Joe Jonas Says There Were 'Apologies Behind Closed Doors' for Calling Frankie Bonus: 'We're All Equals'

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Frankie never loved the "Bonus Jonas" nickname, so his family apologized for it.

Frankie Jonas recently opened up to Bustle about the struggles of growing up as a child star next to his brothers' huge spotlight and that he's healed. In the story, his brother Joe acknowledged the damage it caused his youngest brother and how Frankie in a better place today.

"He's done a lot of healing behind the scenes, and this is his way of bringing you into his own universe," Joe, 31, told Bustle about Frankie's TikTok. "He has a lot of fun with it. The guy is the social media star we honestly need."

Joe also spoke about the nickname that Frankie, 20, "hated" and why he stopped using it altogether.

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"I refused to call Frankie 'Bonus Jonas' after he opened up to me about how that was hurtful to him," Joe said. "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," he added. "We are all equals."

In the feature story, Frankie revealed the difficulties surrounding moving to L.A. for the Jonas Brothers' careers and how he felt that his "future slowly died." However, Joe said he always found a way to bond with his youngest brother despite their age gap.

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"We were probably the two biggest nerds when it came to anything Marvel or DC," Joe said. "He was just a walking encyclopedia of knowledge when it came to anything in that world."

Joe also said he wants the best for his brother, whatever it takes.

"I just want him to be happy," Joe said. "If that means he wants to be TikTok famous, great; if that means he wants to be an author, great; if that means he wants to be a scientist, great!"

"He could pretty much do anything he puts his heart and mind to, and he's done that already," he added. "I'm just so proud of the man he's become."

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In the interview, Frankie delved into his mental health struggles throughout life, which he had previously opened up about in a TikTok.

"I've always dealt with a lot more than just anxiety. At the time, I didn't know that I got panic attacks. I didn't know that I had obsessive thoughts," he said. "I didn't know that I would go on to be diagnosed with PTSD."

"Everything that I talk about on TikTok… no one knew that that was how I speak, how I express myself, what I think is funny," Frankie added. "I was just making jokes, thinking no one was hearing them. And then people heard them and liked them. I thought, 'I'm going to continue to do this,' because I've never had my thing really. This feels like so much of my thing. It feels so empowering to have a thing."