JoJo Siwa is not too happy about a joke Miley Cyrus made about her — and her relationship with Chris Hughes — at World Pride.
Over the weekend, Miley, who identifies as pansexual, was featured in a video message for a World Pride event in Washington, D.C. In the clip, which was filmed inside a closet, Miley wished everyone an “amazing World Pride Month” before exclaiming that Pride Month should be “infinite”.
She ended the video by saying, “Alright, I’m going back to the closet to find JoJo Siwa and bring her back out”.
You can watch the moment below.
While the gag was met with laughter from the crowd, JoJo has taken to Instagram with a few throwback photos and some complicated feelings about Miley’s joke.
“I was happy at my fifth birthday having a Miley-themed party, and I’m still happy now at 22,” the post began, with JoJo reflecting on how Miley had been her idol ever since she was two years old.
“I wasn’t sure how I felt about things for a couple of days, but I’ve started to come to some thoughts. I don’t believe what Miley said at World Pride was ill-intended. Honestly, I think it was meant to be a joke, but just not a very good one. Not what the world, or myself, needs to hear any day of the week.”
JoJo said that after she saw Miley’s joke, she reached out to her.
“I messaged Miley light-heartedly about it and she replied and said, ‘All love. Always’,” the Dance Moms star continued.
“Honestly, the most beautiful thing I’ve learned in the last five years is that love is a gorgeous rainbow. Don’t question yourself, don’t second-guess yourself, just love. Love love love love love.❤️
“People judge no matter what, and it can be very hard, especially when it comes from someone you love and look up to… but if you feel happy and content with yourself, that’s most important.
“You get one life… hold onto it, make it yours, find your happy, and love.”
Miley’s comments about JoJo’s sexuality come after she publicly started dating Love Island star Chris Hughes.
JoJo and Chris met on Celebrity Big Brother UK, and their blossoming relationship was widely publicised, especially since the “Karma” singer was dating Aussie creator Kath Ebbs at the time. During their time in the Big Brother house, JoJo revealed that she didn’t feel like the lesbian label fit her anymore, and that queer felt more accurate.
JoJo sensationally broke up with Kath at the Celebrity Big Brother wrap party in April. While there was plenty of speculation that JoJo and Chris had already started dating, the pair said their connection was purely platonic. A month later, JoJo revealed what the world had already believed to be true — she was in a relationship with the reality star.
Naturally, social media had a hell of a lot of conflicting feelings about JoJo and Chris’ relationship.
Some people were happy for the couple after watching their connection blossom on screen. Others felt like JoJo’s public fluidity and acceptance of a connection with Chris further enforced heteronormative standards and diminished the validity of sapphic relationships.
While that may be true, it’s important to remember that sexuality is an incredibly fluid thing. The situation may be messy and uncomfortable, but let’s not forget that JoJo has grown up in the public eye. For all the missteps we’ve all made in private, she’s making them in front of the entire world.
Despite my fears of sounding like a JoJo apologist, I think we need to give her a bit of grace, allow for the grey area, nuance and room for personal discovery.
Not just because the 22-year-old’s frontal lobe hasn’t fully developed yet, but because I know if I were in her shoes, I’d want to be afforded that right.
