JoJo Siwa says past relationship gave her 'trauma' and 'trust issues' (2024)

JoJo Siwa is opening up about the “trauma” she experienced in a past relationship.

The singer and social media star said on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast that she had to ask her security team to intervene with an incident involving a former unnamed girlfriend.

“Our getting together was very public. Our official relationship was very public. Our breakup was very public. There has been a lot that went down that if this microphone wasn’t on, I would tell you what she did, what she told me anonymously,” she began. “But I had to have my security team handle it.”

The 20-year-old said she has trust issues from the experience and now requires any potential love interests to undergo a background check when things start to get serious.

While talking about her prior relationships, Siwa said that she has a “type” and gravitates towards tall, masculine types who are older than she is.

“I don’t care if they’re in the industry, but I would prefer not (to be in) the same field. I would prefer not another artist. I just think that’d be hard,” she said.

Siwa said she likes “dark, long hair” and “a fit girly, someone who’s down to work out with me.”

The top trait that attracts Siwa’s attention? Someone who wants children.

“When I start to talk to somebody, I will initially be like, ‘Oh, I’m really stoked to have kids, like within the next three or four years,’ just to see how someone reacts to that see if they’re ready for it,” she said.

Now, she's talking about having kids — but it wasn't that long ago that she was a kid in the public eye. Below, we're looking back on her rise to fame and giving an update on what she's up to these days.

JoJo Siwa got her start on 'Dance Moms'

Born in Omaha, Nebraska in 2003, Siwa was a dancer from a young age. Per TIME, the future star got her start performing in dance recitals and auditioning for community theater.

At 9, she appeared on “Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition."

The gig landed her a role on the fifth and sixth seasons of "Dance Moms," a show she appeared on with her mom, Jessalynn Siwa, in 2015 and 2016.

In 2022, Siwa revealed that the stress from appearing on the show created lasting hair loss.

“Stress rash on my head when I was on Dance moms lead to no more hair there,” she captioned a photo at the time.

While appearing on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast in 2024, Siwa said her current relationship with her former dance teacher Abby Lee Miller is "amazing."

She went on to explain that she could always "see the bigger picture" of appearing on the show, even when she found herself at the “bottom of the pyramid."

JoJo Siwa's music and social media career

Following her stint on "Dance Moms," Siwa's social media following exploded, andso did her career. A series of merchandise deals helped propel Siwa into stores and homes everywhere. She landed a deal with Claire's in 2016, per TIME, followed by a similar deal with Nickelodeon.

Siwa quickly became known for her signature accessory — big, colorful hair bows — along with her energetic, positive personality.

Her early career highlights include a reality series called “Siwas Dance Pop Revolution,” an animated series called “The JoJo & BowBow Show Show,” a film called "The J Team" and a video game called "JoJo Siwa: Worldwide Party."

Siwa has also hosted successful tours and launched several merchandise lines.

JoJo Siwa's romantic life

Siwa briefly dated Mark Bontempo in 2020. A few months later, she came out as a member of the LGBTQ community in 2021 when she was 17 years old.

The following year, Siwa opened up to TODAY about her decision to come out.

“It’s interesting, because I knew when I came out that it was going to be a big deal for the world, but I didn’t necessarily realize that it was going to be as big as it was,” she said. “It’s crazy because I love that I get to be an example for others. That is probably my favorite thing about what I get to do and being able to just be out and still be who I am, it feels really nice.”

The star had an on and off relationship with her girlfriend Kylie Prew between 2021 and 2022 then went on to date TikToker Avery Cyrus for a few months.

In January 2023, Siwa marked her two-year coming out anniversary by sharing a post on Instagram.

“2 years ago today,” she wrote. “now looking back on everything…. I’m SO proud of 17 year old JoJo.”

What else is JoJo Siwa up to now?

Siwa’s social media following has grown to 45.7 million followers on TikTok and 11 million on Instagram and her career shows no signs of slowing down.

When Siwa competed on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2021, she became the first contestant in 30 seasons to have a dance partner of the same sex (Jenna Johnson) on the American version of the show.

“I am so excited to be a part of this year’s ‘Dancing With the Stars’ season 30 and I am gonna be dancing with a girl,” she said in an Instagram video.

Between 2022 and 2023, Siwa appeared on multiple reality TV shows. She competed against other celebrities in “Special Forces” and served as a judge on “So You Think You Can Dance.” She also returned for Season 18 of the dance competition in 2024.

Siwa released the music video for her new song “Karma” in April 2024. A few days later, she teased additional new music on Instagram.

At the 2024 IHeart Radio Music Awards, Siwa surprised viewers when she showed up to the red carpet rocking a mesh unitard with silver sequins and lace.

During an interview, Siwa described her look as "epic" and "insane" and said she rocks the same look in her "Karma" music video.