Nickelodeon shuts down Jojo Siwa's claim they 'blackballed' her over identity

Nickelodeon is pushing back against claims made by Jojo Siwa that the network "blackballed" her after she came out as LGBTQ+ in 2021.

In a statement via the Daily Mail, a spokesperson for Nickelodeon firmly denied the allegations, stating, “We are unaware of the incident JoJo is referencing and she was certainly not blackballed by Nickelodeon.”

The network highlighted their support for Siwa throughout their partnership, which included a JoJo-themed Pride collection and various successful collaborations.

They added, “We continue to cheer her on and wish her nothing but the best.”

The Hollywood Reporter previously reported that Siwa, 21, will share her side of the story in the upcoming Hulu documentary Child Star, directed by Demi Lovato and Nicola Marsh.

In the documentary, the Dance Moms alum recounts a phone call with Nickelodeon president Brian Robbins shortly after she came out in 2021.

During the conversation, Robbins allegedly asked Siwa, "What are we going to tell the kids?" Siwa, who was 17 at the time, recalled responding with, "That I'm happy?"

The Karma singer claims she was then advised to reach out to her retail partners to assure them she wasn’t "going crazy."

“I basically got blackballed from the company,” claims Siwa.