JoJo Siwa seems to have responded to accusations from some viewers that her latest YouTube offering appeared to use Blackface.
In the circus-themed music video for “Nonstop” released on June 19, one of the dancers, a young white girl, shows up on the screen briefly in what appears to be brown facial makeup while wearing monkey ears.
Other backup dancers are dressed in costumes like a zebra, a lion, a strongman and a bearded lady.
The comments on the video were blocked, and on Thursday, in what some fans said was a response to questions about the video, JoJo blocked what she called “mean” followers on her Instagram account.
“This is for all the people I blocked today — peace out girl scout,” she wrote alongside a photo of herself. “This is my Instagram and anyone who is going to be mean is NOT going to be allowed on here.”
“People are bossing me around, telling me who to follow, what to post, what to like, what to say, what to do, everything. It’s not about what you do on social media it’s about what you do in real life.”
Twitter was flooded with users detailing the ordeal. One outraged follower wrote, “so, jojo? Care to explain why you still haven’t reached out to apologize about putting an eleven year old into blackface make[up] and then instead of apologizing, blocked everyone who commented, including your SUPPORTERS?”
However, many supporters claim the girl in the video was merely wearing a costume for the circus-themed video.
While other fans came to JoJo’s defense by reposting her recent BLM post which read, “Black lives matter. Today they do, Yesterday they did, and forever they will. As they should. EVERYONE is equal and everyone is human. No matter your color, size, sexuality, if you are a good person, which is ALL that matters, I will stand by your side. forever.”
The girl in the video also posted about the making of the video in a since-deleted tweet, writing, “Nothing has been more FUN than playing the CONTORTIONIST MONKEY in @itsjojosiwa’s NONSTOP music video.”
