Is HGTV's Jonathan Knight Married? Meet His Husband Harley
If Jonathan Knight of HGTV's "Farmhouse Fixer" sounds familiar, it's because he was once part of the worldwide boy band, New Kids On The Block. While young girls all over sighed over his looks and hung his poster on their walls, Knight was hiding the fact he was gay from the public. In an episode of the podcast "Frosted Tips with Lance Bass," he revealed that his manager knew about his sexuality and told him, "If anybody finds out, then your career is over. The New Kids' career is over ... My career is over." The singer added, "It was just so much pressure." He kept his secret hidden until an ex-boyfriend outed him to a tabloid.
Knight is now married to his longtime partner Harley Rodriguez, whom he privately wed in 2022. When asked if they had finally tied the knot, he told ET, "We did. But everybody just assumed we're married, so, I never say yes or no 'cause I don't wanna lie." While Rodriguez isn't as well known as his husband, he was once an actor on a hit television show. However, he now prefers to spend his time out of the spotlight.
Harley Rodriguez is a fitness instructor
"Sweet Valley High" was one of the many '90s cheesy-but-feel-good television shows, and Harley Rodriguez was right in the thick of it. He was in all four seasons starring as the Wakefield twins' (Cynthia and Brittany Daniel) friend Manny Lopez. After the show ended in 1997, Rodriguez had some minor roles in "Saved by the Bell: The New Class" and "V.I.P." It seems he gave up on acting after that and is now a fitness instructor at Barry's in Boston, which is where his romance with Jonathan Knight started. This was around the time New Kids On The Block reunited in 2008.
"We were rehearsing the day I met him. He's a trainer at Barry's Bootcamp, so I would be with the band all day, then the only time I got to see him was to go take his class," Knight revealed to Entertainment Tonight in 2016. "I'd take his class then we'd go for dinner afterwards. He's been around from the beginning and seen [NKOTB's comeback] morph into what it is today," he added. At the time, he shared his and Rodriguez's wish to start a family but unfortunately, things didn't pan out as they had hoped.
Jonathan Knight and Harley Rodriguez are pet dads
While talking about gay marriage and having children via surrogate during the January 2023 episode of "Frosted Tips with Lance Bass," Jonathan Knight shared that he and Harley Rodriguez tried their hardest to have a baby. "We went through the journey for about five years and it didn't happen for us," he stated. The HGTV star recalled being excited during the process and then feeling a sense of disappointment when things didn't work out. "Meanwhile, you know, you're having twins and our other friends are having twins," he told the NSYNC singer with a laugh.
Knight and Rodriguez's foiled parenting plans didn't prevent them from becoming dads — of animals, that is. The two share their dog Oliver, as well as pet goats, ducks, and chickens. In November 2023, Rodriguez took to his Instagram, sharing a picture of their pup and writing, "Happy 1st birthday to our sweet, playful, loving, handsome, (& needy) fur baby Oliver! We can't imagine our home without him and forever grateful to @sweetpawsrescue & @momgray for rescuing and bringing him into our lives!" In May 2021, he and Knight debuted their new addition to the family and shared while holding two baby goats, "Introducing our New 'Kids' On The Farm!"