JoJo Siwa Cancels Pride Show After Saying She Felt ‘Pressure’ To Call Herself A Lesbian
Organizers cited a “scheduling conflict,” but the timing is raising questions.
JoJo Siwa is no longer set to headline Chicago’s Back Lot Bash during Pride weekend. Organizers cited a “scheduling conflict,” but the cancellation follows days of public reaction to Siwa’s recent remarks about the pressure she felt while coming out.
The 22-year-old performer and former Nickelodeon star had been announced as one of the headliners for the two-day Pride event, held June 28 and 29 behind Cheetah Gym in the city’s Andersonville neighborhood. She also performed at last year’s Bash, which has long been a cornerstone of Chicago Pride.
In an interview with You Magazine, which is owned by the Daily Mail, Siwa opened up about her experience coming out as a teenager. “When I came out at 17, I said: ‘I’m pansexual, because I don’t care.’ But then I kind of boxed myself in and I said: ‘I’m a lesbian.’ And I think I did that because of pressure,” she explained.
Siwa continued, “In a weird way, I think it came a little bit from inside the [LGBTQ] community at times. From 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.”
Siwa has not made a public statement about the cancellation, but she has been active on social media responding to other headlines. Most recently, she addressed a joke made by Miley Cyrus during a pre-recorded segment at the WorldPride Festival in Washington, D.C., where Cyrus teased she’d “bring [Siwa] back out” of the closet.
“I don’t believe what Miley said at world pride was ill intended, honestly I think it was meant to be a joke, but just not very good one haha,” Siwa wrote in a lengthy Instagram post. “I messaged Miley light heartedly about it and she replied and said ‘All love. Always.’”
Related: JoJo Siwa’s Ex Kath Ebbs Has Strong Words About “Shocking” And “Humiliating” Breakup
Siwa also recently announced she is postponing her North American tour, which had been scheduled to kick off in Houston on July 10. “I’ve got some news that breaks my heart to share. My US tour has to be postponed. I promise I’ll be back before you know it to perform for all the beautiful people in the US,” she posted on her website.
Fueling the speculation around her evolving public image is her new relationship with Chris Hughes, a 32-year-old British reality star from Love Island, whom she met while filming Celebrity Big Brother UK earlier this year.
Back Lot Bash has not issued any additional clarification beyond the original statement about a scheduling conflict. Other artists, including Chloe Star and Whitney Peyton, remain on the bill.
