JoJo Siwa has hit out at critics for her shocking image overhaul, claiming she isn’t fazed as she has been subjected to ‘s**t’ throughout her career.
The pop sensation, 21, has been divisive in recent months after debuting a wild new look and posing for a racy magazine shoot in a sparkling codpiece after shedding her former child star image.
Now, in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, the Dance Moms alum has opened up about the mixed reactions and her unwavering dedication to being her true self.
“It’s funny because people don’t realize that this has been my life forever,” she revealed at the 10th annual Gala of The Stars awards. ‘People have always given and supported me. That’s nothing new to me.
“I think the scale has slowly increased, you know what I mean? And people have given me more sh*t or less sh*t. But no, it doesn’t really matter to me.’
JoJo Siwa has hit out at critics for her shock image overhaul, claiming she isn’t fazed by being subjected to ‘s**t’ throughout her career
The pop sensation, 21, has been divisive in recent months after debuting a wild new look and posing for a racy magazine shoot after shedding her former child star image.
JoJo made headlines when she flexed her muscles in a rhinestone-studded chest plate shaped like a muscular male torso on the cover of LadyGunn magazine last month.
Pushing the boundaries even further, a second shot showed her wearing a matching rhinestone codpiece.
The images caused a wild reaction online, with fans divided over the provocative shoot.
One Reddit user wrote: ‘She would have so much potential if she would just chill out.’
Another said: ‘The pictures with the bejeweled male torso and codpiece really make me feel uncomfortable.’
A third added: ‘Everything she wears in this era of hers seems to be wearing her. I can only imagine how much better she will feel when she finds herself again, instead of whatever this overcompensation is.”
Others were unsure, with one person saying: ‘Some of these pictures aren’t my cup of tea, but some of them are quite cute.’
Some came to her defense, with one user stating: ‘Damn, she served a lot of popular models today.’
Now, in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, the Dance Moms alum has opened up about the mixed reactions and her unwavering dedication to being her true self (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 and supported me. It doesn’t really phase me
But thanks to her brazen attitude, JoJo has taken control with ease.
“The pictures were sick,” she said. “They were great.”
JoJo rose to fame on Dance Moms under the tutelage of instructor Abby Lee Miller, before transitioning into a cute singer with a penchant for upbeat pop tunes.
She embraced a bold new look earlier this year when she put on a daring show in a sheer black suit.
She was also pictured drinking from a bottle of vodka while wearing silver hot pants on stage at the Los Angeles Gay Pride.
This fearless reinvention has cemented JoJo’s status as more than just a child star, but as a powerful voice for self-acceptance and authenticity.
Defending her from critics, Abby Lee told DailyMail.com: ‘JoJo laughs all the way to the bank.
‘She is a good person who always gives back. She has worked with another hundred children on choreographies in her own studio, all for free, all for the benefit of dancers against cancer. So she does a lot.’
Maksim Chmerkovskiy, her fellow So You Think You Can Dance judge, admitted she is “controversial” but described her transformation as “positive.”
“She turned herself into something in a very positive way,” he said. “Look, she’s very controversial. She’s said some things and grown up before our eyes, but she’s doing it her own way.
“Life is great for her and I’m a big supporter.”
Abby Lee defended her from critics, telling DailyMail.com: ‘JoJo laughs all the way to the bank’ (pictured together in 2022)
Maksim Chmerkovskiy admitted she is ‘controversial’ but defended her from critics (pictured together at the 10th annual Gala of The Stars Awards)
JoJo said she feels like her true self and denied any accusations that she’s “faking it.”
“I don’t think anyone really knows what’s going to happen in their life,” she said. “And I think sometimes people pretend to be that way. I just don’t pretend.
“And in the same way that the world says, ‘Oh, what’s she going to do now?’ I think the same way.’
Despite an illustrious career, at the age of 21, JoJo is “just getting started” but is also eager to start a family.
“I want children so bad,” she said. “I would love to have little peanuts.”
When asked what holds her back, she laughed: ‘Logistics. Logistics. But not much…’
The singer, who came out as queer in January 2021, is currently dating Dakayla Wilson, with the couple openly celebrating their love last month with some public displays of affection.