Jojo Siwa thinks there was a homophobic reason she wasn’t on Nickelodeon
There are lots of things about Jojo Siwa that people like to make fun of. The former Dance Moms star is a lot to take in. Now that she is older and has changed her approach to music, she is often the butt of a joke.
So when there is a rare moment of compassion for Siwa, you know it’s serious. During a documentary about Demi Lovato, she got some of her fellow child stars to talk about the price of fame. In a profile for The Hollywood Reporter, many of them opened up about the reality of childhood stardom and what the time was like as young kids in the business. One of them was Siwa, who shared that her relationship with Nickelodeon fell apart after she posted a video coming out in 2021.
Siwa says that the president of Nickelodeon at the time (who was Brian Robbins, but was not named by Siwa) called her to talk about the video, saying “What are we going to tell the kids?” Siwa reportedly told him to tell them “That I’m happy?” but he didn’t really take that to heart. According to Siwa, he wanted her to call every retailer that sold her merch and explain herself to them.
“Well, you need to have a call with every retailer [that sells JoJo Siwa merch] and tell them that you’re not going crazy.” Siwa revealed that she did what was asked of her by the president of Nickelodeon but also claimed that her relationship with them was never the same. “I basically got blackballed from the company.”
Nickelodeon doesn’t recall the situation
During the profile from The Hollywood Reporter, Nickelodeon released a statement about Siwa’s claims. “We are unaware of the incident JoJo is referencing and she was certainly not blackballed by Nickelodeon. We have valued and supported JoJo throughout our incredibly successful partnership, which included a JoJo-themed Pride collection at a major national retailer, among our many collaborations together. We continue to cheer her on and wish her nothing but the best.”
But Siwa also shared that if that would happen now, at 21, she might have a different reaction to the situation. “If the president of my music label called me now and was like, ‘Yo, what the f***?’ like the president of my network did then, I would lose my mind,” Siwa said. “Honestly, I’d be like, ‘Oh my God, I’m so sorry. Yes, I’ll go back in the closet. Or I’ll delete it. I’ll say it was a prank. I’ll get a boyfriend.’ But back then, I was like, ‘I’m in love and I’m happy. Shut up.’”
The candidness of these stars opening up about fame is fascinating but it is upsetting to know that Siwa felt the need to do what the president of Nickelodeon wanted her to just because she was living her life authentically.
For all the bells and whistles that Siwa puts on, she is still a young woman navigating fame and she is doing it her own way.
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