Nick Jonas reveals 'tragic' performance that led him to therapy

He said the moment led to "healing."

Nick Jonas reveals 'tragic' performance that led him to therapy
Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images
May 23, 2023, 10:24 AM

Musicians have good performances and bad performances, but one particular performance stuck with Nick Jonas and affected his mental health so much that he said had to go to therapy.

On the latest episode of "Armchair Expert" with Dax Shepard featuring the Jonas Brothers, the artist said that "a really tragic" guest guitar solo during a performance with country star Kelsea Ballerini during the 2016 ACM Awards really messed with his head.

"In retrospect, I can kind of laugh about how big I thought it was," he said. "But it did travel more than I wish it would have, and it did cause me to go to therapy."

PHOTO: Nick Jonas participates in the featured session "Crushing: The Burden of Diabetes on Patients" at the Austin Convention Center during the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, on March 13, 2023.
Nick Jonas participates in the featured session "Crushing: The Burden of Diabetes on Patients" at the Austin Convention Center during the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, on March 13, 2023.
Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images

He explained that he had "rehearsed it a million times" but when it came time for his solo, he blanked.

"To this day and hours after unpacking it, I can't really figure out exactly what happened, but I was rushed to a car and rushed to a plane right after it and I looked at my manager and said, 'I think that was bad,'" he said.

He described that he was "in shock" following the performance.

"It was a really traumatic moment that shaped the pressure I put on myself to be perfect and to always be on," he said.

He called it "the worst moment," but says the experience led to "healing."