NICK JONAS Reveals the TRAUMATIC Birth of his Daughter

1. 0:00 – 0:43

   Intro

   1. JSJay Shetty0:00

      [camera clicking] [gentle music] Nick, I, I feel like I've been watching your interviews with the brothers, I've seen so much of what you've done, but this is, like, the first time you've sat down separate of the brothers since you guys got back together, and the band got back together.

2. 0:43 – 2:23

   Who Is Nick Jonas Today?

   1. JSJay Shetty0:43

      Who's, who's Nick Jonas today separate of the Jonas Brothers?

   2. NJNick Jonas0:48

      It's a great question. Uh, it changes, uh, every day, I feel like. You know, I-- For those that don't know, um-

   3. JSJay Shetty0:54

      [laughs]

   4. NJNick Jonas0:54

      ... that are watching or listening to this, you know, in the last couple years, um, my life's changed quite a bit. My, my wife and I s- you know, my wife Priyanka, we have a beautiful, uh, daughter named Maltie Marie Chopra Jonas. Parenthood has, has really changed m- my life in, in so many ways, but also my perspective and the way I view myself and, um, you know, as it relates to my work as well. Obviously, there's a, a huge influence, um, there as well. And, and so I think I had a better sense of who I was prior to that.

   5. JSJay Shetty1:23

      [laughs]

   6. NJNick Jonas1:23

      And then everything shifted, um, once she arrived. What's great is that I have this, this wonderful outlet in my songwriting and my, you know, music career where I can speak about some of these, these things that are happening in my life. And luckily, you know, our audience, both for the brothers and solo, have really grown with us, and they're, they're kind of going through some of the same life experiences. So it really is like speaking to peers and people that, that can understand kind of the language, right, and, and understand just what you're going through. So I, I've felt, you know, some freedom to, to express myself even more in my work these days, uh, which I think is reflected in, in my, my latest album, which, uh, I know we, we sent over before for you to listen to a track or two just to get some context. But, you know, I, I, I'm really looking forward to, to people hearing, um, this work and, and kind of listening to these lyrics and, and getting a, a window into my life.

   7. JSJay Shetty2:16

      Yeah, I'm excited to dive into Sunday Best. I've booked out some of my favorite lyrics from some of the songs, so we'll, we'll get to that. But

3. 2:23 – 4:22

   Stepping Onto Broadway at Eight Years Old

   1. JSJay Shetty2:23

      I wanted to ask you, like, go back a little bit. What you're saying is almost like you started performing at an age when kids don't even know who they are.

   2. NJNick Jonas2:30

      Yeah.

   3. JSJay Shetty2:30

      And your life was so public. What was that like now looking back? Like, what was that experience like?

   4. NJNick Jonas2:38

      Yeah, I started performing when I was... professionally when I was eight.

   5. JSJay Shetty2:41

      Wow.

   6. NJNick Jonas2:41

      I was doing Broadway shows as a kid. You know, our, our parents, very musical people. Our dad was a, a minister in New Jersey at the time. And we were, you know, close enough to New York City, where this dream of mine to go and perform on Broadway stage was actually somewhat of a, a possibility. Uh, and I, I happened to be in a hair salon with my mom, uh, when I was, like, six or seven years old, just singing as I always did, you know, some show tune, and the woman next to her leaned over and said, "Hey, my, my son is actually on Broadway right now in Les Mis. Your son could do it. You should go see this manager." So a couple weeks later, they drove me and the brothers to go see this manager named Shirley Grant. She was this lovely older woman with all these photos of, of kid actors on her wall, um, that she had made famous, and, um, she was kind of a staple in New Jersey for, for kids that wanted to be in the business. And I went in and I, I auditioned for her, sang, you know, all the songs I knew, which was mostly just pop music. And, and then she, uh, she said, "Well, there's, there's some signs here that, that we could have, you know, a, a path ahead of us, uh, but you need to go learn show tunes." So I spent six months devastated that it didn't just happen. Uh, you know, my very shortsighted seven-year-old mind thinking my career was over.

   7. JSJay Shetty3:52

      [laughs]

   8. NJNick Jonas3:53

      And, uh, I, you know, started learning show tunes with my dad and, um, came back and auditioned for her again. And she started sending me on auditions, and eventually I was on the Broadway stage. And, and I've really not looked back since. Um, went from doing that for three or four years to recording music and then, you know, just the stars kind of aligning. And obviously, me and the brothers had a, you know, a, a song that we wrote when we were kids, um, that someone heard that label and wanted to sign all three of us, and it just kind of went from there.

   9. JSJay Shetty4:21

      Growing up on Disney

4. 4:22 – 5:59

   What was It Really Like Growing Up in the Disney Spotlight?

   1. JSJay Shetty4:22

      in front of millions, like, how did that shape your sense of self now when you reflect back on it?

   2. NJNick Jonas4:28

      Being, you know, the first family of the church, right? My dad was the pastor. We were expected to behave a certain way, expected to be sat in the front pew of the church every Sunday morning, uh, with our tie and, you know, and, um, our, our suit on, and there was a lot of eyeballs on us, um, which I think was actually great training ground for what we would then experience on Disney so many years later. We didn't expect that to happen. We, we were initially signed to a label that didn't really know what to do with us. Um, and we got dropped after our first album came out, and we were, you know, hundreds of thousands of dollars in, in debt, credit card debt, money that we did not have, 'cause there's, there's no, uh, money in, in ministry really. We had to sort of figure something out, and thankfully we got a call from Hollywood Records, which is, you know, under the Disney umbrella, and they said, "We know what to do with, with the guys." And, and a couple weeks later, they had us on the Disney Channel, and things just started going. But the real head-scratcher was, okay, what does it look like when it goes from just a couple hundred people in a church with all their eyeballs on you to millions upon millions of people, um, where, you know, you're expected to sort of behave a certain way? Uh, I think our parents did a great job. Uh, we all turned out somewhat okay, I think.

   3. JSJay Shetty5:43

      [laughs]

   4. NJNick Jonas5:43

      But you, you know, you see the stories. We've all seen the stories of, of people that have really struggled coming out of that, um, or while they're in it, and, um, I think it's a credit to their, their parenting.

   5. JSJay Shetty5:53

      Mm. Yeah, I've met your parents. They're wonderful people.

   6. NJNick Jonas5:55

      The best.

   7. JSJay Shetty5:55

      Yeah, yeah. They're great energy, and you can see where you three get it from. But

5. 5:59 – 9:13

   Facing Financial Uncertainty as a Kid

   1. JSJay Shetty5:59

      yeah, it's, it's even that early failure, I mean, to be failing at that age-

   2. NJNick Jonas6:04

      Yeah

   3. JSJay Shetty6:04

      ... to be dropped from a record label, tons of debt. Like, when I hear that, I goOkay, when you look at it from today's perspective, you're like, "Oh, yeah, of course, they, they made it anyway. It didn't matter." But it's like at that time, I can imagine that being really heavy on your family-

   4. NJNick Jonas6:18

      Yeah

   5. JSJay Shetty6:18

      ... on... Was it quick enough a pivot where Hollywood Records came, or was it, did you have to sit in that pain for a little bit?

   6. NJNick Jonas6:25

      You know, there was a, a couple things happening in our life at that time that made, you know, the, the career aspect, aspect of it almost feel, uh, less, uh, uh, of a burden than some of the personal things that were going on. You know, our dad was at that church for 10 years. It was a real, um, you know, safety net for us and, and a place where we, we felt a part of a community. And some of the, the families that were there prior to our arrival, um, did not like my dad and, and, uh, made it their mission to get him pushed out of the church.

   7. JSJay Shetty6:58

      Mm-hmm.

   8. NJNick Jonas6:59

      So effectively, you know, he, he lost his job while also funding this, this band, this dream of ours. Um, we had to move out of our home because we were living in the, the church parsonage, which was owned by the church. And so we, we moved into a, basically a, a little house in a place called Little Falls, New Jersey. The owners of the home were kind enough to let us rent it from them for, for basically nothing while we were in this transitional period. And around the same time, while we're on tour doing, uh, a school tour, basically we would show up at 8:00 AM, load in our own gear, and play a 30-minute, uh, assembly basically, and then there was an anti-drug school, uh, an anti-drug message at the end of it that our, our uncle Josh, who was our tour manager, would give. You know, around this time, I'm, I'm starting to lose weight. I'm, you know, I'm thirsty all the time. I'm using the bathroom all the time, and, um, kind of just thought it was a, a growth spurt or, or that I was just, you know, going through puberty. Um, obviously it wasn't that. Uh, it was a diabetes diagnosis. So it all kind of collided at the same time, and, you know, looked up and, and life just looked very different.

   9. JSJay Shetty8:03

      Mm.

   10. NJNick Jonas8:03

       And so it, it took a lot of faith and, uh, even questioning faith at that time, going from the safety net of the church to all of a sudden being sort of betrayed by them and having to redefine relationship with God while going through some of your toughest moments. It's weird, weird time.

   11. JSJay Shetty8:21

       Yeah.

   12. NJNick Jonas8:21

       But we, we, we came out of it okay. Um, and that phone call from, from Disney kind of changed our, our life.

   13. JSJay Shetty8:27

       Yeah. I mean, it- it's interesting that you put it into perspective that, like, losing a record deal compared to your dad losing his job, you know-

   14. NJNick Jonas8:36

       Yeah

   15. JSJay Shetty8:36

       ... the faith challenge that's happening, you going through diabetes, it's like, it's interesting when you look at your life like that and everything's put into perspective. I just had a friend who's an author. She just had a book come out, and she was talking to me about how before the book came out, all she was thinking about was book sales and data and if she'd get on The New York Times and all this kind of stuff that you think about.

   16. NJNick Jonas8:56

       Yeah.

   17. JSJay Shetty8:56

       And then she had a family go through a health scare, and her partner went through a health scare, and it was really serious, and she was just saying that she was in one sense grateful that that happened before because it just completely made her zoom out and the perspective completely changed, and she wasn't worried about all those things that we would naturally be worried

6. 9:13 – 12:13

   Turning Deep Struggle Into Music

   1. JSJay Shetty9:13

      about. What did you do as a family, and what did you do individually at that time to kind of keep that faith, as you said? Like, what were those challenging questions you were asking? What were the things coming at you that you were then able to find your center or grounding? What, what helped you do that at that time?

   2. NJNick Jonas9:30

      Writing music. Um, our parents got us a, a, a V-Drum kit, which is an electronic drum kit, um, where you could hook up your iPod and play along to the track. So it was kind of the way that I learned how to play drums in, in that basement that that drum set was kept in. We also had a, you know, a little guitar rig and a keyboard. And, you know, I was, I was growing up going through life stuff, right? First love, first date, all these kind of things that are really good found- or, or are a very good foundation to, to write music. You know, we had, we had a good sense of what we wanted the next record to sound like. We didn't know if we'd be able to make one because [laughs] things were not going so well. But we just kept writing. Went down there every day and, and tried to write the best song we could. And we came out with a demo from that chapter of our, our sort of toughest window as a family, nine to 10 months. Um, came out with a demo CD with, with 11 songs that would then become the self-titled album that we released that, that connected and, and went on to sell, you know, millions of, of units and really redefined our, our career and our life. Uh, but it was born out of this incredible struggle that we were going through and, and, um, kind of desperation almost, uh, which I don't think is a great, uh, way to, to, to write from, great place to write from, but sometimes it, it is the fire you need to, to sort of get over that hurdle. And when I listen back to those songs now, I, I still really resonate with, uh, some of the messages in there and, and even, you know, the age-appropriate writing. I think-

   3. JSJay Shetty11:01

      Mm

   4. NJNick Jonas11:01

      ... our dad was really great at encouraging us to, to listen to the, the greats, you know, The Eagles, The Beatles, Bee Gees, uh, Stevie Wonder, but also to, to like what we liked. And at that time, you know, it's 2004, 2005, the sort of emo/pop punk scene was, was massive, and we really responded to I think some of the angst in the music because we were teens who were going through this stuff and, uh, also navigating dating and, and all those other things. And so we started kind of infusing that into our sound, and it, it really became, uh, a crucial part of the, the early records for us. And obviously as, as we've evolved, so has the sound. But, um, I think back on, on those times, uh, even amidst the struggle with a, a lot of, um, you know, appreciation.

   5. JSJay Shetty11:48

      Yeah. Just it, it always... I, I love learning that because it just constantly points to how when you're going through tough times, creating and building and doing something-

   6. NJNick Jonas11:58

      Yeah

   7. JSJay Shetty11:58

      ... and taking action is always half the solution-

   8. NJNick Jonas12:03

      Yeah

   9. JSJay Shetty12:03

      ... in terms of, like, getting m- momentum, moving forward, trying to create, build, grow, do something, just allows humans to break through these really difficult times that go

7. 12:13 – 14:02

   Finding Your Identity Beyond Labels

   1. JSJay Shetty12:13

      on in life. Looking back, was there a challenge growing up as a Jonas brother and not just as Nick?

   2. NJNick Jonas12:19

      Finding your own identity amidst, uh, a group is always tough. That's, that's not unique to us, that's any siblings, right? Go through something, uh, like that where, where they've gotta find their own identity, and, and even, you know, their, their place in the family. For each of us, y- being sort of labeled a thing, 'cause it's the easiest way for people to sort of digest a new band is to say, "Well, he's the this one, he's the this one, he..." And it got tiring, you know, because I'm, I'm sort of inherently like a, a pretty reserved person. Um, I think the people that know me best would say that I'm actually, uh, quite outgoing once you get to know me. But, but I think that I sort of created a, a, a label for myself because I was being told that I was the shy one or-

   3. JSJay Shetty13:04

      Interesting

   4. NJNick Jonas13:04

      ... um, you know, whatever it was at that time, or the, the sort of creative moody one. And these, these labels, like, they do stick with you as, as you get older and, and... So I think when I got into my sort of late teens and, and early 20s, especially as I started to explore sort of my identity as a solo artist, uh, and as, as an, an adult, um, I tried to shed that. And when I look back on it now, uh, as a, as a person in my 30s, I can kinda like laugh at the stages of-

   5. JSJay Shetty13:33

      [laughs]

   6. NJNick Jonas13:33

      ... of life and how those early labels and trying to find my identity amidst this, this group, um, you know, really shaped who I became.

   7. JSJay Shetty13:42

      Yeah. Yeah, and you see that across, like, musicians, actors, athletes as well, where, like, they get a label, and now you're almost playing the caricature of that label-

   8. NJNick Jonas13:52

      Yeah

   9. JSJay Shetty13:52

      ... and, and having to because, A, there's some success attached to it, but like you said, you're just a young person still figuring out who you are. It's easy to be the thing that everyone thinks you are.

8. 14:02 – 16:41

   The Ongoing Journey of Self-Discovery

   1. JSJay Shetty14:02

      How, how do you think that that was limiting, and in what ways was it actually helpful?

   2. NJNick Jonas14:06

      The ways in which it was limiting were that, um, you start to sort of subscribe to it as well, uh, and then it becomes a part of your s- your self-talk. You know, I, I was not regularly in therapy, um, in my teens. I think because our dad was from, you know, a ministry background, there was sort of a taboo around it. We would, we would often, uh, you know, refer to sort of therapy as, as more like a counseling session with a person in the church. Throughout those years following our exit from the church, uh, I really questioned faith and, and what relationship I would have to sort of organized religion at all, which is something that I can, I can say now knowing that my relationship with my God is totally intact and that my belief is totally intact. Um, and I think it's important for everyone to go on sort of that journey of, of self-discovery. But during that time, I think we could have all benefited from sort of a, a more, a traditional, um, mental health, uh-

   3. JSJay Shetty15:08

      Mm

   4. NJNick Jonas15:09

      ... sort of approach. So that's, that's how it's limiting-

   5. JSJay Shetty15:11

      Yeah

   6. NJNick Jonas15:11

      ... um, to answer that question.

   7. JSJay Shetty15:12

      Yeah, yeah.

   8. NJNick Jonas15:12

      And then how it helped, uh, it made me really tough.

   9. JSJay Shetty15:15

      Mm.

   10. NJNick Jonas15:16

       I have nothing to complain about in my life because I am eternally grateful, uh, for every thing that has been, um, given to me, every experience I've been afforded, and I understand that I, I walk in, uh, in privilege, and, um, so I'm, I'm grateful for that. That being said, life does still throw you curve balls, and there are things that are challenging. I'm grateful for the grit that I had to take on, because living a public life comes with these things, comes with the very good, the things that we all think are, are glamorous and, and amazing, and also with some shit that you gotta navigate. And, um, whether it's family or friends or just sheer determination and grit, that's, I think, the positive I, I pulled from it.

   11. JSJay Shetty16:04

       Yeah. Thank- thanks for saying that, because I think what I'm encouraging all our listeners to do as well is think about how all life experiences are both limiting and helpful. And I think as humans, we have this ability to paint an experience all bad or all good.

   12. NJNick Jonas16:18

       Yeah.

   13. JSJay Shetty16:18

       And, and the reality is no, it- there's nuance there, and there's gray, and there's... It's good to be able to reflect on something that was tough and go, "Actually, I've got a lot of great stuff from that too."

   14. NJNick Jonas16:27

       Yeah.

   15. JSJay Shetty16:27

       Like, in so many ways, that's what's made me strong and resilient and ready for the future. At the same time, I'm aware that, hey, it would've been great to have some traditional therapy or, you know, some things at that time. And I think having that approach is so helpful. What was romanticized

9. 16:41 – 18:43

   Why Early Exposure Became the Best Training Ground

   1. JSJay Shetty16:41

      about the Disney era that now you look back on and go, "That was probably not that healthy"?

   2. NJNick Jonas16:47

      Well, I mean, it's, it's global exposure, and when they turn... I call it the faucet. When Disney turns the faucet on-

   3. JSJay Shetty16:53

      [laughs]

   4. NJNick Jonas16:54

      ... it just goes, right? And, and when they know they have something that has potential to be successful, they're the best team and company to market that to the audience that they've spoken to with such excellence for as long as they have.

   5. JSJay Shetty17:09

      Mm.

   6. NJNick Jonas17:10

      At that time, um, you had a pretty, uh, incredible graduating class. I mean, if you look at the success that everyone from that kind of era-

   7. JSJay Shetty17:21

      Yeah

   8. NJNick Jonas17:21

      ... has had post-Disney, I think it says more about their ability to find talent that has legs, that, that has the potential for, for real adult success in addition to the success on the channel. What I romanticize about it and what I think back on is those elements, the, the idea that there's this big company that can just make things happen, and it's exciting when it does. But also now, you know, being a part of a thing like a Camp Rock, for instance, is, you know, really incredible. Um, I think for a while as I was trying to solidify myself as an adult performer and creative person, some of those things from our, our Disney past were, like, embarrassing, like, uh, like looking ba- back at a yearbook would be for somebody. Um, now I'm just so proud to have been a part of something that had the global reach that, that, that had or, or other projects we did with them. And it isn't until you're, you know, you're grown and, andYou've sort of-- You're on the other side of that, that you can see that perspective. And yeah, I j- I just, I look at it and go, "Wow, those kids were fearless."

   9. JSJay Shetty18:31

      Yeah. [laughs]

   10. NJNick Jonas18:31

       All of us, and really had, had no formal training or... I mean, it shows in some cases. Um, [both laughing] But it's-

   11. JSJay Shetty18:39

       Yeah

   12. NJNick Jonas18:39

       ... the best training ground there is.

   13. JSJay Shetty18:41

       Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.

10. 18:43 – 22:07

    Everyone Makes Mistakes

    1. JSJay Shetty18:43

       If someone said today, "Nick, you're, you're shy, you're moody, you're the creative one," what would you-- how would you react to that?

    2. NJNick Jonas18:48

       I would say, uh, "You're right, uh, to some degree," but I don't know. You sit and break bread with me or have a drink, you'll see pretty quickly that, uh, I like to have a laugh. I, you know, I, I am thoughtful-

    3. JSJay Shetty19:03

       Yeah

    4. NJNick Jonas19:03

       ... in the way that I respond to questions, and the things that come out of my mouth I know bear consequences or bear fruit, right? There's, there's good, uh, to be had. There's also times that you say a thing you didn't mean to say, or you make a joke that doesn't quite land right and, you know, you, you fall flat on your face, and we've all had those moments.

    5. JSJay Shetty19:23

       Yeah.

    6. NJNick Jonas19:23

       Um, two things can be true. I can be the person I was as a, as a teen where I was given that label, but I can also evolve and become this other sort of more dynamic person that I, I strive to be.

    7. JSJay Shetty19:34

       Yeah, absolutely. I'm, I'm glad you said that. And I, I feel like when we were at dinner, you were always the one sparking off really thoughtful conversations and, like, you know, getting us all kind of, like-

    8. NJNick Jonas19:44

       Yeah

    9. JSJay Shetty19:44

       ... discussing something interesting, and I'm like... And, and hearing you say that, I mean, I think about my experience in a much more smaller way than you, but I've always felt that, like, because of what I do for work and because of my, who I am online, which is who I am, it's just a part of me. I often feel everyone's like, "Oh, well, Jay takes life really seriously, and he can't joke around." And I'm like, my friends who know me the best know that all I wanna do is banter and, like, rip into someone-

    10. NJNick Jonas20:08

        Yeah

    11. JSJay Shetty20:08

        ... because that's who I am behind the scenes, and that's who I truly am, and obviously that isn't... It's not that it's misaligned with my work. It's just we're all these 360-degree people, but because we watch everyone for 30 seconds on a TikTok or a Reel, you kind of become this very simplified version of yourself.

    12. NJNick Jonas20:25

        Yeah. It's so true. And there, there are times now I feel like I, I watch back certain interviews w- that I've done in the past, and I try not to be ultra-critical of myself. I am. We all are, I feel like. But I, I sort of have this yearbook that lives out in the world, you know, and I can't kind of control, um, that. That's just part of the thing. But I, I often will watch back interviews and go, "Hmm, I can see where I was, like, projecting what I wanted people to think of me," um, or, you know, I'm withholding a hot take or an opinion that I think might get me in trouble. I've been fortunate enough to have not misstepped [chuckles] in my life to, uh, in a way that would limit my ability to continue to do what I'm doing. We are all capable of making mistakes. Um, and I feel like, you know, having, having the world get to sort of see into, to my, my life has been both, uh, wonderful and, and also really frightening at times.

    13. JSJay Shetty21:27

        Yeah. Yeah.

    14. NJNick Jonas21:28

        So I try to live honestly and just, you know, lay it out for people now because I think it's, it's just way easier to connect. And so to your point about the dinner conversations, I love the freedom of having great in-depth, intense conversations with friends and having a, a laugh as well. I'm getting more and more comfortable kind of fully being myself, uh, for the world to see as well.

    15. JSJay Shetty21:54

        Yeah. I like the way you put it, though. It's like the world has access to your yearbook.

    16. NJNick Jonas21:58

        Yeah.

    17. JSJay Shetty21:58

        And, and that's, uh, that's a really interesting way to think about it. Ba- based on what you just said, actually, I wanted to pull out a lyric here that I had from... Yeah, so you, you were

11. 22:07 – 29:15

    Recognizing and Quieting Your Inner Critic

    1. JSJay Shetty22:07

       just saying there that often when you look back at your interviews, you can look back, and we can be critical and negative. And you write in your new single, "Gut Punch," I'm gonna read your lyrics back to you if that's okay.

    2. NJNick Jonas22:18

       Sure.

    3. JSJay Shetty22:19

       Uh, you said, "Hit me like a gut punch. I hurt my own feelings. How did I get so good at being mean to myself? I should turn the heat down, tell myself to chill out. Damn, I really hate the way I talk to myself. Now, what would it be like if I just tried to be nice to the person that I'm seeing in the mirror? If you find that inner child, haven't seen him for a while, let him know he's doing fine." And I feel like, like, when I hear that, I'm like, yeah, I can, I can relate to it. You've got a lot more material to kind of be critical of yourself for that's visible to other people as well. When did you first become aware of the inner critic that was so strong? Like, when did you start to recognize, "Wait a minute, I can be quite hard on myself"?

    4. NJNick Jonas23:02

       I think after I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, um, a major shift happened in my life, um, where I, I never s- believed that I did anything to get diabetes. For those that don't know, Type 1 is an autoimmune disease. It's, it's not the same as Type 2, which can be caused from a number of things. But poor eating habits, lack of exercise would be sort of the main cause of Type 2, whereas Type 1, your body just decides it's gonna stop making insulin naturally. And so then your glucose levels are, it's not possible for them to be in range, which has a number of major side effects. And, and I think the biggest misconception, which I've, I've tried to be a, a part of, you know, educating people on, 'cause I know it's really just an education issue and, and noth- there's no bias per se. Um, just people don't know that it can be deadly if it's not treated. So when I reflected, you know, this is when I first started doing therapy in my early 20s, uh, on kind of the way in which I handled living with this disease, um, I became very critical of how serious I was taking it, um, or even the opposite end of that spectrum, which is am I taking it too seriously?

    5. JSJay Shetty24:17

       Mm.

    6. NJNick Jonas24:18

       You know, at that time there was, there was a lot of, uh, a lot of noise made about it because I was sort of the only public... person t-talking about type 1 in this way as an advocate, and I became really discouraged by some of the feedback. This was the first time I recall feeling, and I'm gonna use a big word here and I don't mean for it to sound, uh, so intense, but feeling betrayed by people. Um, in the sense that I wanted to just be a normal kid like everybody else and not be dealing with this thing. I wasn't trying to make a meal out of it. I'm just sharing my truth about this, and it was made to feel like, oh, he's making too big a deal.

    7. JSJay Shetty24:59

       Mm.

    8. NJNick Jonas25:00

       And it's not that serious. And so I, I became very critical of like everything I was doing in that sense, whether I was doing enough to manage it or not enough and, and then later on, you know, in, in, in my life I, I was met with a situation where I really kind of fell flat on my face. Uh, not literally, but that, that would have been better actually than what happened. But I had a TV performance where this guitar solo moment that I was supposed to play as a feature on a Kelsea Ballerini track just didn't, didn't happen. Like I, I went blank. Uh, I, I hit a bad note, and I couldn't kind of recover, and I had, I had built up this, this skyscraper of, you know, this, this idea that music and being a musician was my whole identity, and it was, it was unimaginable how, how important that was to me for that skyscraper to stay standing and, and, and not have any cracks in it or anything and, and, um, I w- I had to sort of relearn who I was if you took this thing away. Uh, it'd be like taking my singing voice away. I'd... Well, who am I? What do I do? And it, it was just a, a really tough season of my life and everything I did after that I was just i-incredibly critical of myself, and then I started to do that thing where you, you make the joke before others can. Um, you sort of... It- you think it's already in the room before you arrive.

    9. JSJay Shetty26:21

       Mm.

    10. NJNick Jonas26:22

        So you have to... And no one was thinking about it, and that's been true a number of times in my life where I feel like something's happened that didn't go the way I wanted it to and that everyone's talking about it. And so there's that wrestle of like, am I, am I just a narcissist thinking that [laughs] this is as important to everybody else and, and maybe-

    11. JSJay Shetty26:38

        There's even more judgment.

    12. NJNick Jonas26:39

        Yeah.

    13. JSJay Shetty26:39

        Yeah.

    14. NJNick Jonas26:40

        And then it's e- it's just a, a cyclical thing. And so the Gut Punch lyrics were really important to me because it's the first time I've, I've been able to say this thing that I've felt for a long time. Um, and it wasn't until we got to the bridge where I, I, I wrote that line r- uh, my co-writers of the song are amazing and really allowed for me to be this honest. I felt kind of similar the way I do with you, which is s- that I can, I can speak more freely, um, because you've created the environment for me to do that. It feels welcoming and, and warm to that, and they did the same thing. And, and I just started talking about... You know, I said, "My, I think my hair stopped growing. Is that even a thing? I haven't lost any of it, but something ain't the same. Maybe it's a metaphor. It's even that deep. I think my hair stopped growing or, or is it me?"

    15. JSJay Shetty27:31

        [laughs]

    16. NJNick Jonas27:31

        And it was sort of like a, a poem-

    17. JSJay Shetty27:33

        Yeah [laughs]

    18. NJNick Jonas27:33

        ... that I had wrote in the mirror that morning and it was funny at first. It made me chuckle, and then I realized when it got to the, "or is it me" part like, oh, that's what it's about. Like I s- I actually was surprised that I was, I was willing to be that, uh, honest, um, a thing maybe I didn't want to say out loud. Anyway, got to the bridge and that, that lyric is my favorite on the album, which is about the inner child because I feel like, as I mentioned before, that kid was fearless, and he was just doing it. Um, and I would, I'd love to spend some time with him again because I, I admire his, his grit, his, uh, fearlessness. I feel like I've [laughs]

    19. JSJay Shetty28:11

        [laughs]

    20. NJNick Jonas28:12

        ... I've reverted to like factory settings or something and, and maybe I need to... I don't know. But he's, he's cool.

    21. JSJay Shetty28:17

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12. 29:15 – 34:11

    Understanding the Unconditional Love of a Father

    1. JSJay Shetty29:15

       It's so fascinating to me that we first judge ourselves for mistakes or things that we call mistakes, then we judge ourselves for judging ourselves because then we're like, "Wait a minute, why am I judging myself for judging myself? That makes me even worse."

    2. NJNick Jonas29:28

       Yeah.

    3. JSJay Shetty29:29

       And now you're like three judgments deep on judging yourself for feeling shame and guilt and then judging yourself for the fact that you're judging yourself for having shame and guilt. And, and it feels like a very... Everything you just said feels like a very real emotion that each and every one of us can resonate with, right?

    4. NJNick Jonas29:46

       Yeah.

    5. JSJay Shetty29:46

       I'm sure everyone who's listening right now can go, "Yeah, I've had moments like that when I didn't feel like I did the right thing," and then all of a sudden everyone had a viewpoint on it. And whether you have the world watch-watching you or you have th- your 10 friends or 20 friends in school watching you, proportionately it feels the same.

    6. NJNick Jonas30:04

       Yeah.

    7. JSJay Shetty30:04

       Uh, you know, and it, it can be so challenging. And when y- when you're saying that out loud to me I'm like, "What would you say to that younger self now if you could spend some time with him, and what would you not say to that younger self if you could spend some time with him?"

    8. NJNick Jonas30:18

       Yeah, I would, I would... Well, just, just to circle back to one thing you said.

    9. JSJay Shetty30:22

       Please. Yeah, yeah, of course.

    10. NJNick Jonas30:23

        I... This m-music and these stories and th- they're all human experiences. It has nothing to do with it being specific to my life other than it'sYou know, my wife and daughter that I'm talking about or, or other situations. But I really wanted to, to make something that everyone could relate to in their own way. So that's one thing. And then the thing I would say to my younger self is, you know, "Congratulations, you get to marry Priyanka Chopra Jonas."

    11. JSJay Shetty30:48

        [laughs]

    12. NJNick Jonas30:49

        Um, that's pretty cool. Uh [laughs]

    13. JSJay Shetty30:54

        [laughs]

    14. NJNick Jonas30:54

        And also, you know, your daughter's incredible. She's just-- she's magic in every, every sense of the word. Um, she just turned four a couple weeks ago. Uh, blows my mind. You know, I, I look at her and, and I can, I can see her future. Like I, I just know she's gonna do amazing things. Um, and I, I'm awestruck that I get to experience her magic.

    15. JSJay Shetty31:25

        Hmm. Hmm. That's beautiful, man. I love hearing that. That's so special. And happy belated birthday.

    16. NJNick Jonas31:30

        Yeah. Thank you.

    17. JSJay Shetty31:31

        Fourth birthday. That's so beautiful. I can see that got you a little-

    18. NJNick Jonas31:37

        Yeah, for sure.

    19. JSJay Shetty31:40

        What's going through your mind?

    20. NJNick Jonas31:43

        Um, no, she's, she's just perfect in every way and I know every parent says that, but, uh, you know, this morning I was actually at her new, uh, preschool. To sort of be back there in the context of being a dad, you know, is just a wild thing and, you know, she, she came to the world under sort of very intense circumstances, which I've not really talked about ever. We were expecting her to arrive in April of the year she was born, and, uh, we get a call that it's gonna be sooner. So we, we basically, you know, went into action and, and, um, she was born via surrogate. And so we got to the hospital and, um, she came out, she was one pound 11 ounces, and, you know, purple, basically. Um, they, these angels at the NICU kind of resuscitated her in that moment and, um, you know, g-got her taken care of re-really quickly and intubated and everything else. And, and so, um, because it was COVID times, my wife and I, we would basically, um, sh- do 12-hour shifts at the hospital for, uh, three and a half months. I can still sort of like smell it. You know, there's always visceral things. It's, it's, it was both comforting and frightening to be there every day and to see sort of other families going through similar situations. Um, but she fought every day, uh, for three and a half months and, you know, slowly started to gain some weight, and after six blood transfusions, she was, she was doing great and, and, uh, you know, we got to take her home after three and a half months. And I feel like she knows how she entered the world and what that first chapter of her life was like, and so every day is a gift. And you can actually feel it on her, um, in the way that she behaves and how exciting everything is. I don't know how much I, uh, she remembers, probably nothing. Um, but spiritually, I believe that there's, there's gratitude in her and, uh, you know, she's, she's incredible.

    21. JSJay Shetty34:04

        I mean, thank you for sharing that with us. That's-- I feel like that's the behind-the-scenes that no one has a clue about and, you know, we're not aware of and

13. 34:11 – 38:11

    Staying Emotionally Strong for Your Family

    1. JSJay Shetty34:11

       talk to me about the conversations that you and Priyanka are having, because I think the part that people forget when you have a child that's going through any sort of difficulty is that you're obviously worried about the child, but then it also affects the relationship with your partner because you're both worried about the child. W-what were the kind of conversations you were having that was-

    2. NJNick Jonas34:31

       Yeah

    3. JSJay Shetty34:31

       ... helping you both and supporting you both?

    4. NJNick Jonas34:35

       We had a lot of tough conversations day in, day out about caring for her. Um, you know, trying to, trying to care for each other and for her and focusing on not getting overwhelmed. Uh, it can all just feel so big and parenthood in general is, is, it's a lot for everybody, you know, especially in those early stages of your kid's life. And this just became about staying emotionally tough and being there for each other. Uh, if we need to, to cry, you know, that shoulder is, is there and ready to, to cry on. If you need to just have a laugh for a minute just to take your mind off, try to provide that for the other person. It's a lot of give and take from both of us and, uh, you know, my, my wife is just as, as you know, she's a brilliant, brilliant woman with a ton of heart and perspective, and the way in which she handled it was so inspiring to me. And, uh, you know, allowing for those, those days to be tough, but to be tougher for our little girl-

    5. JSJay Shetty35:40

       Hmm

    6. NJNick Jonas35:40

       ... um, was the focus.

    7. JSJay Shetty35:42

       Hmm. Was, was there something you'd share with other couples who go through their own version of that, that you think w-would be really helpful to them?

    8. NJNick Jonas35:52

       The thing that helped us the most was being patient with each other. It is hard sometimes when you're feeling emotional to sort of access that logical brain to say, "We need to be patient. We need to, to just meet your person where they are in that moment." And that, that goes both ways and, and so, you know, being patient with your, your partner is, is crucial.

    9. JSJay Shetty36:17

       Yeah. I can imagine those 12-hour shifts back to back for three months felt like they lasted forever.

    10. NJNick Jonas36:23

        Yeah.

    11. JSJay Shetty36:24

        That can feel like it, it didn't feel like three months. It must have felt like it was never-ending.

    12. NJNick Jonas36:28

        Well, it's not the kind of thing that you ever wanna find a routine doing. You know, it's, it's bizarre when you're, when you're used to, uh-Going to the hospital every day, you know, it's, it's a, like a tough s- reality check when I-

    13. JSJay Shetty36:43

        Because she had to be kept in hospital, right?

    14. NJNick Jonas36:45

        Yeah, she was in the NICU for three and a half months. Yeah. So, you know, just driving there and back each day and, and seeing each other sort of as passing ships was a crazy thing. A- and I'll just say this about the NICU nurses, they are truly angels, and we've, you know, seen a few at some of our shows. Priyanka spoke about this experience once before in, in an in- interview and so some people knew, and, and so there was some NICU nurses at a couple of the shows, and there was held up a sign, and it makes me cry every time I see it 'cause they're, they're angels. And we actually got to have some of the nurses that were taking care of Malti Marie come out to a show, and I met them, um, after, or sorry, just before, and it was, uh, yeah, incredible to see. And I got to show them a photo of her now.

    15. JSJay Shetty37:40

        [laughs]

    16. NJNick Jonas37:41

        She's, she's no longer one pound, 11 ounces.

    17. JSJay Shetty37:43

        [laughs] Yeah.

    18. NJNick Jonas37:44

        Beautiful, healthy little four-year-old girl.

    19. JSJay Shetty37:46

        I love that. Has she been out to see some of you-

    20. NJNick Jonas37:49

        She has

    21. JSJay Shetty37:50

        ... shows yet? Yeah.

    22. NJNick Jonas37:51

        Yeah, she, um, she loves our song Love Me to Heaven. She sings it at the top of her lungs.

    23. JSJay Shetty37:56

        [laughs]

    24. NJNick Jonas37:56

        And basically she's got the bug already. She wants to be on stage, and so Priyanka has to stand side stage with her, holding her dress back so she doesn't run-

    25. JSJay Shetty38:03

        [laughs]

    26. NJNick Jonas38:03

        ... on the stage with us. She doesn't quite understand that, that, you know, she, she can't join just yet. Um-

    27. JSJay Shetty38:09

        Yeah.

    28. NJNick Jonas38:09

        But I'm sure she will someday.

14. 38:11 – 40:47

    The Moment He Fell for Priyanka Chopra

    1. JSJay Shetty38:11

       Yeah, I love that. You, you spoke about how, you know, you'd congratulate your younger self for marrying [laughs] Priyanka Chopra Jonas-

    2. NJNick Jonas38:18

       Yeah

    3. JSJay Shetty38:18

       ... which I love, and I think you guys have been married for, what, seven years now?

    4. NJNick Jonas38:22

       Seven years.

    5. JSJay Shetty38:22

       Yeah, seven years. And I wanted to ask you, because your relationship is so special, even, even from the outside in, and for those who don't know you, I think everyone, you know, loves that. What, did you know from the moment you met? Like, was it that early and that clear? Is it-

    6. NJNick Jonas38:36

       You know-

    7. JSJay Shetty38:36

       ... one of those if you know, you know? When you know, you know.

    8. NJNick Jonas38:39

       In, in some ways. Um, you know, I was first kind of introduced to Priyanka, uh, by way of seeing her billboard on Sunset Boulevard-

    9. JSJay Shetty38:49

       [laughs]

    10. NJNick Jonas38:49

        ... for her show Quantico, and I was like, "Wow, she's stunning," was what I thought. And I was doing this movie with this guy who had just worked with her, and he said, "Hey, you know, you guys would really hit it off," but he never connected us.

    11. JSJay Shetty39:01

        Mm-hmm.

    12. NJNick Jonas39:02

        So after a few months of waiting to be connected, I, I got impatient and went on Twitter and saw she followed me, which she claims we followed each other. I didn't remember that.

    13. JSJay Shetty39:10

        [laughs]

    14. NJNick Jonas39:11

        But I saw she followed me, so I, I DM'd her, and we messaged for about a year before we kind of ever met in person and then we finally met up for, uh, a drink in New York. I almost, uh, left 'cause she was about 45 minutes late.

    15. JSJay Shetty39:28

        [laughs]

    16. NJNick Jonas39:28

        Um, which, which I, I now know is a, is a, a thing.

    17. JSJay Shetty39:32

        Right. [laughs]

    18. NJNick Jonas39:32

        So I, I expect that. Um-

    19. JSJay Shetty39:34

        [laughs]

    20. NJNick Jonas39:35

        But I, I, thankfully I stayed, and she sat down, and we, we had a great conversation and, um, went back to her place after to, to have another drink and, and as we walked in, her mom was there watching Law & Order. So I met her mother on the first night that we met, which is-

    21. JSJay Shetty39:51

        [laughs]

    22. NJNick Jonas39:51

        ... perfect. It wasn't until about a year after that, after talking, you know, back and forth that I, I was like, "We need to really give this a proper, proper go. Let's... When you're back in LA next, let's go on a date." And that night when I saw her walk in, uh, she was wearing blue jeans, a white top, and, like, a black leather jacket, and I just was like, "I'm gonna marry this woman," and I knew it right away. I told her that I loved her after the second or third date, and I called my mom the next day and said, "I'm gonna marry this woman. I'd love for you to meet her soon." It was literally two and a half months after that that we were engaged, and three months after that or four months after that, that we were married.

    23. JSJay Shetty40:34

        Yeah.

    24. NJNick Jonas40:35

        Seven years later. It's crazy.

    25. JSJay Shetty40:36

        That's awesome.

    26. NJNick Jonas40:37

        Yeah.

    27. JSJay Shetty40:37

        I love that. Yeah, I love that. It is, is when, uh, in that sense, when you know, you know. There's... I'm thinking about it as you're explaining it, like, you've, you know, as I

15. 40:47 – 43:50

    The Blending of Two Cultures

    1. JSJay Shetty40:47

       was saying, people are obsessed about your guys' relationship, you know, analyzing it constantly. How have you protected that, even when you're going through things like in the NICU, like-

    2. NJNick Jonas40:55

       Yeah

    3. JSJay Shetty40:56

       ... you know, everyone's excited for you guys to have kids. There's, you know, you're in the public eye, both of you, massive superstars, and how have you protected that relationship through all of that?

    4. NJNick Jonas41:05

       For some people on paper, maybe at first it w- it d- wasn't, like, the right fit. Maybe it's the fact that we do have an age difference. We're from different parts of the world. Um, all those things are exactly why it's right and why it works and is so beautiful. There's so much about the Indian culture which I've, I've gotten to know and, and love family and the importance of family and big families being, you know, at the, at the center of that and, and I really took to all the, the cultural differences and loved, um, not just, you know, the family aspect, but the food and, and friends and just all of it. And so that was, like, perfect. Checked that box. And, and then, like, our, our age difference was something that I think really bonds us a- and I've lived a lot of life in, in, you know, 33 years, and so I think having someone who, who has real perspective and, and depth and, and wanted to build a life together was something that I was, was really drawn to. Um, and the way we protect it, uh, I think is by finding ways to, to laugh through tough moments, you know, not going to bed angry, and knowing that our ability to build life together and, and to have our, our privacy is, is on us. It's, it's no one else's responsibility. And so, you know, we have to, we have to find those times to just be a family, to just have the three of us be together and have those quiet moments and, and really prioritize it, 'cause that, that is our only job [laughs] as parents is toTo just create an environment where she, she feels safe to, to grow and be herself. And, and it really starts with, with my wife and I building that. And, um, it's, it's for no one else but us.

    5. JSJay Shetty42:51

       Yeah. I was saying, I love the way you've celebrated the culture together. I was saying that the Diwali party at yours-

    6. NJNick Jonas42:58

       Yeah

    7. JSJay Shetty42:58

       ... a few years back, you were throwing these-

    8. NJNick Jonas42:59

       So fun

    9. JSJay Shetty43:00

       ... incredible Diwali parties, like the best Diwali parties I've ever been to. And it would be like you- I mean, first of all, you look great in a kurta too.

    10. NJNick Jonas43:06

        [laughs] Thank you.

    11. JSJay Shetty43:06

        So it's like, it helps. But then like, I remember Joe being in a full sherwani too.

    12. NJNick Jonas43:10

        Yeah.

    13. JSJay Shetty43:10

        And like, you guys, it felt like a wedding, but you had like the best Diwali food, best decorations, the candlelights. I mean, it was spectacular. And to, to celebrate that with you and for you to invite so many of your friends who may not be aware of Diwali and the culture-

    14. NJNick Jonas43:25

        Yeah

    15. JSJay Shetty43:25

        ... and the way you both brought that in LA was, was so spectacular. Like, I loved it. It was one of my... It was without a doubt, one of my favorite Diwali parties ever. So-

    16. NJNick Jonas43:32

        We had the best time.

    17. JSJay Shetty43:33

        Yeah.

    18. NJNick Jonas43:34

        It was, it was a, an amazing thing to, to bring the Desi culture into LA like that and to feel so many of our friends who, who hadn't experienced it just having the time of their life. You know, I think Indians know how to do holidays way better-

    19. JSJay Shetty43:47

        [laughs]

    20. NJNick Jonas43:48

        ... than, than, than we do here in the US.

16. 43:50 – 49:50

    What His Wife Really Thinks

    1. JSJay Shetty43:50

       [laughs] Well, well, well, based on that, I don't know if you know this, but Priyanka has sent some, uh, answers to some questions-

    2. NJNick Jonas43:57

       Oh, really?

    3. JSJay Shetty43:57

       ... that we asked her-

    4. NJNick Jonas43:58

       Okay

    5. JSJay Shetty43:59

       ... beforehand. So I'm gonna ask you the same questions and, and from what I know, I was, I was telling the team when we were preparing for this, I was like, "You know, Nick's really good at details." Like, I was like, "I've seen Nick talk about Priyanka. Like, he doesn't miss a beat."

    6. NJNick Jonas44:10

       [laughs]

    7. JSJay Shetty44:10

       And we share that. I'm like that when me and my wife talk. I'm like, I know all the details.

    8. NJNick Jonas44:14

       Yeah.

    9. JSJay Shetty44:14

       I know what she was wearing. I know what day it was. She has no clue.

    10. NJNick Jonas44:17

        Yeah.

    11. JSJay Shetty44:17

        And so I was like, "I can relate to Nick on that." But anyway, let's see, let's see who's right. So this game is called What Did Your Wife Say?

    12. NJNick Jonas44:24

        Okay.

    13. JSJay Shetty44:24

        Uh, and Priyanka sent her answers so that they're all real answers. They've been verified.

    14. NJNick Jonas44:29

        [laughs]

    15. JSJay Shetty44:29

        So what was Priyanka's first impression of Nick? What would she say?

    16. NJNick Jonas44:35

        Handsome. No.

    17. JSJay Shetty44:36

        [laughs]

    18. NJNick Jonas44:37

        Um, I think she probably thought that I was, um, you know, sort of quiet as we discussed, you know, reserved, um, choosing my words carefully or, or whatever. I was surprised at how candid she was and funny. Uh, you know, she's, she... To me, at that point I, I had seen her in interviews and things, and she's, she's quite regal, right?

    19. JSJay Shetty44:59

        Yeah.

    20. NJNick Jonas44:59

        She has this real, like, presence about her. And I, and so I, I, I don't know, expected something, but I was, I think, um, she would say that I was, like, trying to seem more adult or something.

    21. JSJay Shetty45:12

        [laughs]

    22. NJNick Jonas45:14

        'Cause she, she talks about how she thought I was, like, putting on a bit of an act. I'm like, "This is just, this is who I am. Sorry."

    23. JSJay Shetty45:19

        [laughs]

    24. NJNick Jonas45:20

        Is that-

    25. JSJay Shetty45:20

        So she, so she says, it shows how well you know each other, she goes, "He was acting older than he is."

    26. NJNick Jonas45:25

        [laughs]

    27. JSJay Shetty45:26

        "He took me to a bougie bar with an average age of 65."

    28. NJNick Jonas45:29

        Yeah, it's true.

    29. JSJay Shetty45:30

        [laughs]

    30. NJNick Jonas45:31

        It's true.
17. 49:50 – 52:56

    What Does it Mean to be a Good Husband?

    1. JSJay Shetty49:50

       what, what is a good husband? What makes a good husband? What are you aspiring to be when you're trying to be a good husband?

    2. NJNick Jonas49:56

       I think that being a good husband for me means being reliable, um, trustworthy, um, knowing that our daughter is watching and will one day hopefully find somebody that makes her incredibly happy, and the way in which I treat her mother is incredibly important to who she becomes. Um, so it is my, my responsibility to do all I can to make Priyanka happy, to feel safe, and to make her laugh. To, to know that, that life is a mixed bag of emotions and experiences, and it can feel really, uh, disorienting and overwhelming sometimes, but it's a lot easier to traverse all that with a partner who you can rely on.

    3. JSJay Shetty50:58

       Mm. Well said. Really, really well said. Where-- With your inner critic, where in your married life have you had to give yourself more grace?

    4. NJNick Jonas51:08

       I can be reactive. Um, it's part of being a, a sibling. I feel, you know, we all do that, right? We, we-- And you kinda do it when you're growing up 'cause you, you're fighting for your place in the dynamic of the family, and you share that space with these people as, you know, kids and teens. You kinda have to fight for yourself a little bit and defend and, um, being defensive I feel like is an area in my, my life as a whole, but also my marriage that I- I'm always trying to improve on.

    5. JSJay Shetty51:35

       Mm.

    6. NJNick Jonas51:36

       Um, thinking that, you know, that a, a comment of any kind is somehow a criticism of me and, like, I'm supposed to just trust this person to, to care for me and, and yet I'm being defensive about a thing that's so insignificant.

    7. JSJay Shetty51:52

       Mm.

    8. NJNick Jonas51:52

       And what am I trying to protect is the thing I always think about. Like, and it's this guy, this other version of me that I, I somehow believe is, like, perfect.

    9. JSJay Shetty52:03

       Mm.

    10. NJNick Jonas52:04

        I'm like, "How f- stupid can I be?"

    11. JSJay Shetty52:06

        [laughs]

    12. NJNick Jonas52:07

        That's not only impossible, it's just dumb. Like, you just... And I, I've seen that the times in my relationship with my wife where I'm quicker to, you know, a hug [laughs] as opposed to a, something defensive or trying to defend myself, it's, like, just better.

    13. JSJay Shetty52:28

        Mm-hmm.

    14. NJNick Jonas52:28

        Life is better.

    15. JSJay Shetty52:30

        Aren't we all? [laughs] We can all relate to that.

    16. NJNick Jonas52:32

        Yeah.

    17. JSJay Shetty52:33

        Always trying to protect my ego, protect my, you know, sense of self when, when in reality it's... yeah, it's this trying to protect this perfect version of me that definitely doesn't exist. And yeah, you're just, yeah, it's, it's crazy what you, you what you could risk losing by trying to protect something that-

    18. NJNick Jonas52:51

        Yeah

    19. JSJay Shetty52:52

        ... that isn't, isn't, isn't even real, you know?

    20. NJNick Jonas52:55

        So true.

18. 52:56 – 56:16

    Seeing the World Through a Child’s Eyes

    1. JSJay Shetty52:56

       Yeah. I wanna pick out another lyric that I loved. You write in your song "Princesses," "I use my imagination for a living. I tell stories and build worlds. But I never wanted one more than this one with my little girl. I'm fascinated by your questions. I'm terrified to let you down. There's no one and nowhere that I'd rather be than with you here right now." And even when you started this interview, you talked about how your sense of self has changed so much since being a father.

    2. NJNick Jonas53:23

       Yeah.

    3. JSJay Shetty53:24

       What has been the thing that surprised you most about yourself since having your daughter?

    4. NJNick Jonas53:31

       If I'm being totally honest, which I want to be, um, the thing that surprised me most is how easy it was to play make believe and to be silly and do a kid voice. Like, I, I-

    5. JSJay Shetty53:47

       [laughs]

    6. NJNick Jonas53:47

       ... was never one of those people that did the, "Oh, doo-doo," that kind of voice.

    7. JSJay Shetty53:51

       [laughs]

    8. NJNick Jonas53:51

       And all of a sudden I'm just doing it.

    9. JSJay Shetty53:53

       [laughs]

    10. NJNick Jonas53:53

        I always was embarrassed to, to be silly. Um, and I, I'm not with her, and I, I love the world that she builds with her mind and getting to spend time with her there is, is really incredible.

    11. JSJay Shetty54:10

        Mm.

    12. NJNick Jonas54:11

        And I think it's made me a, a better friend and, and husband and, and better creator. You know, as, as I approach my songwriting now and, and, you know, the work I do as an actor, I feel like I'm way more prepared, uh, for that because I, I've gotten to spend time in her world and, and it's this magical place where, like, anything's possible-

    13. JSJay Shetty54:38

        Yeah

    14. NJNick Jonas54:38

        ... you know? And, and it's such a wonderful, wonderful thing.

    15. JSJay Shetty54:42

        Mm. What was your, what was both of your reasons for wanting to keep her out of the spotlight and keep her personal life pretty private?

    16. NJNick Jonas54:50

        It should be her choice. Um, I'm grateful that my parents supported our dream and that they, they never, you know, looked back or questioned it. They, they, they ran with us, which was wonderful, and we all knew this is what we wanted to do. Um, she ha- has not expressed that yet. Uh, if she, if she does, we'll support her, you know, and, and, and give her all the context that, that we have from the, the twenty-plus years that we've both been doing what we've been doing. That might be helpful, but it should be her choice. And, you know, the world is, is crazy too. It's a weird, weird world. Um, and so I, I think it's, it's better for her to take her time and, and, you know, have, have the privacy that, that she needs to become who she wants to become.

    17. JSJay Shetty55:43

        It's a tough decision when she's, like, trying to run onto the stage, [laughs] right? She's like, "I want it."

    18. NJNick Jonas55:46

        Yeah.

    19. JSJay Shetty55:46

        Like, you know. But no, it, it makes so much sense, and it's such a... I feel like parents over the last few years have had to add that to all the list of things that parents have to worry about, right?

    20. NJNick Jonas55:55

        Yeah.

    21. JSJay Shetty55:55

        If you think about it, it's like our parents never really had to think about that, and then probably parents in the last 10 to 15 years have had to really-- Maybe even 10 to 15 years ago, you didn't think about it. You just did it. And then in the last five years, 10 years, people are being so much more specific. What-- We were talking earlier about as we get older, we almost get more scared, and you were talking about your younger self being so

19. 56:16 – 59:42

    The Fears That Come With Fatherhood

    1. JSJay Shetty56:16

       fearless. What are the fears that came up after having a daughter, and what were the fears that went away after becoming a dad?

    2. NJNick Jonas56:25

       I have not, uh, been formally diagnosed with anxiety. Um, I mentioned I, I speak to a therapist. Uh, she's, she's wonderful and, and has given me a lot of tools that are, are helpful when I feel, uh, kind of overwhelmed or, or anxious. And naturally, during the time that we discussed where our daughter was in the NICU, um, it was a stressful and overwhelming time, and I think having that as the sort of foundation for her entry into the world, um, made me anxious about everything, um, not just parenting and all that, but, but life in general. And so I've had a few moments where I've, I've had flare-ups, I guess, where I, I was, uh, stressed to a degree that didn't feel comfortable. And I think a lot of parents can probably relate to that. You know, it's a... You, you're-- Basically, when you leave the hospital, they ask you, "Are you ready to take your daughter home?" It's like, "Well, uh, y-yeah, of course."

    3. JSJay Shetty57:38

       Yeah, yeah.

    4. NJNick Jonas57:38

       "I, I, I..." You know? But, um, it's a crazy question to be asked. You're like, "I get... Yeah, I am. I'm ready to take my daughter home." And that, like, meant more than just that moment. It was like her whole life suddenly, I'm like, "I'm, I'm, I'm responsible for, you know, this person." So yeah, that's the neg- The positive that I've taken is, as I mentioned, that, the ability to, to just be silly and carefree-

    5. JSJay Shetty58:07

       Yeah

    6. NJNick Jonas58:07

       ... and, and see the world the way she does and, and all these experiences are so amazing again, things that can seem mundane, um, as you get older and you just kind of, you know... Glass is clear. Why is glass clear? Is one of the questions she asked me.

    7. JSJay Shetty58:23

       [laughs]

    8. NJNick Jonas58:23

       And it's like, it's a fascinating question. Why? How? Find myself on Google, like-

    9. JSJay Shetty58:28

       [laughs]

    10. NJNick Jonas58:28

        ... researching all this stuff that I just sort of accepted.

    11. JSJay Shetty58:32

        Yeah.

    12. NJNick Jonas58:32

        And now this person, this little four-year-old person's like, "Why?" And you get to ask the questions yourself, and, and why are people mean? It's like, it's a great question. Probably 'cause they're hurting, and-

    13. JSJay Shetty58:45

        Mm.

    14. NJNick Jonas58:46

        You know, this, it's just everything, uh, gets sort of g- it goes through this new filter-

    15. JSJay Shetty58:53

        Mm

    16. NJNick Jonas58:53

        ... that is, uh, really exciting.

    17. JSJay Shetty58:57

        It's amazing how both the things you said are literally counter opposites in that one part of you, of course, has anxiety and care and fear for this, you know, child that you love and has gone through this, you know, very difficult beginning to her life but has blossomed and, you know, grown so beautifully. And then at the other end it's like, "Oh, but I'm also more carefree," and like-

    18. NJNick Jonas59:17

        Yeah

    19. JSJay Shetty59:17

        ... "Now I get to explore, and now I get to be curious, and now I..." And it's so fascinating how, like, life does that to you. Like, I'm just sitting here literally reflecting on and listening to you going, "How strange," like the same thing that naturally you have a sense of fear and anxiety around is the same thing that's teaching you to be carefree and be b- And it's like how do, how does, how does a human even, you know, make sense of that? Like-

    20. NJNick Jonas59:38

        Yeah

    21. JSJay Shetty59:38

        ... how do you make sense of that in the human experience? It's, uh...

20. 59:42 – 1:02:00

    How Movement Helps Clear the Mind

    1. JSJay Shetty59:42

       W- with your anxiety, has that been something that you've... Because that feels like more new despite you having, you know, such a life in the public eye. We talked about all the events building up to even this point, but I think, yeah, having a kid and getting older feels like there's an anxiety that parents get around that that's, you know, incomparable to anything they've experienced before. What, what's really helped you? What's worked for you as a way to say, "This really helps me when I'm experiencing those moments or phases"?

    2. NJNick Jonas1:00:09

       I think moving my body in some way always helps, getting physical, uh, whether that's working out or, or taking a long walk, playing golf. I really enjoy playing golf. But when I was in New York just last year doing this Broadway show, um, I had about a 45-minute walk from our apartment to the, the theater each day, and it was so important to my routine. Um, the show itself is incredibly intense and, you know, the subject material is just, like, heavy, so I needed a way to process some of those, those feelings each, each day. And on top of that, it's just, it's a, a lot of work, eight shows a week, six days a week, and so it's, you know, it was, it was a lot, and so those walks were important. Um-And then I, you know, speaking to my, my therapist, it's not even like there's practices per se, but there's just I think real health in a routine and, and just talking. I used to judge myself in kind of doing that process, like talking with therapists and, like, am I being as truthful as I need to be to get the results I'm hoping to get?

    3. JSJay Shetty1:01:25

       Mm.

    4. NJNick Jonas1:01:25

       And I don't think that I always was, uh, as transparent as, as I probably needed to be. Um, with this person that I speak to, um, it's great because I, I do feel that, that freedom, that safety to, to speak and, and, like, there's, there's real balance. And for, for all the, the men out there, it's important. There is a stigma still for a lot of people, and there shouldn't be. Um, and you're gonna see, like, incredible results in your life if you, if you do it.

    5. JSJay Shetty1:01:58

       Yeah, absolutely. And,

21. 1:02:00 – 1:06:10

    Navigating Stressful Moments With Grace

    1. JSJay Shetty1:02:00

       and it takes a second to get honest with someone. I mean, it's, it's not... You know, it's, it's hard to even sit with someone who, who's a stranger and doesn't know anything about your life and really be honest, especially someone like yourself who has a such a public life and you can garner so much. I mean, I was, I was thinking about, like, all- I saw your response to everyone wondering what was happening at the Golden Globes, and you responded saying it hit you like a gut punch.

    2. NJNick Jonas1:02:22

       Yeah.

    3. JSJay Shetty1:02:22

       And I was like, what was that for you? What was happening at the Golden Globes that you were going through?

    4. NJNick Jonas1:02:27

       Yeah, so I, I [laughs] this is like the second time I'm mentioning this on, on this conversation, but heat, like, really gets me. Um, and because I have a, you know, a sort of physical aspect of that as well with my, my type 1 diabetes, it can just have an effect, right?

    5. JSJay Shetty1:02:45

       Mm-hmm.

    6. NJNick Jonas1:02:45

       So I was, uh, I was just really hot on the carpet, and then I started stressing that I, I looked like I was sweating. My hands were getting clammy, and [laughs] totally embarrassed 'cause, like, everything kinda hit me at once. Uh, then my sugar started to feel, or my glucose started to feel a little, uh, low. And, and so I just took a step-

    7. JSJay Shetty1:03:02

       Man

    8. NJNick Jonas1:03:02

       ... I went outside and got some fresh air. And, and you know, it's funny, like, we're, we're all the same, right?

    9. JSJay Shetty1:03:08

       Yeah, totally.

    10. NJNick Jonas1:03:09

        Like, we get overwhelmed, we get hot. It's like, it's a lot happening. Um-

    11. JSJay Shetty1:03:13

        100%.

    12. NJNick Jonas1:03:13

        And so I just was like, "You know what? There's no harm in just taking a beat for myself."

    13. JSJay Shetty1:03:17

        Yeah.

    14. NJNick Jonas1:03:18

        That's, [laughs] that's what I did. Had a sip of water and was back in action.

    15. JSJay Shetty1:03:21

        I'm glad you gave everyone else permission to do the same.

    16. NJNick Jonas1:03:23

        Yeah. Everyone-

    17. JSJay Shetty1:03:24

        But-

    18. NJNick Jonas1:03:24

        ... if you need a second, take a second

    19. JSJay Shetty1:03:26

        ... I, I'm so far away from this world, obviously. I didn't grow up in this world. And then when you, you know, get onto a red carpet and you just realize, especially for someone like yourself, Priyanka, et cetera, of just, like, the amount of people shouting your name, the amount of stops that you have to do, how quickly everything moves, like-

    20. NJNick Jonas1:03:40

        Yeah

    21. JSJay Shetty1:03:40

        ... you know, TV interview, video interview, this, that, it's, it's so chaotic, those red carpets, especially at those big events, that I think there's... it's, it's hard to understand why it would feel stressful, 'cause it almost looks really glamorous in the pictures and, you know-

    22. NJNick Jonas1:03:55

        And to some degree it is, but-

    23. JSJay Shetty1:03:56

        Yeah

    24. NJNick Jonas1:03:56

        ... but it's-

    25. JSJay Shetty1:03:57

        But, but it isn't as well. Like, it, you know-

    26. NJNick Jonas1:03:58

        It's, it can be a lot. Um-

    27. JSJay Shetty1:03:59

        I think more often than not, people feel quite anxious on red carpets, from what I've heard at least from talking to people.

    28. NJNick Jonas1:04:04

        Yeah.

    29. JSJay Shetty1:04:04

        Yeah.

    30. NJNick Jonas1:04:05

        Um, especially when it's, like, 95 degrees. [laughs]
22. 1:06:10 – 1:08:58

    Nick on Final Five

    1. JSJay Shetty1:06:10

       We created a special ending for you, seeing as your new single is called "Gut Punch"-

    2. NJNick Jonas1:06:16

       Mm-hmm

    3. JSJay Shetty1:06:17

       ... we're gonna play a game called Gut Reaction.

    4. NJNick Jonas1:06:20

       Okay.

    5. JSJay Shetty1:06:20

       So you have to finish the sentence with the first word or phrase that pops into your head.

    6. NJNick Jonas1:06:24

       Perfect.

    7. JSJay Shetty1:06:25

       What is the best advice you've ever received?

    8. NJNick Jonas1:06:27

       Live like you're at the bottom, even if you're at the top.

    9. JSJay Shetty1:06:30

       That is a great answer. We've never had that before. I love that. All right, second question: What is the worst advice you've ever had or received?

    10. NJNick Jonas1:06:38

        Take this tequila shot.

    11. JSJay Shetty1:06:40

        [laughs]

    12. NJNick Jonas1:06:41

        [laughs] Yeah.

    13. JSJay Shetty1:06:43

        That's a good answer.

    14. NJNick Jonas1:06:44

        It's never, never a good idea.

    15. JSJay Shetty1:06:46

        You're good at gut, gut reactions.

    16. NJNick Jonas1:06:48

        [laughs]

    17. JSJay Shetty1:06:48

        So this, this is good. The brother I call when I need to be brutally honest is...

    18. NJNick Jonas1:06:54

        Joe, but, um, all, all three of my brothers, but, you know, yeahProud show

    19. JSJay Shetty1:07:00

        Yeah. My guilty pleasure artist or song is?

    20. NJNick Jonas1:07:03

        This is not a one-word answer, I'm sorry, but I don't believe in guilty pleasures. I think you should be able to love whatever you love. There's good in everything. I feel the same way about TV, but there are shows that are just trash, which I love.

    21. JSJay Shetty1:07:15

        [laughs]

    22. NJNick Jonas1:07:15

        Oh my God, I'm not gonna name them.

    23. JSJay Shetty1:07:17

        So what's the, what is the artist or song that isn't a guilty pleasure but you're allowed to love?

    24. NJNick Jonas1:07:22

        Nickelback.

    25. JSJay Shetty1:07:23

        [laughs]

    26. NJNick Jonas1:07:23

        He's great. I love the songs. They're fantastic.

    27. JSJay Shetty1:07:27

        I love it. Uh, the thing I hate admitting Priyanka is always right about is...

    28. NJNick Jonas1:07:31

        People.

    29. JSJay Shetty1:07:32

        Ah, wow.

    30. NJNick Jonas1:07:34

        Yeah. She's always right about people.

Episode duration: 1:08:58