JoJo Siwa has responded to critics for her shocking image overhaul, stating that she is not fazed as she has been subjected to ‘shit’ throughout her career.
The pop sensation, 21, has proven divisive in recent months after she debuted a wild new look and posed for a racy magazine photo shoot with a sparkly fly after ditching her former child star image.
Now, in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, the Dance Moms alum opened up about the mixed reactions and her unwavering commitment to being herself.
“It’s funny, because people don’t realize that this has been my life forever,” he revealed at the 10th Annual Stars Awards Gala. ‘People have always given me shit and supported it. That’s not something new for me.
‘I think the scale has been getting bigger and bigger, you know what I mean? And people have given me more shit or less shit. But no, it doesn’t really faze me.
JoJo Siwa applauded critics for her shocking image overhaul, stating that she is not fazed by being subjected to ‘shit’ throughout her career.
The pop sensation, 21, has proven divisive in recent months after she debuted a wild new look and posed for a racy magazine photo shoot after ditching her former child star image.
JoJo made headlines as she flexed her muscles in a rhinestone-studded chest plate shaped like a toned male torso on the cover of LadyGunn magazine last month.
Pushing the boundaries even further, a second shot showed her wearing a matching rhinestone-studded fly.
The images sparked a wild reaction online, with fans divided over the provocative shoot.
One Reddit user wrote: “He would have a lot of potential if he just relaxed.”
Another said: “The photos with the bejeweled male torso and codpiece make me really uncomfortable.”
A third added: “Everything she has in this time of hers seems to wear her down. I can only imagine how much better she will feel when she finds herself instead of whatever this overcompensation is.
Others were undecided, with one person commenting: “Some of these photos are not to my taste, but some are very cute.”
Some jumped to its defense, with one user declaring: “Damn, it surpassed a lot of popular models today.”
Now, in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, the Dance Moms alum opened up about the mixed reactions and her unwavering commitment to being herself (pictured in 2015).
“It’s funny, because people don’t realize that this has been my life forever,” she told DailyMail.com. ‘People have always given me shit and supported it. It doesn’t really affect me.
But thanks to her unapologetic attitude, JoJo has taken the scrutiny in stride.
“The photos were disgusting,” he said. “They were amazing.”
JoJo found fame on Dance Moms under the tutelage of instructor Abby Lee Miller, before becoming a campy singer with a penchant for upbeat pop tunes.
She adopted a bold new look earlier this year when she put on a daring display in a sheer black bodysuit.
She was also photographed drinking a bottle of vodka in silver shorts on stage at LA Pride.
This fearless reinvention has solidified JoJo’s status as more than just a child star, but a powerful voice for self-acceptance and authenticity.
Abby Lee defended her from the criticism, telling DailyMail.com: ‘JoJo laughs all the way to the bank.
‘She is a good person who is always giving back. He has worked with hundreds of other children on choreography in his own studio, all for nothing, all to benefit Dancers Against Cancer. So she’s doing a lot.’
Maksim Chmerkovskiy, her fellow judge on So You Think You Can Dance, admitted that she is “controversial” but described her transformation as “positive.”
“She has transformed into something very positive,” he said. ‘Look, she’s very controversial. He has said some things and grown before our eyes, but he does it in his own way.
“Life is wonderful for her and I support her a lot.”
Abby Lee defended her from criticism, telling DailyMail.com: ‘JoJo laughs all the way to the bank’ (pictured together in 2022)
Maksim Chmerkovskiy admitted she’s “controversial” but defended her from criticism (pictured together at the 10th Annual Stars Awards Gala)
JoJo said she feels like herself and denied any accusations that she is “faking it.”
“I don’t think anyone really knows what comes next in their lives,” he said. And I think sometimes people fake it the way they do. I just don’t pretend.
‘And in the same way that the world says, “Oh, what are you going to do next?” I’m thinking the same thing.’
Despite an illustrious career, at 21 years old, JoJo is “just getting started,” but she’s also looking forward to starting a family.
“I want to have children so badly,” she said. “I would love to have peanuts so soon.”
When asked what holds her back, she laughed: ‘Logistics. Logistics. But not for long…’
The singer, who came out as queer in January 2021, is currently dating Dakayla Wilson, and the couple openly celebrated their love with some public displays of affection last month.