JoJo Siwa Says She Felt 'Pressured' to Identify as Lesbian; Cancels Pride Event Appearance

JoJo Siwa, who recently said she is "queer" and is dating reality star Chris Hughes, canceled a Pride appearance a day after her remarks about being "pressured" to identify as lesbian were published, the New York Daily News reported.

The 22-year-old pop star has come in for criticism from some fans after she made a declaration during her competition in "Celebrity Big Brother" that she now identifies as queer. In a middle-of-the-night conversation with fellow houseguest Danny Beard, Siwa declared that she is "queer" rather than a lesbian, and cheered that she was "going to the Q!"

Siwa had declared early in the "Big Brother" season that her lesbian identity would remain intact, along with her relationship with her then-partner, Kath Ebbs, when housemate Mickey Rourke seemed to suggest that he would convince her to become heterosexual.

But as the show went on, Siwa was seen having a "flirty" bond with Hughes, 32. After the season ended, Siwa broke up with Ebbs, but still insisted that she and Hughes were just friends. That changed with a June 2 interview with British newspaper the Guardian, in which Siwa confessed that her relationship with Hughes was "not platonic anymore, and it's been a beautiful development, a beautiful connection, and I'm absolutely head over heels for him and he's the same way."

Siwa's admission came after Hughes posted a selfie of himself and Siwa snuggling under the covers. Some fans were vocal in their support for the newly public couple, but others, the Daily Mail noted, responded with harsh criticism and a "cruel backlash" against Siwa, who had come out at the age of 17, first as pansexual and then as a lesbian.

Pink News relayed that the singer told You Magazine (a Sunday supplement to the Mail; story is behind a paywall) that she had "boxed myself in" when she identified herself as a lesbian. "And I think I did that because of pressure," Siwa added before explaining that the "pressure" she referred to "came a little bit from inside the community at times" – meaning the LGBTQ+ community.

The pressure, she clarified, came "[f]rom people I know, from partners I've had. You just get put in this world where you feel like, because you now have said, 'Oh, I'm a lesbian', you have to be a lesbian. And the truth is, sexuality is fluid."

More controversy followed when Siwa canceled a planned appearance at a Chicago Pride celebration.

"The 22-year-old 'Dance Moms' alum-turned-singer and YouTube star will no longer perform at Chicago's Back Lot Bash, the event announced on Saturday," the Daily News detailed. "Though organizers said the decision was 'due to a scheduling conflict,' some couldn't help but wonder if it had anything to do with the recent criticism."

@pinknews JoJo Siwa has pulled out of a Pride event after opening up about 'pressure' to label herself a lesbian. JoJo was scheduled to perform at the Back Lot Bash in Chicago on June 29, as part of Chicago Pride. However, the event issued a statement on their social media, reading: "Due to a scheduling conflict, JoJo Siwa will no longer be performing at Chicago's Back Lot Bash". JoJo was also meant to return to the US next week for the American leg of her tour, but recently issued a statement on her website saying 'I've got some news that breaks my heart to share. My US tour has been postponed. I promise I'll be back before you know it to perform for all the beautiful people in the US!' JoJo hasn't personally addressed pulling out of the Chicago Pride event. The singer has made appearances at numerous Pride events over the years. In 2024, JoJo put on a showstopping performance at LA Pride in the park, and in 2022 she was spotted on a float alongside her friend G-flip at the City of West Hollywood's Pride Parade. All this news follows JoJo opening up about her sexuality in a new interview. #jojosiwa #lgbtqia #pride #pridemonth #queertiktok #chicagopride ♬ Hip Hop Background(813690) - Pavel

Social media filled with angry comments about Siwa "cheating" and "lying," and some posts accused Hughes of "manipulating" her.

Siwa shrugged off the trolling, and told TMZ that the "LGBTQIA community needs to remember that love is love."

"Siwa, who also postponed her entire U.S. tour earlier this month, has not publicly commented on whether the Pride gig cancellation has anything to do the recent backlash," the Daily News detailed.

In another bombshell, Siwa said she was considering tying the knot with Hughes, to whom she referred as her "favorite person in the world."