Jonathan McDonald Van Ness (born March 28, 1987),[1] also commonly referred to by his[a] initials J.V.N, is an American hairstylist, podcast host and television personality. He is best known as the grooming expert on the Netflix series Queer Eye,[2] for his work on the web series parody Gay of Thrones, and for hosting the Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness podcast. He is also known for comedy tours, the 2023 tour entitled Fun & Slutty with Jonathan Van Ness.[3][4]
Early life
Jonathan Van Ness was born March 28, 1987, to parents Mary Winters and Jonathan Lyle Van Ness, and raised in Quincy, Illinois.[1][5] He said he comes "from a family of journalists", being the sixth generation of his family-owned newspaper.[6][non-primary source needed] This refers to broadcast and newspaper conglomerate Quincy Media and the company's local flagship newspaper, the Herald-Whig; Van Ness's mother is the vice president of Quincy Media, and he is a descendant of the Oakley family, which has controlled the company since the 1890s.[7]
When Van Ness was younger, he was sexually abused by an older boy at church, which laid the foundation for self-destructive behaviors.[8] In his early teens, he used online chat to socialize with older men, and sometimes meet with them for sex.[8]
Openly gay throughout his life,[9] Van Ness experienced bullying for his femininity and natural flamboyance. He "endured years of judgment, ridicule, and trauma." Of the time, Van Ness said, "Growing up I definitely put on every nail polish, every heel, every scarf – I definitely had my mom's knockoff Hermès scarves in my hair and around my waist – those were my skirts, and I loved it. ... But when I was really young, I had really femme-shamey, gender-shamey [reactions] when I would dress like that. When I would play with those things, I knew it needed to be ... behind closed doors."[10] Although always comfortable in his gender expression and sexuality, he says it took time to navigate other people's reactions.[10] In response to the bullying, he used humor as a coping mechanism and relied on a small group of close friends for support.[11] Years later, in the late 2010s, he realized he was gender non-conforming and started identifying as non-binary.[10][12] He uses they/them, he/him, and she/her pronouns.[13][non-primary source needed]
Van Ness was the first male cheerleader at Quincy Senior High School and continued cheerleading in college at the University of Arizona, where he majored in political science.[9][14] One month in his initial semester at college, he used his monthly allowance on cocaine and, too embarrassed to ask his parents for funds, turned to sex work.[8] His addictions to sex and drugs increased to also include methamphetamine.[8] His grades fell, and he lost his cheerleading scholarship; he dropped out after one semester to pursue hairstyling.[11][15]
Van Ness trained at the Aveda Institute in Minneapolis.[16] After graduating,[17] he worked in Arizona for five years,[18] before moving to Los Angeles in 2009.[9]
Van Ness's 9th Great-Grandmother, Patience Bacon, was one of the founders of Northampton, Massachusetts, and is on record for being the first female surgeon in America.[19]
Career
In Los Angeles, Van Ness found a job as a personal assistant at Sally Hershberger Salon.[9][17] One day in 2012, at age 25, he fainted in the salon while doing highlights for a client's hair.[8] Later at a clinic, he found out he was HIV-positive.[7] He used the revelation to get clean from drug use and publicly shared his story, saying, "I want people to realize you're never too broken to be fixed."[8][citation not found]
He worked at MoJoHair and Stile Salon, both in Los Angeles, which he co-founded with Monique Northrop of Arte Salon in New York City.[17][citation not found]
Beginning in 2018, Van Ness has starred as the grooming expert on the Netflix revival of Queer Eye.[25]
Books
Van Ness's memoir, Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love,[26] was published in October 2019. His memoir discusses his past and how it helped sculpt his future.
In 2020, Van Ness released a picture book titled Peanut Goes for the Gold, which tells the story of a nonbinary guinea pig named Peanut and their adventures as a rhythmic gymnastics prodigy. Peanut is inspired by Van Ness's own childhood pet.[27]
In 2022 Van Ness released a collection of essays in a book titled Love That Story: Observations from a Gorgeously Queer Life.[28]
Personal life
Van Ness identifies as non-binary.[12][29] Although he has stated a preference for using the pronouns "he/him", he has also used "she/her" and "they/them" interchangeably.[30][31] He explained his gender in an interview with Out, saying, "Some days I feel like a man, but then other days I feel like a woman. I don't really — I think my energies are really all over the place. Any opportunity I have to break down stereotypes of the binary, I am down for it, I'm here for it."[12] However, on his Instagram account, the pronouns displayed by order of preferences are they/he/she.[13]
On June 23, 2020, Van Ness and Queer Eye costar Bobby Berk praised recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions that ruled that LGBT employment discrimination was a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.[36] Van Ness described the ruling as "a great step in the right direction."[36] However, both of them still urged the United States Congress to pass the proposed Equality Act,[36] which passed the House but ultimately stalled in the Senate following a filibuster.
In December 2020, Van Ness revealed that he had married his partner, Mark Peacock, earlier that year.[37]
Bibliography
Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love (2019)
Peanut Goes for the Gold (2020)
Love That Story: Observations from a Gorgeously Queer Life (2022)
^Van Ness uses he/him, she/her, and they/them pronouns but has stated that he prefers he/him. This article uses he/him pronouns for consistency.
References
^ ab"Jonathan Van Ness on Instagram". Instagram. March 27, 2018. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved March 29, 2018. I turn 31 tomorrow, what a year it's been. The reoccurring theme I've been shown is to advocate for yourself. Even when it means you may not please everyone, or it feels inconvenient. #selflove
