Jonathan made his debut TV show appearance as ‘Himself’ on the crime-drama documentary series Unsolved Mysteries in 1989.

Personal Trainer

Jonathan started his weight-loss journey in 2015 after realizing that he had reached 209 lbs on the weighing scale. He decided to turn vegetarian after learning about unhealthy farming practices and their effects on our bodies. The plant-based diet also helped him get rid of digestive problems like bloating which troubled him for many years. Just by changing his diet, Jonathan was able to lose more than 30 lbs in less than a year.

In addition, as all his other band members are meat-eaters, he likes to prepare beforehand while going on tour so as to have many vegetarian options available for his meals.

Jonathan Knight Favorite Things

• Meal – Vegetarian Lasagna
• Hobbies – Carpentry, Gardening
• Restaurant In Los Angeles – Crossroads Kitchen (vegan restaurant)
• Fragrance – Santal 33 (by Le Labo Fragrances)

Source – TheLoop.ca, Community.SeattleTimes.nwsource.com, Entertainment Tonight, Instagram

Jonathan Knight Facts

1. His parents are from Canada; his father is from Meaford and his mother is from Dunnville, both in Ontario. They got divorced when Jonathan was a teenager.
2. Both his parents are episcopal ministers and so, Jonathan and his brother Jordan grew up singing in the church choir.
3. As a teenager, Jonathan was involved in a serious car accident and still suffers from the resulting back pains.
4. One of his earliest jobs was working at Burger King and a pizza shop before joining the famous boy band.
5. Jonathan is the oldest member while Joey McIntyre is the youngest member of NKOTB.
6. His band was initially called ‘Nynuk’. But, it was vetoed by the record label, Columbia Records, who preferred the catchy phrase New Kids on the Block.
7. Jonathan left the band in 1994 after suffering an emotional breakdown. The band officially disbanded soon after.
8. After leaving the band, Jonathan settled for a low-profile life and worked as a real estate investor in Essex, Massachusetts.
9. Several attempts were made to reunite the band after their official split in 1994. Jonathan refused an offer by MTV to perform together at the VMA’s in 1999. When the band members were again contacted in 2003 for VH1’s Bands Reunited, the Knight brothers conceded but the others declined. NKOTB secretly began working on their reunion in 2007.
10. The band’s loyal fans like to refer to themselves as ‘Blockheads’.
11. Nearly 15 years after splitting up in 1994, the band members reunited for a live performance on the Today show on May 16, 2008, and confirmed speculations about their reunion.
12. Jonathan has spoken about his struggles with panic attacks in the past. He and his brother Jordan appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2001 and discussed their history with anxiety. In 2013, Jonathan famously walked off the stage mid-performance after being overcome with anxiety.
13. On October 9, 2014, NKOTB were felicitated with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in California.
14. Visit his band’s official website @ nkotb.com.
15. Follow Jonathan Knight on Twitter and Instagram.

Featured Image by Elstad Ranch / Wikimedia / CC BY 2.0