JoJo Siwa is speaking out amid accusations that a young dancer in her newest music video was performing in blackface.
The big top-themed video, which the “Boomerang” singer dropped last week, featured a wide range of dancers in circus attire – including a ballerina donning what appeared to be brown face makeup and monkey ears.
After a week of mounting criticism, JoJo addressed the allegations in a lengthy Twitter message. In it, she stood by the choice, insisting it was part of the dancer’s animal costume.
“We’re talking about kids dressing up as circus animals!” the “Masked Singer” contestant wrote in part. “No one in my video is wearing blackface. It’s awful that anyone’s mind would even go there. Kids dressing in animal costumes, having their faces painted to look like animals, acting the part. There were zebras, tigers, dogs, clowns, mermaids, everything.”
JoJo then restated her support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
“I’ve addressed Black Lives Matter issues previously on my social media, I will say it again for the ones in the back, Black Lives Matter, today, tomorrow, yesterday and forever,” she wrote. “I’m on the right side of history here. Stop trying to make this about something it isn’t.”
The 17-year-old also addressed speculation that her recent Instagram post about purging hateful commenters from her Instagram was related to the blackface allegations. She insisted that the message “had absolutely nothing to do with” the video, but instead was targeted at others who had made personal attacks on her.
“I blocked certain people online and stopped following others because I was tired of seeing the personal hate on me,” she wrote. “Some people will do anything for attention and that includes being mean. People were sending me really horrible and disgusting messages about my appearance, my sexuality, my content, and overall just being hateful.”
JoJo’s post received a wide range of reactions. While some fans stood by her, many criticized her for deflecting responsibility.
“This doesn’t look like an apology luv,” one wrote.
“I didn’t do anything that needs an apology… This is me clearing this up,” JoJo wrote back.
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