she toldShowstopper Magazinein 2017.
She also claimed that she held great memories of her time on the Lifetime reality show.
Of course, Siwa kept doing her thing.
And since leaving “Dance Moms,” she’s only been in the public eye more often.
After all, she’d found a new outlet for communicating with her fans: YouTube.
Through quirky videos like house tours and cupcake-baking tutorials, Siwa’s energetic personality won her legions of fans.
In 2016, Siwa released “Boomerang,” a single that tackled online bullying.
I don’t want anyone to have to go through that."
This all led to a partnership with Nickelodeon, which saw Siwa setting out on D.R.E.A.M.
In 2019, she performed dozens of shows all around the world.
“It’s going to be amazing and epic,” she promisedThe Hollywood Reporterahead of the tour.
In a later interview withKTLA, Siwa confirmed that the tour was just as epic as she hoped.
“It’s so crazy, you know?”
“It’s exactly what I’ve wanted to be doing my whole life.”
That led to fan speculation about the Nickelodeon star’s sexuality.
A few months later, Siwa sat down withPeopleand explained.
At the time, Siwa was in a relationship with Kylie Prew.
“She never cares what the internet said about us,” Siwa said.
Siwa’s powerful coming-out statementseems to have been a long time in the works.
That turned into a merch empire.
“So far, we’ve sold over 80 million bows,” Siwa toldForbesin 2020.
At the time, she insisted to the outlet that she wasn’t interested in switching up her image.
“For me the bow isn’t just something that I put in my hair.
I feel weird without it,” she said.
That’s never going to happen."
Before she made the change, though, she had to tell her mother.
She toldPeoplethat this conversation with her mom was actually more difficult than coming out.
Still, Siwa acknowledged, the imagery was simply too iconic to commit to putting away for good.
“I still love bows, I forever will,” she said.
“They’re who I am, but maybe I won’t wear it every day.”
The relationship seems to have been a quick one.
“That sounds so lame,” Siwa gushed toE!
The relationship would, unfortunately, not make the “years” mark.
That all sounds wonderful, but not everybody viewed their time with XOMG Pop!
In fact, Siwa and her mother were accused of mistreatment on set.
Sanderson’s mother, Angie, said they were fired from production after complaining about their treatment.
However, other parents disagreed with that assessment of JoJo and Jessalyn.
“JoJo has played an older sister role and supportive mentor to the girls.”
“I don’t want anyone to think it was my choice not to go…
I simply didn’t get an invite,” she wrote.
The following year, Siwa posted aTikTokabout being called into a meeting with an unnamed employer over her sexuality.
A statement from NIckelodeon provided toE!
In 2021, she competed on “Dancing With The Stars.”
She toldTeen Voguethat the experience was transformative.
“Now I stand a little taller with my chin a little higher, looking a little prouder.”
“It’s so unreal,” she said.
In a 2023TikTok, Siwa reacted to a video of herself being berated on her former show.
“When people hate to try and hurt me but this was my childhood,” she wrote.
That being said, Siwa has also defended Miller from criticism from other “Dance Moms” alums.
“You go to Abby, you know what you’re getting into,” she said.
She also surprised fans with dark, edgy makeup around her eyes.
“I think people forget that my whole life has been criticized and judged and watched.
It’s not easy.
It’s very tough,” she toldExtra.
“Jojo Siwa does not have to dress like a KISS band member every.
day to rebrand,” one person wrote onX, formerly Twitter.
“Never be ordinary.
Always be extraordinary,” Simmons advised.
“JoJo is extraordinary and she looks cool.”
“I was a bad girl / I did some bad things,” Siwa sings.
Iamthe first of a generation; it is very scary, but someone’s gotta do it."
She toldBillboard, “It’s not necessarily pop.
There are, of course, plenty of other gay people making music.
Many clowned Siwa for claiming to invent this genre.
She also toldBillboard, “I don’t care if people like it.
I don’t care if people hate it.
But I want people to turn their head at it and I want people to notice it.”
