Two years ago, I wrote an article discussing Jojo Siwa’s attempt at a rebrand, where she was desperately seeking attention from an older audience. I compared her attempts to other successful celebrity rebrands and claimed that Jojo’s was disingenuous and would not last long. I was right.
Between her “Karma” era in 2024 and now, Jojo starred in the 24th season of Celebrity Big Brother UK, where she did not shy away from controversy. Going into the show, Jojo was in a public relationship with fellow content creator, Kath Ebbs. Throughout Jojo’s time on the show, she grew closer and closer to co-star Chris Hughes, which troubled fans and watchers as there had not been a breakup between Jojo and Kath prior to the show. In real time, Kath also seemed shocked by Jojo and Chris’s close relationship on the show, as comments flooded their social media about what was happening on air. Although no actual cheating had occurred, at least that we are aware of, casual watchers and fans of Jojo and Kath’s were confused about the relationship between Jojo and Chris. Jojo had spent almost all of 2024 promoting this ex child star image of hers, of which relied heavily on her sexual identity. So, seeing Jojo cuddled up close with a straight man was jarring and the complete opposite of the image she had been heavily promoting. Kath confirmed that Jojo officially ended their relationship at the Celebrity Big Brother after party, which came as a shock to them. Kath had come prepared with letters written describing their feelings of betrayal and crossed boundaries, but was broken up with instead.
However, there are some blurred lines about this situation. Another co-star on Big Brother, Mikey Rourke, was kicked out of the Big Brother house after making homophobic and offensive comments towards Jojo. Fans and casual watchers have noted that Jojo and Chris’s close relationship could be some sort of trauma bond due to this situation.
Jojo has since come out, again, stating that her time on Big Brother made her realize that she was queer and not just a lesbian – which is really nobody’s business however it provides evidence that Jojo had a serious revelation during her time on the show about not only her sexuality but also her place in pop culture. Since her time on Big Brother Jojo has also changed her style and is nowhere near as bold and polarizing as she once was. She’s back to selling bows, except they’re no longer Jojo Bows, they’re Joelle Bows, as she is leaning back towards the audience she once had during her Dance Moms fame – selling products to the same demographic she once did but now as adults.
In other interviews about her Karma era, Jojo has stated that a lot of the decisions made were not hers and she was forced to go in the direction that was chosen for her. She’s also joked that the Karma era was born after she had drunk too many energy drinks late at night. Regardless, her “bad girl” persona was fake – even though we all already knew that.
The biggest change she has made however is her name. She no longer wants to be Jojo, but Joelle. This switch reflects a separation from the Jojo we grew up with on Dance Moms and the Jojo we laughed at in 2024, as Joelle finally seems to be sure of herself. Although Joelle’s new identity should not overshadow some of the controversies I discussed in my first article about Jojo, her problematic management of a pop group and friendships with known predators, it is nice to see that Joelle is still learning and reflecting about herself and her place in pop culture, and the world. This timeline is also a reminder that even those who seem stuck in their ways are capable of finding their truth.