Is JoJo Siwa Hollywood's Latest Wild Child? YouTuber's Secrets And Scandals Revealed
Superstar JoJo Siwa was just nine years old when she won America's heart by placing fifth on the Dance Moms spinoff series Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition.
Since her days trying to impress controversial dance instructor Abby Lee Miller, the 18-year-old has become a household name, built a multimillion-dollar empire, secured over 10 million Instagram followers and has become an icon to tweens around the world.
Siwa soon became a YouTube phenomenon — her debut single, “Boomerang,” has been viewed over 900 million times and went platinum in 2017.
What started as a simple accessory for the bubbly blonde turned into a booming business, as she took her love of hair bows (originally made by her mom) and started selling them at mall retailer Claire’s. As of February, Siwa has sold over 80 million bows, reports Fox Business, earning her a lot of cash.
The dancer has gone on to sign an overall talent deal with Nickelodeon, scored her own doll line, a clothing company called JoJo’s Closet, a beverage named JoJo’s Juice and more.
With all the fame, however, comes some controversy, and the newly-minted LGBTQ+ icon — Siwa recently declared she was pansexual — has her fair share.
Scroll through the gallery below to see JoJo Siwa’s biggest scandals.
Wild Pride Party Bash
Things appear to have gotten a little out of control at Siwa's extravagant Pride party, as paramedics were reportedly called for a possible guest overdose. As OK! previously reported, cops responded to the call to Siwa’s home in Los Angeles a little after 8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 2. The unidentified partygoer is said to be a male around 30, who allegedly overdosed on the potent hallucinogenic drug LSD.
Insiders who attended the party claim the man showed up to the party already high and “in pretty rough shape.” The man was reportedly transported to a nearby hospital, and police have determined there was no crime committed.
Makeup Kit Recalled For Containing Asbestos
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The Dance Moms alum’s makeup collection at Claire’s was recalled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration after they discovered it contained asbestos. Siwa addressed the controversy via YouTube. “Recently it’s been brought up to my attention that there has been a problem with one of my products in Claire’s stores, with one of the JoJo makeup products,” she stated in the video, according to PEOPLE. “I just want to let everyone know that, no matter what, safety is myself and Nickelodeon’s No. 1 priority in everything, in every JoJo product and in everything out there.”
Blackface Scandal
Siwa came under attack after the release of her music video for the hit song "NONSTOP," which featured a backup dancer who some accused of appearing in blackface. In the circus-themed video, Siwa is dressed as a ring leader while backup dancers are dressed as various animals, including a tiger and a zebra. One dancer is wearing a costume and face paint depicting a monkey, which drew criticism.
The singer "set the record straight" via Instagram following the controversy. "We’re talking about kids dressing up as circus animals! No one in my video is wearing blackface," she wrote in a lengthy statement on June 26, 2020. "It’s awful that anyone’s mind would even go there. Kids dressing in animal costumes, having their faces painted to look like animals, acting the part. There were zebras, tigers, dogs, clowns, mermaids, everything."
Instagram Squabble With Justin Bieber
The "Yummy" crooner sparked an unlikely feud with Siwa on social media in 2018 after she posted a picture of her then-new customized BMW. Justin commented “burn it” twice on a photo of the teenager with the car, and Siwa responded with an epic clapback on Instagram. Siwa posted a follow-up picture in her convertible on December 30. In the photo, there is a cardboard cutout of Justin riding in the passenger seat. She then captioned the snap, “burn it.”
Bieber backtracked on his comment, tweeting at the teen: “I have nothing against you it was the car and the colors I didn’t like,” OK! reported. He continued, “I really hope you didn’t think it was malicious or mean spirited.”
Rapper DaBaby Calls Out Siwa In Lyrics
Rapper DaBaby dropped his freestyle “Beatbox” remix in April 2021, name checking Siwa in the lyrics. “N****, you a b**ch / JoJo Siwa, b**ch / She let the wrong n**** get rich,” DaBaby raps on the song, as he held up a photo of the 18-year-old singing sensation in the music video. Following the release of the track, DaBaby was hit with a barrage of backlash on social media. The rapper had to clarify that the line wasn’t meant to be taken as a diss and rather a play on words. “I love Twitter bruh,” he tweeted as he and Siwa began trending before he poked fun at using “Siwa” as a way of saying “see why.”
To clear the air, the rapper revealed that he contacted Siwa to ask if she would join him on stage at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards. “We’re 1000% JoJo Siwa fans. We love her, we actually reached out to see if she wanted to perform with me at the Grammys,” DaBaby said on the red carpet before the awards ceremony, referring to himself and his daughter, who is a big fan of the Nickelodeon star. “But I heard she’s somewhere working on a project of her own.”
