JoJo Siwa is opening up about her sexuality journey.
On a June 4 episode of E!’s “Hot Goss” YouTube series, the 23-year-old singer, dancer and former “Dance Moms” star discussed the backlash she and “Love Island” star Chris Hughes have faced over their relationship.
“Coming out dating a man, for me, ended up getting more scrutiny than coming out dating a girl,” Siwa said.
Siwa has spoken openly about her identity since coming out as LGBTQ in 2021, but her relationship with fellow “Celebrity Big Brother” alum Hughes prompted renewed scrutiny about her sexuality, opening up a conversation about the pressure young people face to define themselves before they’re ready.
“That was just kind of a hard thing to deal with at first, like people just always having something to say,” Siwa said.
Melvin Williams, associate professor of communication and media studies at Pace University, previously told USA TODAY that sexuality is an aspect of identity that is complex and ever-evolving.
Siwa, he added, may have faced pressure to proclaim her identity early-on as she lives in the public eye. He said her later reflections send an important message to young fans: That it’s OK to change your mind.
“The message is very clear that young people have the right to identify, to take a step and become more educated on the varying aspects of their identity, and to identify as something else, or add more nuance to the descriptors of their sexuality,” Williams said.
Why Hughes and Siwa can’t escape those ‘lavender relationship’ comments
Yet, as Siwa’s recent relationship demonstrates, that message isn’t always easy for audiences to embrace.
Siwa and Hughes began fueling rumors almost immediately after leaving the “Big Brother” house. The relationship raised eyebrows among viewers who speculated that it could have been the catalyst for her breakup with Australian influencer Kath Ebbs, who accused Siwa of “emotional cheating” and said Siwa ended their relationship at a cast after-party in April 2025.
Commentators online also speculated about if Siwa and Hughes were in a “lavender relationship,” Siwa said, a dynamic where a queer person dates a certain person to hide their sexual orientation.
“I had no clue what it meant before,” Siwa said. “Then I googled it, I was like, ‘Oh, grow up.’”
It makes sense why we care more about celebrities like Siwa now than we did before. You’re probably reading this article on your phone, and social media is just a quick swipe away. And more so, Siwa has had to figure out who she is with very little detachment from that spotlight, Williams explained.
“We live in a celebrity-obsessed society where the lines of appropriate, inappropriate, invasive, private and in this case, adulthood and childhood, are just immediately blurred and outright dismissed,” he previously told USA TODAY.
Some of those reactions may stem from a place of confusion, since Hughes and Siwa initially described their connection as a friendship.
“We really like labels because labels help us make sense of what we’re seeing,” Amy Morin, psychotherapist, podcast host and author of “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do,” previously told USA TODAY. “And when people don’t fit into the labels we have for them, it causes some discomfort.”
Why audiences struggle when sexuality doesn’t fit neatly into a box
For Siwa, whom audiences have watched closely since her childhood, any type of growing up or changing is bound to stir up emotions.
“When people change the labels we place on them, other people often want to examine more closely,” Morin said. “Have they changed? Did their original label not fit? Were they lying about that original label? Are they trying to redefine what the label means? This is true whether we’re talking about someone’s relationship status or their sexual (identity).”
Siwa has spoken about that scrutiny before, telling the Daily Mail’s YOU Magazine in 2025 that, after sharing she was pansexual, she felt pressured into coming out as a lesbian. During her “Big Brother” season, she also mused about gender, saying she, at times, doesn’t identify as male or female and feels most like the nonbinary people she’s met in her life.
Her experience reflects a broader reality that sexuality and gender identities can evolve over time, and other stars who grew up in the spotlight have described similar experiences.
Demi Lovato, who came out as queer and nonbinary, later reintroduced she/her pronouns alongside they/them. Miley Cyrus has talked about struggling to fit within the confines of different labels and has identified as bisexual, pansexual and queer at different points. A slew of former teen stars, including Bella Thorne, Joshua Bassett and Raven-Symoné, have shared about expectations they faced in the industry.
The fascination with Siwa’s identity is unlikely to disappear anytime soon. But experts say the public’s reaction may be an opportunity to self-reflect instead.
“It can be helpful for us to check in with ourselves when we find ourselves very much so interested in or engaged with the media story of the day,” Janelle Peifer, associate professor of psychology at the University of Richmond, previously told USA TODAY. “What does that tell us about our own longings? What does that tell us about our own needs? How can engaging with those impulses help us recognize if we’re looking for fun, distraction, escapism or something deeper?”
Contributing: David Oliver and Edward Segarra
Rachel Hale’s role covering Youth Mental Health at USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Pivotal and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input.
Reach her at [email protected] and @rachelleighhale on X.
