Jojo Siwa rose to fame as a child star on the reality show "Dance Moms."Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images.
Over the past month, one corner of the internet has been up in arms over a viral rumor that Jojo Siwa could be pregnant.
It began with a few photos of Siwa holding her stomach that circulated on social media in early March, and sprouted into full-on speculation about the 19-year-old star's previous relationships and personal life.
Siwa appears to have shut down the rumors, saying in one Snapchat story from March 27 that she is not planning on having a child until she is older, and that as a gay woman, she is perhaps more likely to adopt when she does eventually decide to become a parent.
But in other posts on her Snapchat account, Siwa appeared to poke fun at the rumors, posting photos of herself pushing her belly out and holding her stomach, causing several people to accuse her of being "insensitive" towards people who have experienced difficulties with fertility or pregnancy.
Here's how the conversation unfolded.
Siwa rose to fame after starring in two seasons of the dancing reality show "Dance Moms" in 2015, after coming fifth in a spin-off show competition "Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition" in 2013 at the age of nine.
After leaving "Dance Moms," Siwa continued to forge her own career creating vlogs on YouTube, releasing her own singles, and having small roles in children's TV shows and movies.
Siwa came out as queer in 2021 on TikTok, posting a video in which she lip-synced along to Lady Gaga's queer anthem "Born This Way" while wearing a bow with rainbows on it.
A month after coming out, Siwa revealed she was dating her first girlfriend Kylie Prew, with whom she had an on-off relationship. After breaking up with Prew last summer, Siwa dated a TikTok creator called Avery Cyrus for three months.
After the breakup in December, Siwa began to speak negatively about the relationship. In a video posted to her mother's Instagram, Siwa said she had been used "for views and for clout."
Cyrus told People that their relationship ended on "great terms," adding: "I'm still very hurt that JoJo broke up with me and am saddened and confused by the situation."
Siwa has been single since the breakup.
@lexus.brooklynn #greenscreen ♬ original sound - Camp Minaj
@itsjojosiwa #stitch with @lexus.brooklynn ♬ original sound - JoJo Siwa
@areyouarealnickifan #jojosiwa #jojosiwapregnant #fake #fakesituation ♬ LMAO THE VIDS - ✨ ILikePotatosOnCheese ✨
On March 27, Siwa posted a Snapchat video with her friend and fellow dancer Ezra Sosa, in which Sosa can be seen touching Siwa's stomach, and saying, "You know that everyone thinks I'm the dad, right?"
In a follow-up post on her story, Siwa shared a screenshot from the video with an on-screen caption that read, "The father of my baby!!"
The post is no longer available to view but was seen by Insider.
The former "Dance Moms" star also posted two collections of photos on Snapchat on March 26 and 27, showing her shopping for baby clothes and accessories.
She later said in a post, which was seen by Insider, that she wanted to buy the items for any of her fans who were expecting a child, asking people to reply to her post if they wanted to receive products from the giveaway.
—❥ chloe haag (@chaoticchloeeee) March 27, 2023
Siwa's Snapchat stories sparked a heated discussion on various social media platforms, as several users said they thought the posts were insensitive towards people who have struggled to conceive a child and who might be offended by the posts.
"Hot take but Jojo siwa feeding into the pregnancy 'rumors' just doesn't sit right with me. We all know she's not pregnant, and it's incredibly insensitive to those dealing with infertility/pregnancy loss. People have been saying for years not to joke about that shit," wrote one Twitter user.
"Why is no one calling out Jojo Siwa for faking a pregnancy for clicks," wrote another.
"As someone who just had a miscarriage, fuck people who think faking pregnant is funny. It's so wildly fucked up," wrote one user in a Reddit thread discussing Siwa's posts.
On March 27, Siwa addressed the online speculation once more, saying that she wanted to share a "storytime" with her fans to explain her thoughts on how she might plan to have children in the future as a gay woman.
"It's not the social norm how I will end up having kids one day," she said.
"Biologically to have kids you need a male and a female, and kids watch this, so I'm not going to talk about how babies are made, but babies are made with male and female," she added, going on to say, "there will never be that male significant other in my life."
Siwa went on to explain what the process of looking for a sperm donor might look like for her and a future partner, also saying that she has often thought about adopting a child as a preferable option as well.
The former "Dance Moms" star reaffirmed to fans that the time when she would be considering having her own children is "very far away" in the future, adding, "I have accepted that the universe wants me to be single right now."
Representatives for Jojo Siwa did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
For more stories like this, check out coverage from Insider's Digital Culture team here.
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