JoJo Siwa has confirmed her romantic relationship with reality star Chris Hughes, saying the connection that began on the U.K.’s Celebrity Big Brother has turned into something more than friendship.
Siwa called their bond “a beautiful development” in an interview with The Guardian published on Monday. She added, “I’m absolutely head over heels for him and he’s the same way.”
The pair met during filming and quickly grew close, with Hughes defending Siwa when fellow contestant Mickey Rourke made comments about her sexuality. Siwa said the emotional intensity of the show fast-tracked their relationship.
She added that she and Hughes had clarified with each other, “No, this is a very genuine connection—we’re not faking a thing.” After some hesitation, she confirmed to The Guardian, “It’s not platonic any more.”
Their closeness had sparked speculation, especially as Siwa was in a relationship at the time with Australian actor Kath Ebbs. She said in the interview that she and Ebbs had since broken up and described the time after the show as one of self-discovery.
“People can see our chemistry, and they got to see it develop,” Siwa said of her relationship with Hughes, adding, “I think everyone’s just curious, and I can’t blame them.”
The 22-year-old former child star also opened up about her evolving sexual identity. While she initially came out as gay and later identified as a lesbian, she now uses the term queer.
“There’s a lot of different sexual identities. I think there’s nothing more beautiful than somebody discovering themselves,” she said.
Siwa, who rose to fame on Dance Moms and built a business empire in her teens, described the experience of living publicly as complex.
“I do live this very, very big public life that has so many eyeballs on it, and it can get really hard to navigate,” she said. “But I’m also living a human life. You can’t help who you love.”
Despite the media attention and speculation, Siwa said she was focused on her own happiness. “I was massaging my cheeks,” she said, laughing. “I’ve never been in pain from smiling so much.”
She discussed waking up next to Hughes, lying in bed and sharing music—including hearing him sing her new single “Bulletproof” in the morning. “It’s the first time in my life that it feels like I’m switched off,” she said.
Before his connection with Siwa, Hughes was in a relationship with former Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson. The couple dated for over a year, drawing significant media attention, before splitting in 2020.
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