2024-04-10 01:39:21
The most-listened to podcast by women. Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy has been creating conversation since 2018. Cooper cuts through the BS with topics and guests - asking the burning questions you want the answers to. There will be laughter, there will be tears. There will be everything in between. New episodes drop on Wednesday and Sunday. Want more? Join the Daddy Gang @callherdaddy
What is up, Daddy Gang? It is your founding father, Alex Cooper, we call her daddy.
JOJo Siwa Welcome to call her daddy. I have never been more honored in my life. What is happening with your head? Honestly? What's happening on my head? What's happening?
In my head, we never know if you guys are listening to this episode and you can't see.
It Jojo is wearing.
Sign off and go find a visual Sign off and go find a visual can.
You explain how you decided today to put this on your head, to come here.
Honestly, I did.
Not pick it, it picked me. I have this, so my house is essentially structured right where I have my room. And then I have my closet and then downstairs is kind of like another version of a closet. But we have our, you know how houses come with, like a bar in them, yes.
So our bar has turned into my mom's workstation slash craft room. My mom does all my wardrobe. Oh, and yeah, she makes everything, she rhinestones, everything she does, She's crazy, she's amazing. But this was hanging out like on the rack downstairs, and I was like, What am I gonna wear to?
Call her daddy like, you get one time to go on, call her daddy like, gotta do.
My big one, it's like, again, like, just rhinestones, just like covering your entire face off of a black hat, plain black hat. I'm glad you showed up today and gave us something to talk about. Already, we haven't even fucking started.
What did you do today? I was told you had a big day, what was happening? We did have.
A big day. So we moved today. What just me now? no.
Yeah, oh my God, I've been waiting.
For this one, shut the fuck up, okay? So I was gonna ask you about that because you've lived with your parents your whole life. Yes, and when you moved to Los Angeles, you moved into this house that you were living with your parents in.
Yes, and I think everyone's been kind of like, are you eventually gonna live? What is she gonna do? Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
Our move was definitely very unconditional, unconventional. there's the right word there. she is also unconditional, but unconventional is the right word. Because I was on Dance Moms.
And so it was just me and my mom, my dad, and then my older brother. They stayed in Omaha, Nebraska, which is where I'm from. And then, when I was 15, is when my dad and brother actually made the move to L.A. So it was just my mom and I out here from the time I was nine to 15. And then when my dad and brother came out. We had a house and then we needed a bigger house, because all of us in that house was not the vibe.
And so we got a bigger house, and this house, we kind of established like this was somebody's forever home. We didn't know who's forever home, but somebody's. And then, yeah. Over the last few years, we have really customized the house to me and there's a dance studio in it for me.
There's the gym for me, there's a room to be a recording studio for me, so there's a lot of my necessities, essentially that I would want in my house. And yeah, so my brother moved out a little less than a year ago and I, yeah, today, so literally an hour ago.
So you're keeping the house, so I'm keeping the house. Yeah, we say, like, it's kind of in, like our like, funny joke, like our ongoing joke. Like my parents all. They're finally old enough to move out on their own. Like it's been like, Oh my god.
Because my family, like I didn't live with my dad for six years, and my brother didn't live with my mom for six years. And so, like, when we kind of all joined together, it was like we were getting those years back okay, and then Covid hit, and so it was just kind of like it worked.
Out, Yeah, it was just, it was just the vibe is your, it feels like your mom and you are very close.
Like, are you sad to see her go? Honestly, all day today? I was stoked, I so.
I just lived in Atlanta for like, six weeks by myself, so fun. eight weeks by myself, so fun. Loved it.
Filmed a TV show while I was there. Great, great time. But living alone for your first time and then going back to living with your parents is it's dramatic, it's dramatic. And so I told my mom and dad before I came home, I was like, Hey, like, the day of me moving or you moving is kind of coming sooner than we all thought.
And so then, yeah, once I once I came home, we like, I told them I was like, by April 1st, it's it's, it's someone's got, someone's got to give. And it's safety wise, financially wise, that was a big thing. Like to do it financially, the smartest way it made the.
Most sense for them, well, congratulations. Cause I was going to say, like, when we'll get to dating in a little bit? Cause I was going to say, How the actual fuck are you dating with your parents in your house? Jojo? I'm like, Um, it's like family sleepover.
It's like, what the actual and you had partners live with you before, right? Fully, what? Yeah, so you're like, making your coffee with, like your partner, and then your parents in.
The morning, you know, I look back at my past and I look at 16 year olds now, and as a 20 year old, I look at a 16 year old. And I'm like, Oh my god, you are. The age that my girlfriend was when she moved into my house and I was only six months older, like we were I. I'm nine months older than her at the time.
I don't know how it happened, I really don't like, clearly you all lesbians are a very real thing. Like, was one without even knowing what one was? But it's just like Covid, it was summer.
Like, it just like, kind of all happened. And then it was like, she came to California and then I was like, don't leave, and she's like, okay. Two weeks turned into four weeks, turned into eight weeks, turned into nine months, and then we were a married couple at 17 and 16..
We had a breakup.
I love that for you, hold on.
I don't, it's so hard, it's so great at the same time.
I was about to say, like, I think everyone's probably thinking, obviously, like, when you are a child star and you have all this financial success. Like, are you still? Like asking your parents if your girlfriend can come over and live with you? Or are you just doing it and telling your?
Parents That's actually so interesting because there was at a point in time, like a switch, that did kind of happen. My parents are the best, like they are so chill, they are so great.
Looking back, all of us are like, that should have never happened. And my mom says all the time she was like, I should have never allowed my 16 year old partner to live with us. Like that was not healthy for you, much less her and her family like it, just like someone should put their foot down.
But it was like no one at the time felt it was right. To. Honestly, ever since I turned like 14 or 15, I think, is when it kind of started. My mom would, you know, to a normal 14 or 15 year old, be like, Well, take your phone away, right? And instead of me being no, I'd be like, please.
Then I get a day off work, you know what I mean? And so like, there was never, really, I never did anything wrong and ever did anything bad. Um, kind of, but I, I was always at the end of the.
Day Good, yeah, good. And I feel like I was recently talking to Tish Cyrus and she was saying, how, like, there's also just like the reality.
She was like, I'm going to call it what it is like. I did treat Miley a little differently because it's like, what, then she's going to move out and leave us? So, like, she had slightly different rules and rules while raising them.
That's what.
My mom always said, Well, I actually said something today to me that was really sweet. They've had this fear, they had this fear. Because so when you are a kid, you 15 of every penny you make goes into a Cougan account, right?
And so my parents thought when I turned 18, I was going to get my Cougan account money. Take all of my money and have it all be mine and be like, Good luck everybody. I'm an adult now and I told them all the time I was like, I can give you so much reassurance, but I will never do that. But it just is going to take you, realizing over time that I'm never going to do that. And then, finally, today, that's always been a fear of theirs, like always has been, just because, like, the opportunity of me leaving them high and dry was right there.
Like people have done it before, child stars have done it before, but I would never do that to my family. But today my mom was like, I just want to say, like, thank you for never basically kicking us to the curb. Like, thank you for buying us this new house, thank you for letting us remodel it.
Thank you for keeping us in your bubble. Like, thank you. And I was like, one, you're welcome, let me be a nice person, let me say welcome.
But I fucking.
Told you I wouldn't like, I told you finally, two years later, you believe me, okay?
But Jojo FaCTs You're like, I kept my word bitch, like, please like, I swear, but okay.
To be real for a second, like, that's also a lot of fucking pressure as a kid. Terrifying. I didn't really.
Realize it, I still don't have a very good concept of, like all of that, I guess, like the pressure that is. But I look back and I, Oh, my God, what was I just doing? I was just, oh, deleting all my Instagram.
Oh, what so before I had like 6,000 Instagram posts. And you know, I'm entering this new adult naughty girl phase and living my life doing my biggest one. And I didn't want my Instagram to be flooded with me back in the day. Kid in a candy store vibe, you know what I mean?
But I do have some really incredible things that I did in my childhood that I'm super proud of. So long story short, I took it from 6,000 posts to like 170. Like, really cut back. How long did that take? you? Not long.
There's a hack for it you can select all at the.
Same time, Oh, I was going to say, my God, like, the whole tunnel up in here, I'm like, yeah.
No, like the swipe it was. At first, it was like, really dramatic, then it was a hundred at a time and it went. Took me like one three hour treadmill walk. Yeah, we like, got on the treadmill and we're like, we're not getting off until it's done.
So finish, that's what she said, Anyways, I'm sorry.
You can understand it's hard for us yet. So Jojo, like, we're getting accustomed to you, becoming like this adult in our eyes. You know, we've always seen you as a kid, which I'm sure is annoying to you, but it's funny to hear you talk like that. No, it's, it's, it's not I.
I think I I will always have, like the respect for my childhood, like people are always like, fuck the bone. I'm like, No, the bow was a magical thing. Like, No, we are never, we are never going to be ashamed of it. Like, still to this day, like the back of my shirt, says the highlight lyric of my song, Karma is a Bitch.
And like, I'll meet a little kid. And I will make sure they do not see the back of my shirt and I'll cross my arms so they can't even see. Like, the like creepy little front of the shirt. You know what I mean like, I do understand that my life will live on and my childhood stuff will will live on. And and I, I was never. I'm never ashamed of anything besides, like three things that I did as a kid.
Oh my God, name them. The one thing that I wish I could go back and change is I wish I would have fought harder for this. I have a song called Every Girl's a Super Girl and I love it.
I think it's an adorable song, but I hate that it discludes boys, I hate that an six, six year old little boy is going to listen to that song. And every girl's a super girl. And my, my whole team was like, but at Nickelodeon, they were like, But it's okay to do a song about girl power like the boys can listen to the other songs.
I was like, Hear me out, everybody, everyone's a super one. It's stupid, it doesn't make sense, let's do it.
And I was 14 at the time and everyone was like, No, we're doing girl Power, and I was like, Okay, got it, um, one, that's one, oh man.
I would definitely do some things different at the G Flip concert, for sure. That wasn't even a childhood moment, but I just.
I would definitely explain what you did to the people that haven't seen it.
Fuck the air. Essentially, I don't know what I did. Long story short, you're not, you're never seeing the full video, so it makes me very, very angry.
I am this. This wasn't a long time ago, this was less than six months ago, but we're doing sound check. And Lauren Sanderson and I were like, how funny if we like dance, like funny, like magic, Mike style behind G while they're performing. And we're like, Okay? And so we weren't being serious.
We weren't trying to be hot or sexy, we were trying to be funny. So if you see the full, like the full version of the video. You see us laughing in the middle of it at each other, like you see us, like making eye contact, like doing the same thing. No, we only zoom in on me and we put it in fast motion.
And I, I would make fun of me too, right? You're like humping the air, stage the stick. It's like a lot of thrusting is going on, there's something happening.
Look, it got people talking. Last thing also was not long ago was my cover of traitor that I decided I felt the need to post on Snapchat. I just let it. I wait, what was that? I didn't see that. So the thing about me is I will rarely, pretty much never, I'm going to say never, claim to be a singer.
I will claim to be an artist or a performer, but I, I know, I know my, I know my vocal abilities, and I also know my vocal abilities. What they are not, you know what I mean? And I? I'm very comfortable when it's my own stuff, but other people's music I don't do well. Saying the only thing like karaoke, I won't do it unless they're slim, shady.
They have slim shady. I will sing the whole song, but aside from that, like, I won't touch other people's music. I just I'm scared of it, like, I just. It always comes to bite me in the ass anyways, but I love performing.
It's very contradicting because it's my favorite thing to do, but the thing I'm most scared of. So I was singing Traitor by Olivia Rodrigo and she has a really high note in there. And I was so far from hitting it, like, so far, not even close, not even close. Then one day I kind of got close, kind of got it. And so you see my Snapchat story.
I post 300 things a day at this time on Snapchat. This is number 56, seven, and eight in the middle of the stories. And it's me singing Traitor. And the sounds of Ford are like, I've been doing this for a long time and like, finally, I'm like, getting close watch.
It's not good yet, but watch. And so then people took just that clip, though, of me singing it and like, not doing it and my face turning bright red. Cause I'm like screaming, trying to hit it. And then they ran with just that.
And like, again, I would hate it too, like I do, like, I think it's hysterical.
But when those moments happen, Jojo, are you like, Fuck my life, I need to hide in a hole? Or are you like, Oh, this is so stupid? Cause you've had so many of these moments that you don't even?
Feel it? I call it new hate, anytime like new hate rolls around, I'm like, Ow, but then a day goes by, people are still hating on the same thing and then they, then they get over it.
Okay, wait.
We have to quickly circle back, cause now I do want to like, yeah, we're going to go through everything. This is fascinating. I knew our conversation would be like zigzagging.
Yeah, finishing that conversation, though, I did find fascinating about the financial situation of. Like, the pressure with your parents and everything. And then being like, Are you going to help us?
Out are you not? Yeah, it was so. My mom and I have always said like, we are 50, 50 and that like meaning that financially like it.
To a sense, I guess, cause like that is what it is. But more so, like the work that goes in and out of the dramatic. Uh, the girl in my music video who I love so much, Um, yeah, she's, she's awesome human being, but she gets, she can wait. We love you, Lex. Um, anyways.
Uh, so yeah, my, we've been 50 50.
She was really good about doing the work that I didn't want to do, but she could do, like behind the scenes, managing stuff, dealing with people. And then I was always good at doing the stuff that I could do. And you know what I mean? And we were a really good team and she gave up everything for me.
I I mean, I gave up my life, essentially for the world, but like, worth it, you know what I mean? And then when my dad moved out, he kind of just like, fell into that same pattern, too. He used to be a chiropractor, he was super successful chiropractor. But um, they never, like, he never hit him. And my brother in Nebraska didn't really depend on me at all.
Um, I didn't really realize till I was maybe 17 or 18.
Like, Oh, oh, I pay for everything for everyone, like. But then I was like, Wait, I get to take care of my family, I get to take care of the people that I love. They gave up so much for me.
And I, I like my mom, would always say like, you would do anything for a stranger off the street, right? And I, of course, like, if anybody needed anything and I could help, I wouldn't. She's like, So, think of your family like that, think of your brother like that.
And I think where I lucked out, truly no one took advantage of me. Everyone had a chance to my mom, my dad, my brother, all three of them had a chance to take advantage of me. They all had access to everything, they all had a chance.
To take it and run. Essentially no one did. Yeah, cause it's fascinating.
Like, hearing you even say that it's, yeah, I think people are just so fascinated by it because it's not conventional. Of like your parents. Like, waiting to be like, is she going to take the money around? Like, what are we going to do? Where the natural dynamic of a child being like? You have to help me survive, mom and dad, until I'm a certain age that I can get a job. You having all this financial pressure, it does it ever make you be like, Oh, I can't just go to my parents and be like a kid and not have the weight of the world on my shoulders?
I definitely have just had a different.
Life, I think where I'm lucky is, I don't know any different. Like I talked to a lot of my friends, Tyler Cameron is a great example. He didn't gain fame until he was about my age.
Now you know what I mean, and and but he, I mean, if you ask him. He was a famous person in high school and every girl wanted to be on me. in high school, I was famous.
If you ask him, that's how, that's, that's the story, of course, that's his version, like, also, I believe it, like, of course, it's.
I wouldn't put it past any girl, any straight girl anyways. Um, but I think because since I was nine it's been this and so I don't really know any different. But there definitely have been points in my time in my life, points of time in my life where I go. And I've said this to my parents, and more so my mom than my dad. But I've been like, I need, I call it this is so, you know, I hate these words, but like mommy, mom and I've told like, we've had to find the dynamic. It's shockingly. It's gotten harder as I've gotten older, but I, I've like, I want. I want you to be more my mom, and I want to be able to talk to you more about mom things than work things.
And then, you know, Nick Vile, one day I was with Nick and I was ranting about things. I was like, all my mom wants to do is talk about work and I just want her to be my mommy, mom. And like, he was like, Jojo, you need to slow down for a second, you're rambling.
And I was like, tell me, tell me what to do. And he was like, I'm never going to tell you what to do, but I am going to tell you what's going on. And he gave me the best advice I've ever received in this situation, he, he told me. He said that essentially I was the problem. I, I'm the one changing.
She is doing what she's done her whole life. That's how we've always communicated, that's how we've always bonded, that's how we've always worked. Like, it just works.
It is what it is, it's not normal, but it's our normal, essentially. And I'm the one that's growing up doing more on my own, handling more on my own, and not needing her to fulfill that role as much. You know what I mean? So he was able to put that into really good perspective.
And then since, since I took his advice and applied it in the right ways, it has been perfect. And that was probably three months.
Ago, I totally get that, though, and oddly, it's relatable in a different aspect, I think, for people that maybe grew up with a more like, traditional upbringing. Yeah, what do you mean?
Mine wasn't traditional, just like a little fucking different, just a little jojo, a little peculiar. But it is like you're basically reestablishing boundaries with someone that you've had a relationship with.
That is so you both knew exactly how to act from a certain age to a certain age. Now you're transforming into this different part of your life and you sometimes want to be like, I just want my mom like, fuck business for a minute. And also you're more established where it's like, you can do more mom daughter things that don't. In the moment, you guys were fucking grinding to get to this spot.
Oh, like, and it was both of us grinding.
Like, now I literally told her I was like, I want you to wake up, take a dog for a walk, make me my costume. Like, have a diet, coke, watch a movie and like, go to sleep. Whereas back in the day, it was like a her herself was on dance moms with me, like she was on camera every day. But then what you didn't see is like, she had to be in every meeting with me.
She had to be everywhere with me, she had to take me everywhere, she had to do everything, she had to manage everything like there was. She was doing so much back in the day.
Was there ever a point where you considered?
Her just being your mom and you guys finding you a different manager. No, no, I did have a manager.
For a very long time. But she, no one, no one, no one is her. We always like, I always am like, I literally like, if something happens to you like, Goodbye Jojo Siwa. I'm going to go become an indoor skydiving instructor. That's like my favorite thing in the world, really.
Yeah, indoor skydiving, I love it, I love it so much, so you love a thrill? Yeah, it's been my sport since I was 14..
Like, I, yeah, it's not a very people don't know it about me. How often are you skydiving? indoor skydiving, indoor skydiving? what? But like, I mean, if I'm in like a like chunky phase, like three or four times a week.
Is it a good workout? Yes, super good workout. It's a full sport. They do competitions When I was little, they wanted me to do competitions and Ifly wanted to sponsor me.
But I wouldn't because I was like, I'm too competitive and like, this is my fun leisure. But now my brother's an instructor, he loves it, I got him into it and he loves it.
So that's like, Yeah, that is fascinating, okay, before we go back to, like, a little bit more of your childhood, we do just have to acknowledge the other moment. You just recently went viral. Well, you've been viral a lot lately.
Oh, shit, which one? Well, we're not going to talk about your outfit changes yet. we're going to talk about your kid names, Freddie, Eddie and Teddy. My babies. Okay, okay, okay.
What the fuck like, I'm sorry, I have to, just what? How did you come up with these names? Please? I love it and what?
And why, like, and why? And you got them tattooed?
On yourself. So they were all you can kind of. Some are still lingering around. They were temporary, they were like two week temporaries, okay?
I only I have three real ones, I have two on my hands and one behind my ear. So Freddie, I love Freddie Mercury. Okay, Freddie Mercury's like, literally changed my life from the dead.
I love that dude and so I wanted to name a girl, Freddie for the longest time for last eight years. And then I was like, Well, I really want twin boys. I was like, So my girl's Freddie, and then I got two twin boys.
And I wish I could remember the exact moment that it hit. But I was like, Oh man, one day Freddie, Eddie and Teddy like it. Just like, came. And we were all like, Huh? Like, what just came out of your mouth? And I was like, Oh my God, stop it, hear me out.
Girls named Freddie, Twin Boys, Eddie, Teddy. That's hysterical.
It's hysterical pause. I think I would have fucking killed my parents if they had me, my sister, my brother with rhyming names. I feel like I would have got the fucking shit bullied out of me. Like, Is it a joke in your mind?
Are you dead ass, serious?
I can't predict the future, I can't, I really can't.
I can for your children. Okay, are you worried?
If that is what my children get bullied for, you're okay with it. Down, down, down. If that, if their name is the biggest of our problems, like, you're good.
Let it rip, like, Okay, good.
Unfortunately, the world is a cruel fucking place right now. My kids, I don't want them to go to public school, I don't want them to go to private school. I want them to be homeschooled, I want them to be in sports.
I want them to do whatever they want to do, but I I've had a super strong maternal instinct for a very long time.
I will say, Freddie, Eddie and Teddy, like that started as a.
Joke Okay, it did. This is good to clarify, but but now, for the last, like six months.
It really hasn't been a joke like it, really. I don't like everyone knows it too literally today. With the move. I was like, I wasn't sad, but then I realized one day when Freddie, Eddie and Teddy move out, how I'm going to feel.
All my friends know about Freddie, Eddie and Teddy. I have custody now of all three of my dogs to myself. They're going to get separated in a bit. My mom and dad are going to take one, my brother's going to take another, and then I'll have one.
But now all my friends like, There you go, you got Freddie, Eddie, and.
Teddy, like, you're stuck with your three now. I can't fucking wait. I can't wait to see if you fall through with this shit. I guess we'll have to see.
Here's my thing the middle names will.
Not rhyme, okay, so they could go by the middle names we got Freddie, J, Eddie, Anthony and Teddy.
Ty Teddy Tyler, I love that you have this all planned out, like, so planned, and are you going?
To give your children your last name, I would like to.
I'm more so craving kids than a partner.
I've had a great partner I have, but I have been really, really done bad in the love department, really bad. And I'm very scared of it now. And I realized that.
And actually, I talked to my good partner, who is my ex but is my good friend. I talked to her about it all the time of like, I just like, I can't, like, I can't. I can't find it again. And I can get more open about that too, if you want. But I, yeah, I definitely want kids if a partner rolls around down.
But if not, yeah, kiddos can take the last name they can. We're chilling, okay, there's so much to discuss.
First, to people that like, I don't know who doesn't know you, but just God forbid, there are people that are like, Who the fuck is Jojo? Siwa? Like, let's just quickly go back to the beginning. You did get your start on a reality TV show, Dance Moms, which I feel like everyone has fucking seen a clip or seen episodes somehow. And you know what my biggest pet peeve is?
What?
When someone is like, I've never heard, Yeah, shut up, like it's not even my show, like I was on it for two seasons. Everyone's heard of dance moms.
Every single person.
You've seen?
It big lady yelling at children on TV. That's the log line, that's literally the log like.
That's literally the whole pitch of the show, like welcome to dance, moms living on the dance.
Floor Yeah, so you start this when you're nine, yeah, did you always want to be famous?
Yeah, so.
From the time I was really little, I was two, I said, I either want to be Hannah Montana or a surgeon. Oh, and that, still to the day, is very true. Now I would add an indoor skydiving instructor into the mix.
But Hannah Montana and Surgeon were like my back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And then I grew up in the competitive dance world. I was a very good competitive dancer. my mom owned a dance studio, we drove to better dance studios.
That way, I would dance at her studio and at better dance studios like I. We were, we were crazy, she was crazy, and you grew up in Nebraska, yeah.
And so then, when I was nine, there was a show called Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition, which was a little bit of like a spinoff of Dance moms. It was still Abby, and it was her ultimate competition. You started with 12 kids, it got eliminated down to one winner. the winner got a hundred grand scholarship to the best ballet school. Whole Shebam.
But it's by the same producers and same network as dance moms. Okay? So I did that show and I was a very outspoken, spunky, unafraid, sassy and, I mean, talented nine-year-old. And so then that show aired, I turned 10, and then when I was 11, those producers were like, Hey, will you come to dance moms for a week?
Obviously, every dancer's dream is to be a part of Dance moms, so then I went to Dance Moms. I was only supposed to be there for a week and then they really liked us, they liked me.
They liked my mom and they were like, All right, can you guys stay for another week? Of course? And then it was like, that, can you stay for another week? Can you stay for another week? For probably the first year? And then they were like, Okay, you're, you're going to be here for all of next season to permitting.
Of course, like, you can leave at any time if you want to leave. But yeah, then I was on Dance Moms until I was 13. Do you remember the conversation in your house of like, Are we doing this? So AUDC was, there wasn't a conversation. My mom knew that I wanted it and she just did it.
She signed me up, she sent the stuff in, like, Hope for the best. You're not going to get it, you know what I mean, but like, Hope for the best.
And we got it, so that was like, Hey, Jojo, I signed you up to do Abby's Ultimate season two, like, And you got it, and so that was kind of that. Um. But then dance moms, I was at a convention, at a dance convention, and at this point, AUDC had aired. People had been mean.
I had my first like haters experience publicly, and it's my first dance convention like out the gate again, and it's it's hard, it's different. People are now in my personal space bubble.
People are staring and I just like, I wasn't having a good day and then my mom came up to me. She leaves the room and I'm immediately like, Where's she going now? I'm just not focused in class.
And she comes back in the room and she was like, Nothing matters, this was on Saturday. She was like, Nothing matters. We leave for dance moms on Monday. And I was like, What?
Like, picture 11 year old me like, I should Brick literally.
And yeah, I, I left on Monday. It's so crazy to always think. I think for most people, that didn't have that type of like, life changing moment at such a young age, where your life will never be the same. From there now, knowing, obviously you didn't know then, but now we all look back and we're like, that was such a big turning point for you. Yeah, so you get on dance moms. And Abby Lee is like, notorious for being so fucking mean to all the dancers and her students, and just like, kind of fucking crazy.
Yeah, aren't we all describe your relationship to this woman?
So the thing for me is, I went into the show knowing what I was getting myself into. Saw what she was like. And a lot of people would come at me and be like, you knew what you were getting into. That's why it wasn't that hard for you. But everyone else that was on the show danced at her studio for years before they grew up dancing there, and so everyone knew what she was like.
You stayed up. You could leave the dance studio. Like you might have to wait till the end of the year, but like, you didn't have to keep coming back. You know what I mean? Um, but for me, like, I saw what she was like on TV and I always, I somehow, as a kid, could always see the bigger picture. I my mom will tell me stories about how I was a kid and I. I would be at the bottom of the pyramid and my mom would be pissed.
She'd be so mad, we'd she'd fight all day on set about it, and then we'd get in the car and she'd be like, actually mad about it. And I would be like, Hey, mom, it's okay. She was like, you, you don't care that you're at the bottom.
Like, that's bullshit. And I was like, No, mom. Because the person at the top of the pyramid gets congratulations, you're at the top, person at the bottom, though. Get the whole storyline of the TV show. And she was like, Oh how, how the fuck do you know that you're literally 11??
Like, what? And I could always just like, see that, I could see that, like, cause. Growing up, I was in the front of every dance, I was the star of the dances.
And then I'd go to dance halls. I'm in the back left corner, but it, it didn't matter, and I always knew that my mom would get so frustrated. I want you to have a solo. Why are you in the back of the group?
Dance, I'd be like, it literally doesn't matter like we're. We are making a TV show. And so I always, I always kind of realized that my relationship with Abby now now is amazing. I, uh, the thing is is I was there to make a TV show.
She was there to make a TV show, and that is how dance teachers are, if you are. And I talked to all of my friends who are professional dancers now, say, if you are a good dancer, you are not a healthy dancer. You did not have a healthy relationship with your dance teacher, you did not have a healthy relationship with dance.
You've gone through some horrible phases with your body, you, you are not a healthy, or you were in bad, unhealthy phases. And dance moms really just put that on display. But I will say I have had teachers worse than Abby, like she's not the worst that I've had.
Toughness wise, mean wise, and I liked it, like I wanted to be good. And she was. She was right. She wasn't gonna yell at me if I was like, if I did something like.
She's not gonna make something up, you know what I mean, and so I don't know. I always just like, I craved it, I craved it, I craved her approval.
Maybe I'm a little messed up, but like, No, but it's actually.
Interesting hearing you talk about this, cause I played like very competitive soccer my whole life. Yeah, I went on to play D1 and like I am. As you're talking about this, I'm like, it's fascinating because I had some of the most inappropriate coaches. From the time I was eight, I remember nine 10 being like, Oh my god, I'm having these, like, really weird conversations with these men by myself.
And my mom would have to get involved. And I look back and I'm like, the only reason it wasn't as a big of a problem is because it wasn't on TV. Like, if they had a fucking camera at our practices, we had parents fucking hitting each other, we had people getting in physical fights.
This shit was fucking crazy. If you are the best of the best, it's crazy, you're not normal. There's like, a, there's a fine line between, like, Okay, this is actually like, horrific, like some of the gymnastics.
Olympic stuff like that is horrific. But like dance moms, like that wasn't. There wasn't anything besides like tough love, almost, you know what I mean, like, she wanted.
Us to be the best, right? I get what you're saying. Now that you put it in perspective, yeah, it's like, if you've ever done something competitively, you kind of get it.
Like, as I'm staring at you, I'm like, Oh, I wasn't a dancer, so I can't get it. And then I'm like, Wait, what am I talking about? Like, I remember being at TGI Fridays and a dad was yelling at another dad that my best friend was getting extra training. And they got in a fight. And then he punched him in the face, he's like, your daughter's getting fucking extra training.
It's like, what just happened, why does anybody care that much? And it wasn't even like that crazy that they got into an altercation.
We all went to practice the next day and then picture your practices, how tough your practices were, how hard your coaches were on you. If you didn't do good, or you didn't do to the best that you could do, you're like, I only know. Like football has crazy practices, like your coach makes you run, like you do cardio, like you get punished, you know what I mean?
Like, that is part of being an athlete, and like you said, D1, like, you're going to be the best, you're going to be the best, and so to everyone, that's okay.
But because dance songs was just so put on display and like, my thing is love it or hate it. You're talking about it, you're into it, you're watching it.
You're giving it the view, you're giving it the advertising dollar. First, we have to go back.
To the bows. So as I look back at pictures of you, and like you said, you just went and archived like thousands, thousands. You were known for. Neon colors, sparkles, high pony and the giant bow, big old Jojo bow and like, was that actually naturally just your style?
It was, it was.
I liked it, that's how I felt comfortable, that's how I felt confident, That's how I felt the most. Me, honestly, like, 2020 is kind of when it started changing.
And that's kind of when I wanted to be like, I'm going to wear adidas pants and black hoodies and cool high middle ponytail. Like 16 year old me being a baddie. She had her first boyfriend like she was feeling it, but it was me and I like, I actually, I just found my laptop from 2014, right?
And I'm little I was probably, I mean, I would've been like 12 or 13, and it's me and I'm sending a video to. Because for a point in time, I did have an editor, and this was for about six months. But the rest of my seven years on YouTube, I did everything.
But I found this video where I was like, Hey, I'm sending you a bunch of footage right now, and if I accidentally send you this, it's I didn't mean to. It's just me taking thumbnails. Um, and I'm just taking them because I'm in a really good mood right now and like, I look ready.
And so I'm just going to take a bunch of happy thumbnails and then it's a three minute clip of me, just like making happy faces, like posing for a thumbnail. As a YouTuber like I, I was always that bubble, I was always that happy.
The only thing that people didn't see is when the camera went off. I went to work and I edited, I filmed, I wrote down ideas for the next day. I figured out there was a point in time where I was uploading 10 times a week on YouTube, seven on a blog channel, three on a main channel. Brutal plus, recording music, doing performances, doing photo shoots, doing TV shows, like so much. And so the only thing that people never saw of me was that was me editing the video myself.
Like, I would play with the slime for the video, right? But then like, I didn't stop the camera and like, keep playing with the slime. I was like, throw this shit away, let me edit.
But weren't you fucking exhausted? I don't know how I did it, I really don't like. I look back at me and I like. I found, like, what I used to make these like day sheets, right?
Because for my vlog channel, 10 times a week on YouTube was a lot. That's insane.
It's insane, like I don't think people understand how like to come up with an original idea and.
Upload It's fucking insane. And this was in the time when Jake and Logan were kings of YouTube. And so you had to fight for a view like you had to, like, make every video pop in.
And so I would take a day, though, and I would film three weeks worth of daily vlogs in one day, and so like I.
Look back at that schedule and I'm just like, how, how were you even being a real human? How your?
Whole life is just to get content. But it was, it was like it was who I was, it was what I loved most. Kids, you know, went to school, went to soccer after, or baseball after, or dance after. But once I hit 13, it was wake up. Film, edit, upload, sing, dance, record, post, sleep.
I think that, yeah, I think that when I think about, like, public opinion. I think for a really long time, when you had the Beau era like, it made sense until it didn't. And I think a lot of people were like, why is she as kind of now, like this older teenager, still wearing these outfits that are so childlike? Because I think a lot of teenagers not in your position, who had maybe a traditional upbringing like myself, like I was trying to dress to look older as a teenager.
I'm like, Oh, I want to push my tits, you hit 13 and you're like, here we go.
Here we go, like, I got to, like, get the boys to like me, I'm going to push my tits up, I'm going to like, go to the parties and then you. We have Jojo, who is wearing a bow and looking more at 18..
Exactly like, Did you ever struggle to feel your actual age?
Did you ever struggle to feel your actual age?
Not at all, not at all, because I was more my age than anybody else was. If anything, I was older, maybe physically, I looked younger.
Maybe if you seeing me wearing a bow and a rhinestone costume with a unicorn on it, yes, I look 11.
But the job that I'm doing while wearing this is what a 30-year-old's doing. You know what I mean? And so I never cared that I was that age doing that thing. And I mean, I was 16 years old going on a world tour.
I was 16, I became the youngest person to ever perform, sell out and headline the O2 Arena in London. Like, that is sick, you know what I mean to go on? It was an 134 show arena tour, sold out 16. That is what adult pop stars are doing.
We would get the top ticket sales of the month reports, and it was pink. The Jonas Brothers, Jojo, Siwa, Queen. I was always in the top five, always.
And anyone that knew me knew me, and whatever I looked like physically, that should never matter to anybody. I almost would explain it. Kind of like a toxic relationship, you know, when you're in a relationship as a teenager and you have to try to prove that you're in love. But then you're a 50-year-old married and you're like, Fuck you, fuck you too, and you still sleep together at night.
That's how I was as a kid, as a teenager, it was like I didn't need to prove my age, prove my knowledge to anyone. And then when I hit 17, 18 people in the industry, make me feel like I have to prove myself, you know what I mean, improve my knowledge.
And I'd be like, I've literally same thing for the last six years, I know what I'm doing, I promise.
No, I appreciate you explaining it because it does give more context, knowing how competitive you are as having been an athlete your whole life. I get it where, like, Oh, jokes on all of you, I'm working my ass off, I'm doing this thing. I also get publicly how people were like, looking at it and laughing at it.
This looks a little arrested development where it's like, Grow up, why the fuck are you wearing a bow on your head at 18 and dressing like a younger a toddler? Did you have any people your age that would like make fun of you? Did it ever get to you?
I have never had friends, my age ever, I've always straight older. My best friends have always been older than me. When I was 16, my best friend was 23 when I was 17, my best friend was 31..
My closest friends have always been older than me.
Why do you think that is?
Because even though I looked physically one way, I was not that I was 10 years older. If you ask anyone that's close to me, they know that. That's why I think the public opinion I never cared.
I never cared, it never fazed me because I was doing a what I love to do. I was getting to perform, I was getting to be Hannah Montana, that's what I always wanted.
I have such a good bubble of people even now as I'm older. Now, I'm 20, you would think I would still be like now. My friends may be like 21, 22, 23, I have a best friend that's 23, but then my best friends are 31,.
34, 36.
It's all my friends.
It's interesting because I'm just thinking of the public because I appreciate you, I don't want you to take this the wrong way. I'm trying to actually think of the way that people would look at this. They'd be like, what you're saying. I think people think the opposite of you, I think people think you have almost been like, again, please don't take this.
I'm just like, you know what I mean? I think people would probably think you're stunted in your growth because you're a child actor. You act like a kid. They don't see you behind the scenes. You're right of you being like. And then I wrote an entire show and then I would edit it, and then I would upload, and then I would do it again.
I was a business person and I'm sitting in meetings and I'm meeting with adults. So it's like we're seeing the fun, outgoing Jojo of. Like, click on my video and welcome to my YouTube channel. I do feel like a lot of people have come out, like even Logan and Jake have been like, it's not that it's fake.
It's just it's not natural to have a camera in front of your face, so naturally, I'm playing a character of myself. This is helpful.
To hear from you, it's funny. I've actually really enjoyed talking to you about this because no one's gone deep into this with me ever. So it's, it's, it's. It's been fun for me to hear. You ask a question, almost with like, one point in your head, and then I explain the answer, and then you're.
Like, Oh, like, it's because that's how the internet is so confusing, and I don't think there's a right answer of. Like, there are so many people that upload every day and go to sleep at night. Being like, I am a complete different person on the internet than I am at home. There are then people that it's like somewhat them, but there's you, it's a different, it's like it's a version of.
You like, there is. There is a reason why influencers are influencers, because they understand the game, they understand the chess game. You know what I mean, and that's for me where I'm kind of a mix of an influencer and an artist.
I understand both of the games. Um, I think that's why the whatever the internet used to think about me, or it still does think about me, doesn't affect me at all. Because I know well, and they don't, there's so much they don't know, right?
And it's like, not to be a dick to people online. But it's like, you guys don't want to watch Jojo. In a business meeting, you're not going to vlog yourself doing your business meeting, that's not interesting. I've literally talked to people I work with that.
I'm like, stop filming yourself in your business meetings. No, no one cares, no one cares, and that's like with social media.
That's all the time. What I'll say is like, literally no one cares, you just want to be.
Entertained? And even if you're being crazy as fucking moments and in your head, you're like, this is going to sell, this is going to work. That's a version of you, there's also a version of you that probably sits at home alone and is silent a lot because performers need silence.
You can't film that version of yourself, Jojo. That's not interesting that part. Exactly when?
People, I just one of the girls who's in the top 10 of, so you think you can dance? I can talk about now because this is it's actually coming out tonight. Oh, amazing. Yeah, I'm stoked about that. I'll get to have their moment tonight.
But I was talking to her and we'd become a bit of friends and I was talking to her. And I was like, she was saying that she went home and all her friends were like, So what's Jojo like, like? is she annoying? is she loud? like, What's she like? and Dekayla was like, I mean, no, like.
She actually is like, quiet, she has her shit together and she like, talks when she's talked to, and that's for me. I am, like, put my head down and work, get my shit done and entertain the world. I've always believed, from the time that I was very, very young, that I was put on this world to entertain and I love to do that.
But then, like the most introverted introvert, the quietest, the hardest working. Like I will. I'll be the first at the studio and the last to leave, but I also will be the one that'll be like, Guys, be quiet. Like, we're trying to focus. You know what I mean, like, I, I definitely gave the world a show.
I didn't give them a character, I didn't write anything, it all came naturally to me. But, like, same way, I'm in here with my fucking rhinestones shoes, my leather pants, my cut shirt and my fringe on my head. Like, if I, if I was chilling at home, I would never wear this.
But if I came here, people would be like, you're putting on a show, where's Jojo Siwa? like, I'm going to give you Jojo Siwa, like, I know who that is, you know what I mean?
Do you get exhausted from it at all? No, because it's it's natural, you know what I mean? I? So my real name is Joelle. And this is a conversation that almost immediately when I have this conversation, I have it most with lovers. Because it's it's most important to me that I explain it to them.
And I won't get like too too deep into the Jojo Joelle difference conversation, but there's Joelle and there's Jojo. They both are present at all times. Sometimes we look like one, but we are the other, and sometimes we are look like the other, and we are the one. You know what I mean? So, like, right now it's like, I look like Jojo, but I am Joelle.
But then what gets really hard in the relationship world is when I look like Joelle, when I'm at home, when I'm in sweats. It's like they've partners in the past. Have forgotten that I am still this human and like, almost will like, shit on this human a bit, if that makes sense. And so it's like, wait, talk to me about that, what do you mean? Shit on it. This hurts like a bitch when partners say this as like, I like the other version of you better.
Like, I like that only I get this version of you, because that's not true, everybody gets this version of me. But it's like, I'll be performing or filming a video or something, and it's like, Oh, I can't wait for it to be like, behind closed doors, you again.
And I'm just like, Ow, because behind closed doors, me is the same.
Thing. It's like you're looking for some respect of like, have an understanding, like I don't have it at all as much as you do. But like, of course, like. I'm not completely the same. Sitting in the studio is when I go home to my fiance, like, I'm different.
Of course, we're all different at work, absolutely like in fucking entertainment in Hollywood, like every single person acts different at work. And so you're looking for your partner to, like, accept you.
And it'd be.
The difference is like, when I go home, my I don't get to. I don't get to leave my job. I don't get to leave my work. I don't get to leave my career. It is my life, you know what I mean?
It's like my career is almost like a child. Like you don't just get to, like, See you tomorrow, like it, like it's always present. You know what I mean, and you're. You can probably relate to this, too.
Like, you might be in bed and you get a call that you have to answer. It's midnight. Your guest for tomorrow canceled. Who do you want? Yep, like, that's, I'm sure, has happened to you before.
And like, I've had partners that are not understanding, why do you have to answer your phone right now? Like, and I'm like, Oh, because my work was here before you, and it'll be here.
After you, right? Oh, that's kind of interesting, okay, let's get into relationships.
Yeah, okay, okay, so 2021, you come out, and how would you describe the internet's reaction?
Honestly, I thought, great, okay. I was like, Oh my God, I got 90,000 comments. I've never had this, I didn't expect anything.
Like, I, I came out because one night it was like, kind of expected, right? And then one night I was on FaceTime with my girlfriend. And I was like, I want to pose this picture like, I put it on my close friends like three days before, and I was like, I think I want to pose a public, just like, go for it.
Like, I don't, yeah, you should, so I did and I. Then the next day I woke up to 90,000 comments and I was like, Holy, what did I just do? So I read the comments and it was like, cast of Grey's anatomy, which, like, I love Grey's anatomy. So I was like shitting bricks. Ellen like Ellen.
I'd never had any contact with him before, like Ellen, like crazy, crazy people. Then I scrolled past about 200 and then all 89,800 remaining were awful, horrific. Never letting my kids watch you again.
I'm throwing away all of our bows today. Ugh, another one down the drain, like, so foul. And I've talked to Crushel actually about this. I love Crushel and G-flip so very much.
Um, Crushel was like she was saying, like anything that I lost, like, I don't want you to like me. And I said that same thing when I was 17, like, if you didn't like me on January, January 8th, but you did on January 7th, that's your problem, not mine. And I think that me coming out at 17 was massive for kids I do.
And I look as a 20 year old now, I look at 17 year olds and I'm like, Oh my god, how did you even know? Like, like it just. And then like, I've had friends now that will be this age 20, 23, 22 and they're scared to come out. And I've, quite literally, I did this to my best friend.
I literally opened the closet door, kicked him out of it on accident. Thought, thought we were out, but we weren't. And so then, like, we really had to, like, really reel it back in and backtrack. And then I got to kind of help him through his coming out journey, and it was actually one of the most beautiful moments of my life. But it's scary.
The world is still a scary mean.
Unaccepting place. It is terrifying, cause you would think like there's a facade on the internet that everyone acts like. We're all so progressive, and it's still so many people are still so homophobic, and it's so sad. But like, what makes me sad? Also for you, though, Jojo is like, now understanding you and like knowing like you are this person that has had people looking at you whole life.
So you are used to it, but in one of your most intimate moments that you're deciding to share with the world. Then you knew in the back of your head, probably like, I don't know how this is going to go, like, you never know. Yeah, I was just like, I hope for the best.
Right, like, it's real, it's true, but then having people say like, I won't let my children watch you and all of that. Like before, you had the crechelles of the world and people immediately coming to, like, have you look at it in a different way?
Like, in that moment when you opened your phone, you're by yourself, like, what did you actually feel? It was? It was really, really tough.
Yeah, it was I. I didn't understand it. I was just like, why? why? Take the time to comment that?
I the only thing that I ever responded was to one comment. And they said, It's simple, I'm never letting my kids watch you again. And I just responded, Okay with an exclamation point.
Like, get them, 17 year old me, like, Okay, like, live your life, um. But the like reaction from the world wasn't very hard. At the time, I was still signed to Nickelodeon and president of the company was like, So what are we going to tell the partners?
And I was like, What do you mean? what do you mean? What are we going to tell the partners? and they were like, Well, what are we going to tell? Like all the retailers?
Like, you need to have a call with all of them and reassure.
Guys, I came out like I didn't. I'm going to tell them that I'm happy now. And then I took a call, so I had to take a call, cause my merchandise was everywhere.
Target Walmart, Amazon, Claire, Everywhere you name the store. It was there, so I had to take a call with all of them and they were all. We're so excited, we're so proud of you.
Like, we're already thinking about Pride this year, like, what are we going to do with you? Like, this is awesome. And I remember the company being like, Oh, I do think, and it's I don't even want to throw anyone.
Out of the bus. I do think it's important, though, that you're saying that publicly, cause it's like it is important to. I feel like a lot of people know they aren't up to speed and up to date with, like, no, no, no, we're not. We don't stand for any homophobic slander at all anymore, let everyone live their lives.
But when you're working with big corporations who maybe have a gay son or whatever it is like, but they just know what sells in the market. Still, it's like, we have to have these conversations to be like the fact that you have to get on a phone call. And it's amazing you were met with such like grace and people being so excited. I like the fact that that.
Even had to happen is psychotic. And of course, now I'm a little more like. My new video is like me and a few girls. A little raunchy, like it's my next one's a little bit more intense. Like it's like, of course, now, but I'm 20 now. At the time, I was 17..
It wasn't like, here I am doing my big one with a girl now, like, let me get my No. It was like, I'm happy. Look at me and my girl in Disney sharing a beignet like.
It was like it was innocent, it was sweet, and it was like they were like, Well, how was this okay? and I was like, How was Prince Charming and Cinderella?
Okay, same way, that's okay. Okay, we're swerving again.
Cause I'm like, Wait, we're going to come back to dating. We do need to talk about this new look because it is a 180 from your whole fucking life, essentially like, did you keep the bows?
Like, where are the bows, are they in a drawer? I, they're all at my studio, so I have a studio in Burbank and we keep everything out there. I have all my archives.
So people are saying.
Online, like she's trying to hide her, like Miley Cyrus Bangers moment, like, just stop.
Like, let it go like, what do you think of this? When I was eight is when Miley had her bangers moment. And I was like, all I want is to have that one day, like, I want that.
And honestly, since I was like 15, like my whole like inner circle has been like talking about and like getting excited for it. And then two years ago is when I started writing new music, I got out of my Nickelodeon Music contract. I signed a deal with Columbia Records Label has been amazing.
And I started doing music, and honestly, we started off like, pretty, pretty calm, like nothing, like, nothing, like what's out right now? Um, and then I got pitched this song, Karma, and it's first word is I was a bad girl, and I was like, Oh fuck, it's a good song.
I was like, But I can't say that, I can't say I'm a bad girl, I'm not, I'm not. I was 18, fresh off of my Dream the Tour, and I was like, I can't say I sang Every girl's a super Girl last week.
Like, I can't sing, I was a bad girl. This week, it doesn't work. So then we. I was like, but like, I love the song, so let's try it.
Okay, and I was like, we can save it, like, let's just put my voice on it, we can save it. So we did the song. And then I was like, this feels wrong.
So then I did a she was a bad girl, singing about someone else, put the blame on someone else. Then I did a you were a bad girl, another human. Then we heard all the versions and nothing hit quite like me being the bad guy. I was like, Okay, we'll leave it at that.
We'll find it, we'll find it in a few years from now. And so this point in time, this is, this is, um, March 2022. So I'm thinking, music's coming out in July, like, I gotta like bust a nut to get this music done.
Right here we are, we are now, at the end of 2022. Nothing's come out and I'm like, I'm chilling and I come up with this music video idea for Karma.
And I am obsessed with it. There is no changing my mind, there's also no changing my mind that now this song comes first. Cause if I want my moment, this, this is my one. 80..
This is my moment. Talk to me, though, about the hate, cause. It's a lot if you go on TikTok, if you go like.
There are people being like, Is Jojo Siwa okay? There's comments on the music like, people are really being mean, how do you feel about it? Like I said, I will never, ever.
Claim to be a singer, But I will claim to be an artist, I am giving the world art. And they might not like it, they might hate it, but they're enjoying it and it's become a bit.
Of a guilty pleasure for everyone. So when you're sitting with your team and you're sitting in bed and you're reading these comments, like, Yeah, it doesn't affect you at all. It does, it does.
Because with karma, karma I'm so proud of. And I think the music video really does more justice than the song. And once they're together, it's, I mean, it is. It is a work of art and sickening. And it is the full one 80 moment that I've always wanted. And the fact that people aren't comparing it to Miley's Bangers moment like goal achieved.
It's like, when people were trying to tell me that I was dressing like G Flip, I was like, Thank Hallelujah, I did it like that was the goal, nailed it.
You know what I mean? And I literally got off stage with G Flip and I was like, sound the alarms. We're buying the oversized pants, cut the arms off the muscle t, like here the frick, we go everybody like full one 80 and now same thing here.
It's like, Okay, we're going to have this moment, let's have this moment. Like, no Child star has done this since her, and they have had beautiful transitions. Olivia Rodrigo has had one of the most incredible success stories as a musician, as a young musician. But there was no flip, there was no like Child star flip like Miley had.
And I, I knew I wanted that, I wanted to give the world art.
Why do you think people on the internet have such strong opinions about you?
Cause it's fun to, it is fun, it is fun for them. My mom told me, she said, I love you more than anyone in the world. I will not open your comments and comment, she said. So for somebody to open your comments and comment, they're enjoying it.
It's fun for them, they're. I am also guilty of when everyone was saying Trisha Paytas was pregnant with the Reincarnated Queen. I made a tick talk about it cause it was hysterical and then, like everyone, I was the one that went down in flames for it.
Like everyone was doing it, I was the one that went down in flames for it. Which fine. Like, yes, it probably was a joke that I shouldn't have made, but, like, again, everyone was doing it. I jumped on the bandwagon, shouldn't have, but I've jumped on those bandwagons too before.
And so what gave me a lot of reassurance was somebody made a video hating making fun of the dance.
And I duetted them poking at the dance, and they posted another video of them reacting to my duet. And I was like, Oh, a day ago you were making fun of it, now you are screaming around your room, freaking out, crying, cause I duetted it, right?
It's like, you're kind of just leaning in, like.
If people are going to make fun of you, like, Okay, you're still talking about me, I'm having fun. I'm not taking myself that seriously. I told you guys, I don't, I'm not considering myself a singer, I'm a performer.
I'm an artist and it's making conversation and people it is doing.
Exactly what I wanted it to. I wanted people's heads to turn, I wanted people to go. what, right? I wanted people to go. What is she saying?
Honestly, what I didn't expect is for people to know every lyric that's been released, okay, we're going to come back to the music again.
Pause back to dating, I love it, so you're growing up, we're watching you, even in the maturity of your lyrics. Are you currently dating anyone?
Are you dating like in this moment? yeah.
Oh, no single single single single single talking to people, um, my ex per usual.
Um, not like that, though, not like that. You don't have like a little roster on the side going on. No, I, I did, I fully did.
And about at the same time, I, I had like three or four girls that I was like, Wait, I'm kind of into all of them. Like, this is kind of fun, like I've never had that, right? And then I had to have, like the like, more serious Joelle versus Jojo conversation.
And I ran, I ran. I was like, Oh, I can't do this, I can't give this, I my, let me make sure I'm talking right about this. My last relationship was very public by both of our choice.
Um, our getting together was very public, our official relationship was very public, our breakup was very public. There has been a lot that went down that if this microphone wasn't on, I would tell you what she did, what she told me anonymously. But I had to have my security team handle it, and I found out that it was her that I can not give.
I can't, I can't. It's like it built a trauma that I didn't even know I have until now. I'm like, Oh, that's why you can't talk to a girl is because of that, and it's hard. I mean, I, I'm very focused right now, I'm very into my art.
I'm very into my career and so I'm very lucky that I have that to preoccupy me. But I love love, I love love, but I just I. What's fucked is this is what I was getting at. And then my ADHD fully took us in a different direction.
But can I ask, why? why can't you talk? why can't you just say it?
I mean, I, I, I could, but it's like a whole ass legal thing behind closed doors. And my thing is is, I have fired at her a little bit on social media and she's fired at me a little bit on social media. I've never started it, but I I used to join in it, you know what I mean, and I would finish it.
Like, if you're going to come at me and make me a bad guy, I'm going to say as much as I can. And what? Uh, what happened that I? My security literally is like, Hey, you can't talk about this because it is a legal thing. Um, I. That happened three months after we broke up and so it like I finally had like, process the breakup, and I was the one that chose the breakup. But it's still, it's still not easy.
Um, but the fact that, like, I had processed and gotten through it. And like, we finally got through all the social media heat. And like, I, at that point, it was like, you know what, I'm just going to take the social media heat. Like, I don't care about the narrative anymore, like, I don't care about the truth anymore, like, fuck it.
Like, I'm 19.
Like, it really isn't that dramatic, it's really not that dramatic. And then I got a really, really, really fucked up. Had to have my security team handle message, and that's when I was like, there's. I just realized there's so much that the world doesn't know, including that.
And like, still, to this day, I'll get these comments and I'm just like.
The world doesn't even know. Can I ask you without getting specific, like, what are the feelings when you found whatever the thing was out, like, what are the feelings that?
Hit you at first I, I. I had a weird gut instinct. Okay, had a weird gut instinct.
I was like, I bet it's, and then I, so I sent it to my team. And then he was like, Hey, we need a call. Because it is somebody that was very, very close to you that did this. And I was like, Oh, fuck me okay, and then I knew, and at first I was like, Okay, whatever.
But then I was like, wait, I was like, that's actually not okay. And then it didn't hit me again until I tried to date again, and then I realized like, I just, I can't, I like, okay. So remember back in the day when?
You were like, back in the day, back in this interview, literally an hour ago, like, literally.
An hour ago, when you were, like, with your parents at the house, how are you dating? I wouldn't want to be around someone alone because of what, Homegirl, what happened and what she said, and.
What she like, I trust, so trust issues came out of this. Mad. Yeah, yeah.
I'm so sorry, I mean.
Look, I have great things to occupy me now, I have a career that I'm so happy about. But it does. It does suck, like I'm a cuddler and so like, I don't get that anymore, and I'm like.
I get the defense mechanisms of like, I'm going to work, I'm going to, but if you're human for five seconds. Like when someone crave and when someone betrays your trust in the most intimate setting of your life, that behind closed doors, that you trusted. And you're, you're getting to be your act like your real, real self, your closest person, right? Yeah, it's brutal.
It's.
Like, how do you even recover? I've, um, I've actually, I've talked to my my good ex. I'll talk about Kai, we're on great terms, we're good friends.
And I talked to her about it, she knows what happened, and she's like, You have to trust me when I say, there are other people like me in the world that are good, that will not do dirty, that will love you, that will care about you, and will not do this. And don't give a shit about social media, don't give a shit about social media views, shit about social media hate.
She's like, There will be, I know I might not be right for you anymore, but there will be somebody that is. And like, that's where I'm. Like, at some point, I did date an angel and unfortunately, just time is time, you know what I mean?
Yeah, and you have to believe that, like, there are pieces of shit out there that like, are going to exploit and try to like. And in your situation, like you're not in a normal situation, like, people can make money off of you and exploit you and use you. But when you do, find your way back to trusting someone, that part.
Curious Do you have a type?
Do you have a type? I so have a type. Oh my god, what is it? I so have a type tall.
Guy.
Older than me, masculine. I don't care if they're in the industry, but I would prefer not the same field like I would prefer not another artist.
Like, I just think that'd be hard. Yep, I like, like, like, like long hair, like dark long hair, pretty teeth, um, eye colors, whatever it is.
I like like, I like fit, girly, like someone who's like, down to work out with me. And literally a number one thing, get ready, put your seatbelt on, you're going to lose your shit. One of the first things that I talk about with somebody and I don't come out and be like, So are you ready for kids?
I don't come out like that out of the gate, but when I start to talk to somebody, I will initially be like. I'm really stoked to have kids like within the next three or four years. And just to see how someone reacts to that, see if they're ready for it and they'll be like, Oh, you want kids? I'm like, Yeah, I have, like, I have baby names picked out, like Got a sperm girl lined up, Freddie, Eddie and Teddy.
Like, fuck and I, I have that conversation in a way that they know. It's there. Because some people have been like, Oh, I ain't having kids for another 20 years. And then I'd be like, Oh, good to know that's not going to work then, or, Oh, I'm not having kids for another five years.
And I'm like, that's workable, you know what I mean? So okay, yeah, I've definitely had that, but because I like older, it typically is working out, is it?
Now you did give us context as to why it would happen. It has to go through a background check with your security team. Yes, can you walk me through? How the fuck you tell this person this?
Is going down? I hate it. It is the absolute worst conversation. Luckily, I've only had to have it once, okay?
Because look, if I start talking to you till we're like, serious, yeah, it doesn't really matter. Like if we go on three dates, like, it doesn't matter, but like, by the time we're hitting that, like fourth date, like, maybe this could go somewhere.
That's when it's like, Okay, here we go. So the first thing I have to do is I have to alert my security team and be like, So I'm talking to X right now. And then they do a little bit of a background, like a just like, a like, like a very like, as if I was sending it to a friend. Like their socials, they just kind of see and then we go from there. Is that weird?
Like?
Do you like talking to your security team about your love life? I hate that I have to do it.
I hate that what happened and that I have to do it. It's so fucked, but it's a safety thing. And like, if I do have children with this person one day, like, I, yes, run your background check.
And to confirm did this? This started after the incident. Yes, okay. So you've not always been like rolling up with five security deep like, What's up, let's go on a date with these five men, No?
Okay, no, no, no, no, no, no. This was after an incident after.
After the incident happened, after the fuckery, I, Yeah, I, um, that's when it was like, So now we're at the phase of your life and this. This is a very normal celebrity thing, like it is a very normal thing. It sounds very awkward, but my security team has done security for many of my idols, many of people that I look up to, many people that are in my same field.
And they're like, this is a normal practice. You, essentially, I just have to say to the person, like, Hey, so because of something that I've gone through, like, I have to have my security on a background check on you. There's two ways they can do it, they can one, they can interview you, or B, they can do it without talking to you. But you still have to have knowledge of it, essentially.
Here's what I realized. First time I had to have that conversation, I was like, this is horrific, like I can't even believe I'm about to have this conversation. Like, how embarrassing. Like I'm taking this serious enough now that, like, my security has to check you like, that's disgusting.
And no matter whether you're a date deep or 20 dates deep, like, awful, either way. Like, you're going to be that crazy after a date one, or you're going to be like, Fuck, we've gone on 20.
And you're just now thinking of this, like you're, you're Sol, either either way. Like, but luckily, Home girl was like, I'm totally fine, like, I get that, like I understand your life.
I understand like that makes sense, that you would have to have that done like you can give them my number, you know what I mean?
So that made me realize that if someone's dating me for the wrong reason, I'll be like, EW, why do you have to do that? Like, that's, that's weird, but if someone's in it for the right reasons, they're going to be like. Actually, I respect that. I understand that well, cause I was like, Did anyone ever not?
Pass the background check and like, what? no, no, no, no, no, but like, what happens, right?
Like, what happened? what happens then? Goodbye, I'm in love with you, but you gotta go.
But you gotta go, it's more so. I think I would just have to be aware of some things, you know what I mean? I think that like, Look, mama, I'm not going to be in love with a criminal.
Like, we're chilling. There are some basic things that, like, you can just read a person right away. And like, I have talked to some people that I'm like, you gotta do it right. But yeah, if that ever happened, where my security was like, this isn't good.
Can your security find if people have like?
Fake accounts and are trolls on Reddit? Yes, shut the fuck up. Oh yeah, oh my God.
JOJo Like, I need to come over and like, have them, like, help me out with a couple things. Wait, they can find if they're trolls, I could change your world.
What? Yeah, oh my God. So everyone on the internet like, whenever you're like, Oh, I bet you have a fake account, you can just have them.
Go find it. Yeah, wow, you're kind of like the fairy godmother over there with your sparkles.
The thing about the internet is it is the internet, right? Everything is out there, whether you like it or you're not. Not the fairy godmother with the sparkles, literally.
I'm staring at you like, I feel like I'm getting hypnotized over here. I feel like I'm on drugs right now. Because I'm trying to look through there to look at your eyes. And I'm like, Is she still there? Is this AI?
What is happening? Okay, so wow, you have security and it's made it.
A little awkward, but not too awkward. Yeah, it's definitely a conversation, but it's gone good.
Every time, okay, what are you like in a relationship? are you needy? are you playful?
Are you jealous? I am needy, I am attached, I crave love, I crave it.
I haven't had it in a year and a half. I definitely am very territorial I am, and that is a reason why. I was like, I'm going to take some time, I told myself, I was like, I'm going to take a three month dating break.
That was my goal. Then I tried to date again and I realized that I had all these problems now because of the whole situation. But yeah, I was like, I'm going to take my cute three months, fix my problems, find it, not become a jealous person anymore. Yeah, but I definitely. I have a lot of love to give. And because my career is established, not established, but it's I've been doing it for a really long time.
It's been a decade of it, so I kind of just know how to keep going. I have a lot of time, too, to give in a relationship. And so where that's different is. A lot of 20 year olds are just figuring out their life, which I think is why I prefer 27, 28, 29 because they've got it figured out, you know what I mean?
Right, you've been the one to.
End things How do you know when it's time to walk away? That's a very hard thing, there's.
Never a good time, ever first time for me, it, it was. It was needing to happen, like we both knew it and I. I finally just grew the pair to do it.
And it was it was right for both of us, and we both agree it was awful, horrific, but it was the right thing. Um, second relationship was with the same girl and that time something happened where I was just like, I just got, I'm just, I'm out.
Like, but we're good, we're great terms, um, third time gut feeling. Literally. Like when I tell you woke up one day and was like, and my family was like, Jojo, what? like? No, like, are you crazy? And I was like, I don't know.
I was like, But I can't, I can't be here anymore, like, I can not, I can't do it anymore. And what do you know? Gut was so right. How do you even break up with?
Someone like, Are you? someone like, Are you someone bad? I'm bad. like, pretend I'm the.
Person What are you saying to me? Okay, so I mean, I'll give you my round one. I don't think I would care.
I'll give you my round one. I basically was just like it was in the middle of Dancing with the Stars, right? And I was like, Hey, babe, like, she's living in my house. And I was like, So it's really busy right now.
And there's just a lot going on. I think you just got to go home for a little bit, Jojo. I was going to let her get home, I was going to let her be with her family.
I was going to call her and be like, We're done, she said. Are you breaking up with me?
Obviously, she said that you thinking, you're sly, being like, there's a lot going on, you got it, you got to go home. Why are you breaking up with me?
Meanwhile, you're like, this is going to be brilliant, this is going to be let her down easy. And then you said, Yes, of course, I said.
Yes, awful. Well, that's kind of civil. I tried my best to make I never, never truly broken up with somebody before that, okay?
Lies. I had a boyfriend broke up with him, like with a text message, like, definitely gave him a text message, and then yeah, second time I broke up with her. Honestly, don't remember how that one went. I think it was like, kind of the same pattern.
Let's. And then my last one, the gut feeling. One was bad, it was bad. I look back at it and I'm like, Well, you did your big one.
Have fun with it, I guess. Screaming she definitely, she being me definitely sent an audio message, No.
I know no, but in how long, how long? Okay, nothing compared to the 47 minute audio message that I got back, but it was giving like two and a half minutes.
Oh.
You, like, went into an explanation. Well, I was like, Look, I started off with being like.
Cause we just had, like, she had just gotten home, and I was like, I just wanted, I want you to have this. Are you going to do the whole audio message for us right now? Yeah, 220, 220..
Here we go, it's on my timer. No, it basically was just me, like, setting it up, being like, I'm sending this to you like this, so you can have a sec. I did have a theory.
I did have thought behind it. I was like, I want to send you this in an audio. A so you can hear my voice, and it's not over text, but b so you can process. Figure out how you're feeling. And then call me, I'll answer FaceTime, I'll answer Show up and I'll pick you up at the airport.
Text me back, block my number, whatever you're feeling after this. Like, in my head, it was the right thing to do to give her a second to process and then decide how she was feeling. Um, cause I think that's what I wanted. I guess. Okay, that makes sense.
Like, I get what you're saying now, if you.
Phone call If you're on a phone call, the person can't be like, can you give me five minutes? Let me walk away for a second and think about, Okay, it's giving maturity a little. We tried, we did.
Try, we did try. Believe it or not, I just look like a toddler at this point in my life. I'm not.
One, I just look like, one, fuck, okay, I love that you can joke about yourself.
Yeah, look.
I can't take myself too seriously. We only get one of these things called life. Um, yeah, I was just like I was like, but I just am not in a position to be in a relationship anymore with you like I. I don't remember what exactly. And then it was a little bit of a back and forth.
And then, a couple of days later, I got a 47 minute audio message 47 Whole ass episode of Grey's Anatomy.
And then some change. Did she have to record that on voice memo, cause, like, voice message, doesn't it cut you off at two? Did she keep going? Boom, boom, boom?
Oh, my cause, no one.
Knows who I'm talking about? Officially, it could literally be anybody. The worst part about the 47 audio message is she. You could hear her talk, right? and then you would hear a page flip and she would keep talking, and then she would be sobbing.
Okay, moving on page flip, page flip, like wrapped up the tears with a moving on page flip and kept reading.
Okay, not to like, really.
Get in detail. But I just have to ask you, when you see this amount of voice messages coming in, are we sitting down with, like, pasta? are we in the car? like, get, where did you sit down?
You were sat. Believe it or not, I was in Disneyland, shut the fuck up, Disney world of all places. And I was like, Okay, well, not going to take my 47 now. But when I get back to the hotel, like, we'll be doing my big one.
Like, coldly, and just like, sat and listened, and like, watch an episode of Grey's anatomy, like, unfortunately, like, laughed, right?
That's that point. It's like, Okay, we've been breaking up, broken up like you in a sense. Know what you did, like, you know why, but like, yeah, really, really dramatic, you know what it's.
Giving. Did you ever see? Did you see the recent piece A Woman with like, part 47 of that? Oh?
There's one more, if you want one more. What tell me? Ring ring ring, this is. This was after the 47 minute audio message Ring ring ring.
Her mom, It's like, Oh God, that's got to go to voicemail. that's got to go to voicemail, send it to voicemail. Hey Jojo, it's Medley's mom.
Um, she's, she's not here with me right now, she doesn't know that I'm calling you.
And I'm sitting right here with her and she's so sad. What like? So that's what I'm saying. Like, there's so much when I go through something publicly that the world doesn't know and that I choose not to be very detailed about. Because, like, until you come on, call her daddy, sweetie for what it's worth. I gave no names.
Exactly, there are a few people who that could be about.
Totally, totally, and also like, who gives a fuck this is? This is like the new way to break up with people voice message.
It's, I'm not kidding, it's kind of mature, it is, I like the second.
To process as somebody who when I'm feeling super strong emotions, I don't know how to talk, right, I don't know how to find my words. Like, I don't need to write a script and send a 47 minute audio. But I do like to have a second to be like, Am I sad, am I mad?
Am I happy? do I need a break? do I need to go get a water? do I need to cry? You know what I mean?
And so, yeah, cause it's.
Cause it's like when you go through a breakup. If you do it in person, which is obviously you would think is like the go-to which I get. But then the person needs to be like, you can process this. Then you drive home, then you think about it and then you come back and have another conversation. So, really, a voice message. It's the modern way to break up with people, I am into it.
Like if I.
Could go back in time. I would probably do it again, like, I think if I was in a more serious relationship, like, I wouldn't do it. But at the level that that relationship was like, if you're in a 20 year relationship, maybe don't do the audio message 101, please don't.
Three months good to go, we'll be fine. How would you describe what you're looking for now? Somebody who is down?
To Okay, I think this just comes from how I was raised. But almost down to just be a stay at home wife, stay at home mom, stay at home person. Like, Live your life. I mean, I always just say my person will be my person.
I would love somebody that will come to the studio with me, will come home and say, Hey, you want a peanut butter and jelly? Not someone that's like, All right, babe. I'm going to school all day, like, see you in eight hours, or I'm going to work all day. Like, I want them to have their passion, whatever they want to do. But I, I financially make enough to support a family and then my family's families.
You know what I mean, and so I would love somebody that just wants to live life and is good and is helpful, but isn't. It doesn't feel the need to. Some people do feel I feel the need to work, you know what I mean, and so I. I not. I don't want to be someone's sugar daddy, but like Jojo as a sugar daddy.
Like, it's giving, I get what you're saying. What's going to be interesting for you is to find like. You may meet the love of your life, and you may think you wanted the stay at home person. But then I might meet the most talented, driven person that you're like, Fuck, we're going to just have to make this work because I love you so much.
I think right now what you're describing is you know where someone could fit into your life. But if you met someone and it became a partnership, you probably could make it work. Whatever it is, right, yeah.
I do.
Think that because especially all of my people that have been, I've been in a series. I've. I've had to had to let me know all of my relationships. I mean, if you count my two boys, I've had four. Oh, she's a high roller over here, but my two total opposite worlds, one completely normal, nothing to do with the industry, normal school, normal college like normal.
One full influencer, You know what I mean, and so I've definitely I've had my fair.
Share of both, you know, I feel really happy that I got to sit down with you today. Because I find myself fascinated. When I watch people on the internet and knowing I'm in this industry, I can always like, slightly, see, like, well, there's more to it. But you are a very nice person that, like, has an online persona that is larger than life. So it's hard, I bet, for a lot of people to like, even believe. There's like, substance and a chill person and a human behind that, like, even, okay, Jojo, we quickly have to talk about your car outside.
Are we getting rid of it? Like, can you? To anyone that doesn't know what I'm talking about? You have a Tesla that is completely wrapped in, like my 15 year old face, and it's like a hundred of your faces.
So many of them big bow and all spinners that are rainbow, it's the insides, rainbow and rhinestone, like, it's a whole thing. First of all, safety hazard. Very much so.
You're driving and everyone knows it's like follows, swerving, like no one else can drive the car but me and my dad. Because only him and I know how to, like, navigate it, because it is people swerve, people follow, it's really bad. Why do you drive that car? So I typically don't, okay.
I typically don't, but so the car thing is actually very interesting. I that was my first car. Okay, okay.
And my lies? That was my second car, but my first car my parents bought me, and they had it wrapped with my dream. The tour logo. That was my big concert tour that I did when I was a kid, and it became a big promotional tool.
Me driving it all the time, me in pictures, me in videos. It became like massive promo. We're like, Oh shit, this is a thing. So then they made toy of toys of the Jojo car.
Then we were like, Okay, so then I got this car and my manager got me this car. And it was originally painted really cool, and then I just didn't like the paint job anymore, and so I wrapped it. And David Dobrik had pranked his friend and put his face all over it. I was like, Oh my God, think of the video.
If I put my own face, that would be hysterical. So I did it for a video. And then it became a thing, and they made that car for a toy. And then I was like, then it, then it just became a thing, it became a social media thing.
It became a What is she driving? It became a look at your face right now, like, Are you psychotic? It became that, and then it became a massive promotional tool.
Massive. I don't know what I did. My Pride clothing collection last year. And we put that on the car. Because it just it is such a wacky thing. Like, why, why do you have this?
And it works, and so now we're doing it again with karma.
Okay, hold on. Do you at least have, like, a random G wagon in the house so you can, like, whip it out and like, go get a fucking coffee and not get? So? I had so my, my car.
That's being.
Wrapped currently was plain white, not very discreet. She is a Lamborghini, but she is plain white. Oh my god. but she's plain white. Let her be plain white for a second.
And then my mom and dad have a car, both of them, and so I can drive either their cars at any point they moved. So now I got two cars, one with 15 year old me face on it, one with 20 year old me face on it.
Jojo, we need to, like, get you a car so you can, like, be a little inconspicuous. I do especially.
Now I will probably get a new car that we will leave like, like plain, like plain, like when.
You want to go, like, have a dinner and just like, be a little normal for a second. So here's the.
Problem Okay, no matter what I go to that dinner, no matter what car I drive, I still hop out of the matter. What? Even in the restaurant. That's where, like, dating becomes a problem.
Like, do we have to take the Jojo car? No, I don't want to either. But no, no matter what, when we get there, it's still going to be a show for the world. So let's just Uber eats. And that's like, why I'm a home bird? Oh, that's another thing.
So get this cause we were talking about dating and because we've gotten deep on shit, you'll like this. Something that is very strange is because of how public I am, like, going on dates with somebody isn't a thing. First date is always at the house, always with the family, because my family's always around.
We all live together and I can't date somebody in public for the first few months, so our first time meeting each other was like.
Yeah, come over to the house, meet my whole family day one. Okay, now that you're going to the loan, are you going to invite your family over quickly, or are you going to be alone?
Absolutely not will you have security there? Absolutely okay, a hundred percent.
So we'll just outside outside, like, Okay, just a chill walkie talkie. if I need you, I'll call you like.
I can scream really loud if I need to. We're giving walkie talkie on the first date, I am dying, okay, so you'll do a little outside date and just chill.
Yeah, like, just like, okay, and.
I'm a talker like, we will talk for two or three months over the phone before I like, actually make. We'll talk about Freddie, Eddie and Teddy before I'll do it in person. Of course, naturally, I want to get you on the Freddie, Eddie and Teddy bandwagon.
I don't know if I'll ever get on that bandwagon, but I honestly, I'll accept it. No, and I I think, what you have a?
Like, listen, you have a good fucking rebuttal. The fact that I started this being like, you're going to get your kids are going to get fucking bullied. You're like, if that's a thing they're getting bullied for, fucking love it. I'm like, you have a fucking point.
But you could try to give them a head start with no bullying. There's no chance.
It's like I had a past partner. Be like, I don't want to have kids in the public eye. And I was like, they're my children. Like, they don't even have a shot at a private life. Like, it's just like the reality, it's just the reality.
v1.0.0.260408-1-a910ba6_os