People wonder if Jonathan Van Ness’ real name is Jackie. Well, it’s not. However, people nicknamed him “Jackie” or “Jack” in his younger days.
Everyone agrees that Netflix‘s Queer Eye is the pinnacle of makeover reality series because of the tireless empathy displayed at every turn. After all, it follows five gifted experts collectively referred to as the “Fab Five” as they lead people (referred to as “Heroes”) down a path of self-improvement to help them in leading the best lives possible.
With the release of Season 7, Jonathan Van Ness, Bobby Berk, Antoni Porowski, Tan France, and Karamo Brown all return to Netflix in their various roles as authorities on culture, cuisine and wine, fashion, and aesthetics.
Recently, we’ve found that many people have been claiming that Jonathan Van Ness used to be called Jackie in his younger days. As a result, many people want to know if Jackie is his real name. Well, we’ve got you covered.
Previously, we discussed Wesley Hamilton, Maryam Henderson-Uloho, and Lambda Chi Alpha.
While Jonathan Van Ness Is His Real Name, People Used to Call Him “Jackie” in His Younger Days!
Even though Jackie is not his real name, Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) used to be called “Jackie” or “Jack” in his younger life. As accidentally revealed by his co-star Tan France right at the start of an episode of the Getting Curious podcast, Van Ness’ nickname was Jackie but don’t ever call him that. Only a few people call him by that name.
Jonathan Van Ness was nicknamed Jackie in his younger days.
Image Source: Instagram
France described a day when he overheard his friend on the phone and asked permission to refer to JVN by his well-known nickname. Despite allowing France to do so, Van Ness made it clear on one episode of his podcast that his mother has to call him Jonathan and get used to it. Don’t expect JVN to turn that magnificent head if you call him “Jackie” in the street, even though Tan may be receiving special treatment. Now let’s talk about his early life.
36-year-old Jonathan Van Ness was born in Quincy, Illinois, on March 28, 1987. He is the son of Mary Winters and the former salesperson Jon Van Ness. JVN was raised in his hometown, a small port city near the Mississippi River, and spent the majority of his youth there. His parents divorced when he was five years old, and his mother remarried four years later.
JVN comes from a family of journalists and is the sixth generation of their family-owned company, Quincy Media, a media conglomerate that runs 16 television stations as well as two regional newspapers. His mother, Mary Oakley Winters, is the company’s vice president. He is a member of the Oakley family, which has run the business since the 1890s.
Jonathan Van Ness experienced bullying for the majority of his childhood due to his flamboyance and femininity. He has faced criticism and judgment for his lifestyle choices and sense of style. And regrettably, nothing had changed when he was younger. He experienced all of these things while growing up in a tiny town, and on top of that, he was sexually assaulted by an older boy at church, which marked the beginning of JVN’s self-destructive behavior.
He used to have conversations with older men online when he was a teenager, and occasionally he would meet them for s*x. Things worsened when he received a cheering scholarship to attend college after becoming the first male cheerleader at his high school. He started doing s*x work after spending all of his allowance money on drugs and being too embarrassed to ask his mother and stepfather for financial assistance. JVN’s grades declined as a result of his drug and s*x addiction, and he eventually lost his scholarship.
Jonathan Van Ness came out as non-binary in 2019.
Image Source: Instagram
He learned he was gender non-conforming years after leaving his childhood of bullying and humiliation behind, and in the middle of 2019 came out as non-binary. He still favors he/him pronouns, though. JVN is currently concentrating on his career, self-love, and his podcast, Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness. In order to celebrate who he is, he wants everyone to be able to do the same.
Talking about his relationship status, he has been married to Mark Peacock since 2020. The couple started dating after meeting while Jonathan was on a comedy tour in London. Previously, JVN was in a relationship with Wilco Froneman, a rugby player.
Before leaving, find out how to submit the nomination form and if the nominees get to keep the furniture.