If you’ve already seen Jojo Siwa’s latest music video for her song, “NONSTOP”, then you might have caught a glimpse of one of the white child actors that had her face painted dark brown, and was wearing monkey ears.
While the rest of the children in the video were also dressed up as various animals, some fans found the child with her face painted brown to be offensive, and called Jojo out on it.
Since then, she has come forward with a statement, denying the allegations.
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Since recently releasing a circus-themed music video for her song, “NONSTOP,” Jojo Siwa has been in hot, hot water — being accused of using blackface.
Considering the reasons why the Black Lives Matter movement is at the forefront of our minds right now, people are feeling more empowered to call out something like this.
However, in this case, you might say there was an especially grey area…
The video includes a group of several children, all dressed up as different animals and circus-personnel. Clowns, lions, zebras, monkeys, mimes — you name it.
The one character in question was this young lady:
As you can see, she is painted brown.
BUT she is also wearing monkey ears, and is amongst several other people in various circus-themed costumes.
Some people were associating the monkey costume with blackface — which might actually be a bigger issue here…
Naturally, they took to Twitter to voice their disappointment.
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Some people accused Jojo and her team of deliberately painting that child’s face and releasing the video on June 19th.
Not only that, but this person actually took her complaint to Dance Moms and TMZ directly via Twitter.
It didn’t take long for Jojo to acknowledge the backlash, and release a statement defending herself on Instagram — denying the allegations.
“I need to set the record straight about a few things,” she wrote.
“…because some have been irresponsible in recent stories and posts about me, and everyone seems to rush to conclusions without having all the facts,” she continued.
She explained that an earlier post she had made on Instagram had nothing to do with the criticism she’s been receiving over her “NONSTOP” music video.
“My Instagram post yesterday had absolutely nothing to do with the criticism I received on my music video ‘NONSTOP’.”
“I blocked certain people online and stopped following others,” she went on …
“…because I was tired of seeing the personal hate on me. Some people will do anything for attention and that includes being mean,” she said.
“People were sending me really horrible and disgusting messages about my appearance, my sexuality, my content, and overall just being hateful. “
“I would like to address the music video that we shot for ‘Nonstop’ in February,” she continued.
“We’re talking about kids dressing up as circus animals! No one in my video is wearing blackface. “
“It’s awful that anyone’s mind would even go there,” she said.
“Kids dressing in animal costumes, having their faces painted to look like animals, acting the part. There were zebras, tigers, dogs, clowns, mermaids, everything ,”
“I’ve addressed the Black Lives Matter issues previously on my social media,” she went on.
“I will say it again for the ones in the back, Black Lives Matter, today, tomorrow, yesterday and forever. “
“I’m on the right side of history here,” she explained.
“Stop trying to make this about something it isn’t. I love my real fans and am so grateful for their love and support .”
“Instead of trying to drag everyone down, let’s be positive and come back like a boomerang,” she wrote, concluding her statement.
The fans have been divided ever since her apology, as some people think it was still insensitive, while others are saying it’s being blown out of proportion.
On the one hand, some fans have mostly been in agreement that there was, in fact, no blackface used in her music video.
Rather, the real problem is that people saw a child painted as a monkey and assumed that that was what blackface is. SMH.
Others are not letting up, and saying that she’s completely in the wrong, especially for blocking people’s comments.
Which she had addressed in her long post, but for fans, that really doesn’t make anything okay.
All in all, fans are left divided and arguing over what is right and wrong both about the video and about JoJo Siwa in general.
No doubt, this is a fight that will be going on for the next few days, that much is for sure.
What do you think of Jojo Siwa’s latest music video that features a girl dressed up as a monkey, and her statement responding to the blackface allegations?
Let us know in the comments below!
To learn more about the Black Lives Matter movement, please click here .