Though the most recent season of Celebrity Big Brother came to a close in April, the buzz surrounding contestants JoJo Siwa and Chris Hughes hasn’t slowed down. In fact, it’s only picked up speed since the pair’s most recent social media posts, which may finally confirm the whispers and fan theories about their possible relationship.
The unlikely duo grabbed fans’ attention in the Big Brother house this season, as they were spotted cuddling, holding hands, and being unabashedly touchy with each other on screen. Almost immediately, fans began to wonder if the two would become something more. Rumors also swirled when Siwa and her former partner Kath Ebbs — who she was technically dating during her time in the Big Brother house, amid the start of her close relationship with Hughes — split up at the show’s wrap party. Siwa and Ebbs’s relationship was also on the rocks as the show was being filmed. The two had discussed the Big Brother-related anxiety Ebbs was feeling and decided on some relationship boundaries before Siwa left, but the guidelines were unsuccessful. Siwa also mentioned to co-star Danny Beard that her experiences in the Big Brother house sparked her to reconsider her sexual identity, and made her realize that she identifies more with being queer than being a lesbian. So, all things considered, viewers have understandably been speculating about what it all meant.
It seems like there’s been no end to the chatter about Hughes and Siwa, with fans wondering if the two are just friends, dating, or simply a PR stunt. But based on the pair’s recent social media posts and public activity, it’s looking more and more like a blossoming romance.
On May 20, Hughes shared a photo dump on Instagram with the caption: “The previous 7 days have been the prettiest.. 😊💫.” The posts’ first slide is a black and white photo of Hughes and Siwa cuddling in an airport, and other pictures of the pair hugging, holding each other’s hands, and lying down together are interspersed throughout the carousel.
An hour later, Siwa posted a video on her TikTok account of her performing a cover of “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes in Mexico City — but her lyrics are slightly different. “All the boys think she’s a spy / She’s got Chris Hughes’ eyes,” Siwa sings into the camera, smiling knowingly.
So, do these posts count as an official hard launch? While neither has said as much, some fans are interpreting this as Hughes and Siwa’s way of confirming their relationship.
“This is the hard launch to end all hard launches Joelle and WE LOVE IT,” wrote one TikTok user in Siwa’s comments, one of many similar reactions.
Clearly, Hughes and Siwa haven’t been shy about sharing their relationship with the world, no matter what the nature of it is. But if it walks like a hard launch and it talks like a hard launch… many fans have reason to believe it just might be a hard launch.