'F*ck Off': JoJo Siwa Shuts Down Candace Owens Over Sexuality Speculation

'F*ck Off': JoJo Siwa Shuts Down Candace Owens Over Sexuality Comments

@itsjojosiwa/Instagram

Owens accused Siwa of lying about being gay for attention.

rachelkiley

JoJo Siwa is stepping up to her own defense after rightwing provocateur Candace Owens circulated a video claiming that the Dance Moms alum is secretly straight.

“I don’t believe JoJo Siwa is a lesbian, by the way,” she said during a recent episode of her podcast. “I want to state that very clearly. I do believe that she’s desperate for attention.”

She went on to scoff at the idea that the TikToker could have realized she’s gay after watching Jenna Dewan on Lip Sync Battle, claiming such a thing “makes absolutely no sense whatsoever” and that it was just a ploy to “find a community of victims.”

\u201cIs Jojo Siwa lying about being lesbian for attention?\u201d
— Candace Owens Podcast (@Candace Owens Podcast) 1680645560

Considering Siwa’s entire online persona — aside of some recent relationship drama — is built on the idea of being loud and proud and enjoying a cute, fun life, the idea that her brand would in any way benefit from seeking out a “community of victims” is a head-scratcher.

But it admittedly makes more sense when you examine Owens’ own brand — one that revolves around stoking outrage by targeting anything or anyone in the zeitgeist with absurd commentary she knows will draw attention and debate. It doesn’t have to make sense as long as it makes people angry.

Siwa herself was clearly pretty annoyed with the accusation, retweeting Owens’ video and telling her to “back the fuck off.”

\u201cI haven\u2019t watched the video yet\u2026. But if it has anything to do with your caption, respectfully back the fuck off.\u201d
— JoJo Siwa (@JoJo Siwa) 1680835794

Seeing young queer stars like Siwa and Lil Nas X, who has faced similar accusations, thriving in the mainstream seems to have left homophobes at a loss as to how to stomp LGBTQ+ people down and out of the public eye. If being gay is no longer the automatic career killer it once was considered to be, then the fear of being outed they’re accustomed to weaponizing loses its grip.

Swinging all the way around to accusations that these successful public figures aren’t actually gay at all is a wild choice, to be sure, and it’s ultimately coming across as pretty tragic.

\u201ccandace owens deciding jojo siwa isn\u2019t really a lesbian because she, as a cishet woman, can\u2019t make sense of how the things jojo names as the parts of her gay awakening are connected to realizing one\u2019s self is queer is certainly\u2026something\u201d
— colby \ud83c\udfa0 (@colby \ud83c\udfa0) 1680909469

\u201c@itsjojosiwa @candaceowenspod The jokes write themselves\u201d
— JoJo Siwa (@JoJo Siwa) 1680835794

\u201c@candaceowenspod The way your life is so empty and vapid you need to just continuously make hateful content for people who ultimately hate you and will throw you under as soon as they are done with you. Deep down you must know this and I hope it eats you alive.\u201d
— Candace Owens Podcast (@Candace Owens Podcast) 1680645560

\u201c@RaeTheBird @candaceowenspod I've always thought this about Candace. Her act just screams, "I'M A GRIFTER!!!!"\u201d
— Candace Owens Podcast (@Candace Owens Podcast) 1680645560

Considering how much homophobes love to complain about LGBTQ+ people being so open and loud about who we are, essentially challenging people to prove they’re gay seems like a weird pivot. But I guess it just means everyone will have to be even louder!