JoJo Siwa claims Nickelodeon ‘blackballed’ her after she came out
JoJo Siwa Claims Nickelodeon ‘Blackballed’ Her After She Came Out as gay (Chelsea Guglielmino/WireImage via Getty Images)
JoJo Siwa has claimed that Nickelodeon “blackballed” her after she came out in Demi Lovato’s upcoming documentary focusing on child stars.
Siwa, who rose to fame on reality show Dance Moms and has been on television since the age of nine, appeared in Lovato’s Child Star, where she alleged the treatment by the children’s channel after she announced in 2021 that she was part of the LGBTQ+ community. Since then, she has said she identifies as a lesbian.
According to an article in The Hollywood Reporter, Siwa claimed that her relationship with Nickelodeon, where she had worked since the age of 13, was never the same after she came out.
“I basically got blackballed from the company,” she said.
She added that the president of Nickelodeon allegedly asked her: “What are we going to tell the kids?” to which she replied, “That I’m happy?”
A spokesperson for Nickelodeon denied the claim, saying: “We are unaware of the incident JoJo is referencing and she was certainly not blackballed by Nickelodeon.
“We have valued and supported JoJo throughout our incredibly successful partnership, which included a JoJo-themed Pride collection at a major national retailer, among our many collaborations together. We continue to cheer her on and wish her nothing but the best.”
Lovato’s directorial will explore the struggles of child stardom and feature conversations with other actors and artists who have been famous since childhood, including Drew Barrymore, who became a household name aged seven, after appearing in Steven Spielberg’s ET in 1982, Christina Ricci, who starred opposite Cher in Mermaids at the age of 10, and Disney favourite Raven-Symoné.
“I didn’t realise that child stardom could be traumatic, and it isn’t traumatic for everyone, but for me it was,” Lovato said.
The former Barney & Friends star wouldn’t allow any child of her to pursue fame until adulthood.
“I’d say: ‘Let’s study music theory and prepare you for the day you turn 18 because it’s not happening before that. Not because I don’t believe in you or love you or want you to be happy but because I want you to have a childhood, the childhood I didn’t have’.”
Child Star is set to air on Hulu in the US on 17 September.
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