Donny Osmond's Rocky Relationship With His Son Jeremy Explained

There was a time when Donny Osmond was one of the biggest heartthrobs in the world. As the youngest Osmond brother, he shot to fame after his first performance on "The Andy Williams Show" when he was just a kid. "Here is a little flashback to my debut performance on The Andy Williams Show. My brothers had recently signed a contract to appear on the #AndyWilliams show regularly. I would watch when they were on until I got the opportunity to be on it myself. I was 5 years old," Donny tweeted in 2021.

Donny went on to have a successful solo career apart from his brothers and thrived on his squeaky-clean image. Raised in a strict Mormon household, he married his wife Debbie Osmond in 1978 when he was just 20 years old. They went on to have five sons together and raised them with the same religious beliefs. "Mormonism plays a vital role in raising our children because we teach them the love of God and the reason we're here on this earth: to perfect our lives and hopefully someday, we believe, to return to our heavenly Father," Donny shared with the Los Angeles Times. At the time, his second oldest son, Jeremy Osmond, was only 4 years old but unfortunately, a rebellious period during his teenage years caused a rift between the father-son duo.

It's hard living in the shadow of a famous parent, but when you're Donny Osmond's kid, there's extra pressure to live a moral life. In an interview with The Guardian, Donny revealed that his relationship with Jeremy Osmond went through a defiant phase during which he got multiple facial piercings, dyed his hair, and turned his back on Mormonism. During this period, Jeremy refused to speak to his family, including Donny, for four years. "I think a lot of the rebellion came from the fact that he was my son — you know, this whole Osmond thing. He couldn't stand the whole Osmond image. When you are forced to be a certain thing, that's why you want to rebel: 'I don't want to be pigeonholed, I don't want to be just another Mormon Osmond,' you know," the "Puppy Love" singer shared. Donny shared that after his rebellion, Jeremy "came back," and went on a mission to Italy to serve his church.

Donny shared his relief that Jeremy was finally on the straight and narrow. "Every parent goes through child rebellion and it's a very difficult time. But what's beautiful, and a great feeling, is when they do realize that Mum and Dad aren't that stupid after all," he told Mormons Today. Unfortunately, Jeremy's scrape with the law years later caused another blip in the Osmond name and Donny was likely not too happy to find out about it from the press.

Jeremy Osmond's rebellious phase was in the distant past when he made headlines for a serious charge. As reported by the National Enquirer, he was target-shooting in his hometown of Cedar Hills, Utah in July 2012 when he got arrested for firing a gun. According to an insider, Donny Osmond, who was touring with his sister Marie Osmond at the time the news broke months later, wouldn't be too pleased with his son. "Donny's really going to blow his stack, especially in the wake of the Connecticut school shootings. Firing a gun irresponsibly isn't something to just shrug off like Jeremy seems to be doing," the source stated. Jeremy had to pay a $200 fine and was able to keep his gun. "It's possible the authorities went easy on him because he's an Osmond, but his dad's certainly not going to be pleased!" the unnamed source declared.

Despite his infraction, it seems Jeremy continues to live a wholesome life. He built a career in physical therapy and shares three children with his wife Melisa Osmond. Donny shared his love for his son in an Instagram post. "Happy birthday to my son Jeremy — or should I say Doctor Osmond! Mom and I are so proud of you for what you've accomplished in your life. You hold a very special place in our hearts," he gushed.