Jonah Marais has navigated the complexities of fame and identity since his time in the boy band Why Don’t We. The group, which played venues like Madison Square Garden and continues to hold over 6 million listeners on Spotify, announced their hiatus in 2022. Since then, Marais embarked on a solo career, using music as a means of rediscovery.
But while he was searching for his voice as an artist, he also found himself in Orlando, entangled in a legal battle involving his former management company, Signature Entertainment.
The case, stemming from accusations of breach of contract and defamation, finally came to a close on Feb. 27, with the jury issuing a mixed verdict. Marais and three of his bandmates were fined $1 each for breach of contract and $400,000 for defamation, according to Rolling Stone, but it was canceled out after the management company was ordered to pay $400,000 for breach of fiduciary after acting in their own interest as opposed to the band’s.
Moving forward, they will no longer be able to utilize the band’s name.
But as Marais continued to fight and testify against his band’s former management, he refrained from seeing the situation as a mentally taxing few weeks. He saw an open window of opportunity to not only connect with a Southern fanbase, but to also promote his new music. Embarking on a series of pop-up concerts across Florida, including Depot Park in Gainesville, Marais opened up about his journey with mental health and self-discovery.
Finding himself after “Why Don’t We”
Since Why Don’t We announced their hiatus in 2022, Marais jumped into his solo career ready to get to work. On June 7, he released his first single since the band, “Twisted Lullaby,” which is a vulnerable encapsulation of his doubts as a solo artist.
The song opens with Marais comparing himself to the other four members of the band, hinting at a now-competitive relationship.
“As we were coming out of the band into this time, I think there was a little bit of a competitive nature to it, because we’re all coming from the same space,” Marais said.
It’s now been almost a year since the song was released, and as time has passed, Marais said the competitiveness has lessened. All that remains is what he calls a “supportive love-fest.” Even in the early moments following the band’s hiatus, he said, the love between him and his bandmates never truly dwindled.
As Marais reflected on his life since Why Don’t We, he said he’s seen a lot change, and it isn’t just in the music or how he presents himself; it’s in how he prioritizes his values.
Growing up, Marais always had good morals and would lead with positivity. He’d even be one of the social students and go through his yearbooks, calling old classmates to see how they’re doing. But then he was indoctrinated into the entertainment industry, where his morals were tested underneath the public eye.
Along with the pressures of dealing with attention, Marais said one of the things he struggled with most was having to keep his relationships private, which was at his management’s discretion. He wasn’t allowed to talk or post about any of his relationships, and while he was with his girlfriend at the time, he was told they couldn’t be seen together. If they were in public, there were Instagram accounts solely dedicated to posting Why Don’t We drama and updates, notifying fans of the band’s every move.
“We’d be trying to sneak out of the back doors of hotels because there’s fans in the lobby, and we knew that those update and drama pages were going to post about it,” Marais said. “It was a very serious thing because if it did get posted, I would get a crazy long text from management being like, ‘What the f**k is going on?’”
Since seeking new management, Marais has been able to freely post about his new relationship with no “big ruler” dictating his social media content. Although people will continue to comment on his love life, it got to him more back then, he said. Now, he’s content with knowing where his intentions are and doing what makes him happy.
Journey with mental health
Although Marais always prioritized positivity, he’s simultaneously struggled with mental health in ways he didn’t share with the public.
In spring of 2023, Marais experienced a psychosis episode, during which he was convinced the world was ending. This conviction ran so strong that he was taken to the emergency room. While he was there, he was placed on a 12-hour hold after he tried to run.
“That was the bottom, for sure, of not doing OK and to not trust your own brain after that,” Marais said. “And I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh. I’m not OK.’ And I tried to just pretend that I was, but it was not good.”
After his stint in the hospital, Marais said he started his healing journey, slowly but surely getting back to where he was and proving to his parents that he was healthy again.
One of the steps he took to achieve this was getting sober from alcohol, which helped him understand the importance of mental health and how it goes hand-in-hand with sobriety. He’s now over a year sober, and the life he’s adapted to feels much more constant and stable than before, he said.
But even as Marais’ mental health reached new lows, his positive online persona never wavered. He would continue to post uplifting messages online, which was a contradiction to the struggles he was facing at the time.
The difference between what he was feeling and what he was posting wasn’t just for show; he was putting out a message of still being positive, because that’s how he wanted other people to be toward him, he said.
It’s been almost two years since the psychosis episode, and he now feels restored and happy, he said. While it took a significant effort to reach the peace he’s found today, Marais also said his fan-base and their support also helped him reach the other side of the mountain.
Peyton Price, an 18-year-old UF sociology freshman, and Alanah Sullivan, a 19-year-old UF criminology freshman, became friends their freshman year of high school thanks to Marais, even though he didn’t know it at the time.
In the fall of 2020, the two friends were sitting at lunch, socially distanced and in different friend groups, when Price overheard Sullivan mention Why Don’t We. Five years later and six feet closer, the two best friends sat on a blanket in Depot Park to watch Marais perform — the first time seeing any of the band members perform live together.
As an emerging solo artist, Price said Marais stands well on his own and is releasing great music.
“It’s very innovative,” she said about his music. “I think he’s doing his own thing, and it seems like very positive music. He’s kind of catering toward mental health music.”
Reaching the verdict
On the ninth floor of the Orange County Courthouse, the courtroom was small but full.
Talia Engman, a 22-year old University of Tampa marketing senior, was the first one inside the courtroom with her friend, Larissa. The pair were seated directly behind Marais and two of his bandmates on the left side of the courtroom as both attorneys gave their closing statements.
Engman, who’s been a fan of Why Don’t We and Marais since 2018, said the band’s former management gave their statements first. At one point, Engman said Marais got up and left the courtroom after hearing the opposing side speak.
After a 10-minute break, the band’s legal team gave their final remarks. At around 1 p.m., the jury began to discuss the case. It took them about five hours to deliberate. Around 6:30 p.m., the verdict was announced, Engman said.
The courtroom was silent when the jury disclosed the ruling, but that silence spoke volumes, Engman said.
“Internally, I felt my stomach drop,” Engman said. “My blood was boiling. I was overwhelmed with emotions.”
The courthouse closed for the evening at 4 p.m., but after the verdict was announced, the three band members and their fans weren’t ready to leave just yet.
With the main doors locked, Engman and others in attendance were led through a side entrance and waited for the band to join them. Marais and the two others, Corbyn Besson and Zach Herron, were visibly “out of it” but did their best to put on a “good face,” Engman said.
After spending weeks facing an exhaustive legal battle, Engman said the three kept repeating that, at the end of the day, they were just thankful to finally put the case behind them.
As the group stood in the dark, eyes shining in an effort to hold back tears, the former boy band didn’t officially close out this chapter of their lives without thanking the fans who stood by them.
Although the future of the band remains uncertain, a reunion isn’t out of the picture just yet, Marais said. With files of unreleased music sitting untouched on Marais’ and his former bandmates' phones, there’s unfinished business and an opportunity to return under a different name.
However, they’ll cross that bridge when they get there. For now, Marais doesn’t have any plans to halt his solo career. As he works to put out new music, though, stardom isn’t at the forefront of his mind.
“My main goal is just happiness, and as long as I can pay for my own life and my future family and support us, then I’m good,” Marais said. “I don’t have to be the biggest superstar of all time.”
Contact Tanya Fedak at tfedak@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @ttanyafedak.
Tanya Fedak is the Spring 2025 Avenue editor and third-year journalism major. You might also recognize her from WUFT, where she's an anchor and reporter. When she's not on the clock, you can find her rereading "Me Before You" or planning her next trip to NYC.
