After catching Jenny McCarthy’s attention on social media, 23-year-old Nate Simon has quite the story to share. And this story is far from over.
Nate’s story is the feel-good story we all need, and it’s sure to shed some tears. His story involves Jenny, her husband Donnie Wahlberg, the Backstreet Boys, and the Jonas Brothers.
The Blast spoke with both Nate and his mom Holly about the incredible whirlwind experience exclusively, and when we said his story isn’t over, we really meant it. As we were talking to Holly, she informed us that they are on their way back to Las Vegas to catch the New Kids on the Block, courtesy of Donnie and Jenny.
How Nate And Jenny Became Besties
Nate has had a social media presence for some time now. Along with his mom Holly, Nate is the owner of an online t-shirt business called 21 Pineapples, which he uses to advocate for Down syndrome. With 295,000 followers on Instagram alone, it’s safe to say Nate has grabbed some attention. One person’s attention that he grabbed is none other than Jenny McCarthy.
“She has been following Nate for a while on TikTok and Instagram. We noticed that she would leave a heart next to her favorite videos,” Holly told The Blast. “And then one day she said I want that young man on my podcast. Few months went by and we got the call, ‘Hey, it’s Jenny. I’m coming to Chicago to tape your son.’ Literally mind blowing.”
But the story didn’t end there. Actually, it just picked up speed from that point.
“We recently met her in the last month and what came from that was an incredible podcast that just launched last week. It gave us a whole new audience which we were able to showcase Nate’s capabilities,” she said. “We strive daily for inclusion, acceptance, awareness, kindness, and love. She gave us a larger audience and new faces to see Nate the Great.”
Holly said that Nate has a great following as the CEO of his own Hawaiian shirt company, 21 Pineapples. She added, “That being said, there is a gigantic world out there that needs to know kids like Nate can be anything that they aim to be.”
‘They See Nate For Who He Is’
Holly shared that Jenny and Donnie “without hesitation are the kindest, most down to earth humans I have ever met to date.”
“They see Nate for who he is. They hear what he says. They believe in him and they realize that he is truly an angel on earth like we see daily,” Holly told The Blast. “They gifted Nate and my daughter a trip to Vegas, which included a visit to their new home, and VIP tickets to see the Backstreet Boys.”
The Backstreet Boys already knew of Nate, because they follow him on social media, so it was quite the moment for him to get to see their show at the Sphere in Vegas. While at the show, Nate also got the special treat of meeting the Jonas Brothers who were also catching the show. The Jonas Brothers also knew who Nate was before meeting him thanks to his online presence.
At the Sphere with his sister Lindsey, Jenny, and Donnie, AJ McLean from the Backstreet Boys stopped the concert to give a shout out to Nate.
“Nate had met him prior and told him that he leads with love and kindness so AJ, in front of one million people said, ‘Nate, the world needs more of you. Nate, you are amazing and keep spreading that love and kindness,’” Holly shared. “I think that was a showstopper.”
Seeing The Backstreet Boys At The Sphere
Unfortunately, Holly wasn’t able to attend the show in Vegas because she was recovering from surgery, so Nate’s sister went in her place.
“So as I was recovering on the sofa, I was getting these photos and videos and crying my eyes out of pure pride and joy,” she said. “My daughter said that the Sphere was absolutely spectacular and the show was equally spectacular. My daughter is a gigantic Backstreet Boys fan so this was just an outstanding opportunity that we never thought would happen in a lifetime.”
Holly said her daughter has been a fan of the Jonas Brothers since she was young so also meeting them during the show was like the cherry on top of an already amazing experience.
When asked what it was like meeting the Backstreet Boys, Nate said it was, “absolutely incredible.”
“Kevin knew me. It was awesome meeting him. What a great guy. AJ too,” Nate told The Blast. “The minute I got off the elevator he was like, ‘Hey, Nate.’ All of them were incredibly kind. They sang with me. We did a little dance and spent a lot of time with them. I hated to leave, but Patrick Mahomes was waiting to meet them next. I hope I get a chance to see them all again. I’m sure I will.”
Nate Was A Guest On Jenny’s Podcast
Nate was recently a guest on Jenny’s new podcast. During his episode, he talked about how people should say “congratulations” instead of “sorry” to new parents when speaking about Down syndrome. He explained that when he was born, people said, “sorry.”
“Because they said that, we all need to say congratulations. We need to. Because we are gonna share love and kindness and the 1960s stereotypes with love and kindness. That’s what we all need,” he said to Jenny on the podcast.
Nate told The Blast that while he was “nervous at first” being on the podcast, meeting Jenny was something special.
“I was nervous at first, but I love to talk and I love meeting new people,” he said. “She was so kind and easy to talk to. She even said I might be on again. I love her so much. She truly is a new angel in my life.”
All About 21 Pineapples
Four years ago, Holly realized that Nate needed “something for his future.”
“21 Pineapples came from our kitchen table. 21 represents the extra 21st chromosome that all kids with Down syndrome share,” Holly told The Blast. “Pineapples is because they are sweet, they are a sign of welcoming in the south, and my mom says it’s cool because pineapples wear their own crown and all kids with disabilities should wear their own crowns.”
Since launching the site, they’ve stayed “true to ourselves.” In the early days of the business, they worked with some people they say didn’t “align with our values,” so now, it’s strictly a family owned and operated business.
“Nate’s older brother Nicholas runs most of the company,” she said. “And he is doing a remarkable job.”
You can follow 21 Pineapples on Instagram. For more information, visit the website.
