“People judge no matter what”: JoJo Siwa shares disappointment over Miley Cyrus’s joke about bringing her back out of the closet

JoJo Siwa has publicly responded to Miley Cyrus's recent joke about bringing her "back out" of the closet, expressing her disappointment while acknowledging Cyrus likely meant no harm. The incident stems from a video message Cyrus recorded inside a closet during a WorldPride event that took place during the weekend of June 7-8, 2025, in Washington. On June 12, JoJo took to her Instagram to express her disappointment at Cyrus's comments.

"People judge no matter what, and it can be very hard, especially when it comes from someone you love, and look up to...," JoJo wrote in her Instagram post.

In the pre-recorded video played at the event, Miley quipped,

"I’m going back inside to get more pretzels and find JoJo Siwa and bring her back out."

This comment occurred amid Siwa's public journey regarding her sexual identity and her new relationship with Chris Hughes. On June 12, JoJo Siwa addressed the joke via an Instagram post featuring a carousel of images showcasing her long-standing admiration for Cyrus, including a photo from her Cyrus-themed 5th birthday party.

In her caption, the 22-year-old singer and dancer reflected on her feelings.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about things for a couple of days… but I’ve started to come to some thoughts…. I don’t believe what Miley said at world pride was ill intended, honestly I think it was meant to be a joke, but just not very good one haha,' she wrote.

JoJo Siwa revealed in the caption that she reached out to Miley Cyrus privately about the comment. She messaged her lightheartedly about the incident, and Miley replied with “All love. Always." Despite Cyrus's response, Siwa used the platform to share a broader message of self-acceptance and love with her 11 million followers, especially poignant during Pride Month.

"Honestly, the most beautiful thing I’ve learned in the last 5 years is that love is a gorgeous rainbow. Don’t question yourself, don’t second-guess yourself, just love," she advised.

She also noted the universality of judgment and wrote that while it can be hard, the most important thing is to "feel happy and content with yourself."

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Context of Jojo Siwa's identity and Miley Cyrus's comment

The joke referenced the recent public discussion of Siwa's exploration of her sexuality. JoJo Siwa recently confirmed a relationship with Chris Hughes, 32, whom she met on the U.K. edition of Celebrity Big Brother in April. During her time on the reality show, Siwa discussed her sexual identity, stating,

"I’ve always told myself I’m a lesbian, but I think you — I think being here, I’ve realized, ‘Oh no, I’m not a lesbian, I’m queer.’ I think that’s really cool. I’m switching letters."

This followed her breakup with her previous partner, Kath Ebbs. After leaving the Big Brother house, speculation grew about Siwa and Hughes, culminating in Hughes sharing a Snapchat selfie of them in bed together.

JoJo Siwa later confirmed their romantic relationship in an exclusive interview with The Guardian on June 2, describing it as "a beautiful development."

“It’s not platonic any more, and it’s been a beautiful development, a beautiful connection, and I’m absolutely head over heels for him and he’s the same way,” Jojo said.

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Miley Cyrus's joke about bringing Siwa "back out" of the closet was made against this backdrop of Siwa publicly defining her queer identity and new relationship. Siwa's response highlighted the sensitivity of such comments, even when intended humorously, particularly during Pride Month and from an idol.

In other news, Miley Cyrus released her ninth album titled Something Beautiful on May 30, 2025.