Dancing With The Stars season 30 runner-up JoJo Siwa has called out Nickelodeon for not inviting her to the 2022 Kids' Choice Awards. JoJo rose to prominence when she appeared on the reality dance show Dance Moms in 2011. However, she gained her massive fanbase and the attention of Nickelodeon in 2016 when she released her song "Boomerang." The star went on to work with the network to create her own merchandise, which includes hair bows, dolls, school supplies, and birthday party decorations. In 2018, JoJo launched her own animated television show on Nickelodeon called The JoJo & BowBow Show Show. Since 2017, the Siwas Dance Pop Revolution star has won four Kid Choice Awards.
This is not the first time JoJo has had a dispute with the children's network. In September 2021, the star expressed frustration with being treated as a brand instead of as a person. JoJo was preparing to embark on her D.R.E.A.M. Tour and had just released her movie musical The J Team on Paramount +. Unfortunately, Nickelodeon wouldn't allow the star to add any of the songs from the film to her tour. JoJo found it extremely unfair that the company wouldn't let her perform her own songs, that she wrote and performed, on her tour. At the same time that the star was frustrated with Nickelodeon, she was getting ready to perform on DWTS as the first same-sex couple in the show's history.
JoJo's feud with Nickelodeon has continued as the star called out the network for not inviting her to their annual Kids' Choice Awards. After revealing the reason she wasn't in attendance was that she didn't receive an invite, Jojo took to Twitter to call out the network for what she thinks is the reason she wasn't invited. User @ohheyimmorgan tweeted a screenshot of one of JoJo's retweets where the original tweeter mentioned that the only time JoJo wasn't invited to the show was after she came out as queer and cut her hair. Morgan wrote, "Obsessed with the teenage girl celebrities who don’t take shit from their network of employment and refuse to be anything but themselves. Being connected to a kids channel shouldn’t mean you have to stop being yourself." JoJo then retweeted this as well.
The star, who has become known for her long blonde hair, which she often pulls into a high ponytail, recently chopped off her hair, revealing a short cut that resembles Miley Cyrus' hair during her 2013-2014 Bangerz era. The hairstyle seems to be a better expression of herself and her sexuality as she moves out of her childlike image and into a more adult era. JoJo and her girlfriend Kylie Prew split around October, but the star recently revealed she is in a new relationship and is very happy. During an appearance on The Ellen Degeneres Show, the host praised JoJo for speaking her truth and inspiring the next generation to do the same.
While Nickelodeon hasn't responded with a reason for not inviting JoJo, the star and her fans seem to think the reason is evident. JoJo has received some backlash for coming out and expressing her sexuality; however, it hasn't stopped JoJo from being authentic. The network is surely the one getting backlash now after leaving JoJo out of the ceremony. Hopefully, Nickelodeon had a much more equitable reason for not inviting the DWTS alum, and next year there will be an invitation waiting in JoJo's mailbox.
Source: @ohheyimmorga