Entertainment

Former ‘Dance Moms’ participant, singer JoJo Siwa accused of having dancer wear blackface

By WPXI.com News Staff

INGLEWOOD, CA - AUGUST 12: JoJo Siwa attends FOX's Teen Choice Awards at The Forum on August 12, 2018 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

By WPXI.com News Staff

LOS ANGELES — Seventeen-year-old former “Dance Moms” participant and popular singer JoJo Siwa responded to accusations that a dancer in her new music video was wearing blackface.

In a message posted to her Instagram account Friday, Siwa said the dancer was dressed as a circus animal in the music video for her song “Nonstop” and was not wearing blackface.

View this post on Instagram

I need to set the record straight about a few things because some have been irresponsible in recent stories and posts about me, and everyone seems to rush to conclusions without having all of the facts. 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 because I was tired of seeing the personal hate on me. Some people will do anything for attention and that includes being mean. People were sending me really horrible and disgusting messages about my appearance, my sexuality, my content, and overall just being hateful. More importantly, I would like to address the music video that we shot for ‘NONSTOP' in February. 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. 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 Black Lives Matter issues previously on my social media, 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. 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.

A post shared by JoJo Siwa (@itsjojosiwa) on

She said people attacked her appearance and sexuality in the video, saying in the message “everyone seems to rush to conclusions without having all of the facts.”

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In the music video, one of the dancers is seen wearing dark makeup on her face as part of a monkey costume. The theme of the video is a circus.

Entertainers have been called out in recent weeks for past instances of wearing blackface, including Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon.

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