WATCH: Did JoJo Siwa Come Out as Gay? TikTok Video Sparks Speculation
jojo siwa #jojosiwa
After Joelle Joanie “JoJo” Siwa posted a video of herself on TikTok jamming out to Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way,” viewers believed this was the former Dance Moms star way of coming out as gay.
The 17-year-old pop star has neither confirmed nor denied the rumors, but JoJo’s name started trending nationally on Twitter with people wondering about the true meaning behind her lip-sync video.
This feels like a big deal if it is what I think it is…JoJo Siwa is hugely popular with kids.
And as someone just pointed out, if it is what I think it is, she’s doing it at the height of her fame when she’s selling out arenas. pic.twitter.com/oD2YehbZwu
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) January 21, 2021
For some users online, it would not be a surprise at all if JoJo was gay or bisexual. In 2018, drag queens Izzy Uncut and Poppy dubbed JoJo a “gay icon” to Out magazine.
i mean jojo siwa wasn’t fooling anyone pic.twitter.com/Cg8vR4kQYA
— cas | the wilds (@mesirwhosir) January 21, 2021
JoJo, who has 31 million followers on TikTok, posted the video on Wednesday night. Fueling the rumors that this was a legit coming-out video, a comment by her friend, makeup artist James Charles, who wrote, “IM SO HAPPY FOR YOU,” with three heart-face emojis.
JAMES CHARLES COMMENTED THIS SO??? I GUESS JOJO SIWA ACTUALLY JUST CAME OUT UMMM ICONIC pic.twitter.com/nWNGLKJkjJ
— 🍎 mavis 🍎 (@doodlejoong) January 21, 2021
However, most viewers were unsure of what to make of the video. It could just be a teenage girl rocking out to Lady Gaga. There might not be any underlying message.
Jojo siwa sang a lyric and yall think she came out goodbye- pic.twitter.com/0BwFq5eD02
— ˗ˏˋᴄᴇʟᴇʙɪʀᴛᴇᴀˎˊ˗ (@Celebirteas) January 21, 2021
everyone saying jojo siwa came out bc she has rainbow lights and is singing to born this way 😭😭 that doesn’t mean shes coming out it could be a 2012 kibum cosplay
— 📌 vote skz in seoul music awards (@luvitwol) January 21, 2021
JoJo’s fans were desperate for answers. While one TikTok user commented, “OMG CONGRATS” with a series of rainbow emojis, another person asked, “HOLD UP IS THIS HER COMING OUT VIDEO?”
Whatever the meaning is behind JoJo’s “Born This Way” TikTok video, the “D.R.E.A.M” singer will continue living her best life, which Kim Kardashian wrote about in TIME magazine:
JoJo is never ashamed to be herself, which can be really hard to do in this industry, especially when you’re so young. When Keeping Up With the Kardashians first aired, I was old enough to know who I was and make my own decisions. I can’t imagine what it’s like to live this life at age 17. JoJo embraces it, and I hope she always will.
JoJo Was Dating Boyfriend Mark Bontempo Until November 2020
While rumors swirl around JoJo’s sexuality, it was only a few months ago that the teen sensation was dating boyfriend Mark Bontempo. The couple first went public with their relationship in August 2020, however, they called it quits in November.
Following the split, JoJo defended her ex-boyfriend against the onslaught of hate he received online. As reported by E! News, she wrote the following comment on Instagram to shut down the backlash:
Mark doesn’t deserve hateful things like this. He deserves to have people support him. You have NO idea about mark and I’s relationship. how much fun it was. how happy we both were, and how happy we both are. We decided it’s best for us to not be in a relationship…. that’s all.
JoJo, who was named as TIME magazine’s most influential people in 2020 added, “We’re teenagers. And our relationship didn’t work out right now. He did nothing. I did nothing. Just better being friends. Relax.”
In March 2020, fans believed JoJo was dating close family friend Elliot Brown.
JoJo Admitted That She Doesn’t Share Everything With Her Followers
Even JoJo, who has 10 million followers on Instagram, likes to keep parts of her life private from the media spotlight.
While appearing with her mother on the Success With Podcast, JoJo said, “Do I have any secrets? Yes. Actually the other day I was priding myself on how honest I am with the world and how I have no secrets. And then I was like, ‘Um, but what about a few of my things?’ A couple of secrets,” she said, to which her mom said, “your boyfriend?”
“He’s amazing and I couldn’t have imagined anyone better,” JoJo replied.
JoJo admits that she initially tried to keep her relationship with Mark under wraps. “I’m really in the public light and the thing is like, I don’t care,” she explained. “That’s a side of my life that I can keep public or I can keep private,” noting that she left it to her boyfriend to decide if he wanted to reveal his identity to her fanbase.
“Honestly he’s a dream,” she continued. “Really, truly unreal and I’m so happy.”
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