JoJo Siwa, the once-bow-wearing, always-bold pop culture phenomenon, is in love; and it’s changing how she sees her future in more ways than one.
In a candid and emotionally revealing interview on the Reign with Josh Smith podcast this week, the 22-year-old entertainer and LGBTQ+ icon opened up about her relationship with Love Island UK alum Chris Hughes, 32, and how their connection has shifted her outlook on romance, commitment, and identity.
“I’m happy,” Siwa said. “I’ve never wanted the future so bad. I’ve never, ever wanted the love that I have to just continue to grow.”
While fans have long known Siwa as a proud and outspoken member of the LGBTQ+ community, her current relationship has prompted both celebration and criticism, especially from within queer spaces. But the Dance Moms alum isn’t backing down. Instead, she’s inviting fans to expand their understanding of love, labels, and growth.
From Big Brother to Big Feelings
Siwa and Hughes met earlier this year while filming Celebrity Big Brother UK Season 24. What started as an unlikely friendship quickly blossomed into something deeper, culminating in a romance that surprised even them.
By the summer, Siwa had confirmed the relationship publicly in a June 2 interview with The Guardian, stating: “It’s not platonic anymore, and it’s been a beautiful development, a beautiful connection, and I’m absolutely head over heels for him and he’s the same way.”
Now, just months later, she’s opening up even further about how being with Hughes has transformed her perspective on what love, and a future, could look like.
“I’ve never craved a wedding,” Siwa admitted. “I’ve always wanted to just go sign a piece of paper or go to Vegas ’cause I didn’t wanna have a wedding. But now I’m like, ‘No, I want a ring and I want my dad to walk me down the aisle, and I want a first dance, and I want butterflies.’”
Navigating Identity, Visibility, and Backlash
For Siwa, who came out as LGBTQ+ in 2021 and has been a vocal advocate for queer youth, being in a relationship with a man has complicated her public perception, and drawn backlash from some corners of the queer community.
“It is hard because it feels like my own family has turned a little bit,” she said, referencing the LGBTQ+ community. “And I think we are the LGBTQIA+ family, not the LG community. It’s a beautiful rainbow, and the number one saying of the queer community is ‘love is love.’”
Siwa emphasized that her relationship with Hughes doesn’t erase or invalidate her past, nor should it call her queer identity into question. “Just because I am in a heterosexual relationship, that doesn’t discredit my past.”
Unfortunately, the backlash she’s experienced has been more than just comments online. Siwa spoke about witnessing people’s reactions to her in public, describing them as dismissive or mocking.
“I see them see me, and I see them laugh. I see them point. I see them roll their eyes,” she shared. “That to me has made me be so aware of how brutal hate can be—from outside the community and from within.”
She also pointed to the broader impact of such criticism, saying, “I think people need to watch it, because I can take it—but other people can’t, and that’s tough.”
A Message to the Community: Love Doesn’t Have to Fit a Mold
Despite the scrutiny, Siwa’s message remains clear: she’s living her truth. And while she acknowledges the nuance and complexity of queer identity, she also believes in making space for joy, especially when it comes to love.
“I think older people in the community need to realize the way that you treat me in this situation doesn’t affect me, I promise, at all,” she said. “I’m very happy. I’m very loved. I give a lot of love. I’m feeling very loved. I am in a great place.”
Hughes has been featured regularly on Siwa’s social media in recent months, including posts celebrating their travels and sweet PDA moments, most recently during a romantic Royal Caribbean cruise. Siwa has also shared that Hughes is playing a role in her brother’s upcoming wedding, signaling just how deeply their relationship has already integrated into her family life.
