You’ve probably seen the headlines or the TikToks lately. Joelle "JoJo" Siwa—the girl who spent years in neon bows and high ponytails before pivoting into a "bad girl" pop era—is suddenly all over the internet with a new boyfriend. It’s a guy. His name is Chris Hughes. And naturally, the internet is having a meltdown about it.
It’s a valid question for fans who followed her 2021 coming-out journey. Back then, it was all rainbow shirts and "coming out" to Lady Gaga’s Born This Way. She eventually settled on the "lesbian" label after a bit of back-and-forth. Fast forward to now, and she’s posting AI-generated photos of her and a man as a bride and groom.
So, is JoJo Siwa straight now? Basically, no. But the answer is a little more nuanced than a simple yes or no.
The Chris Hughes Factor
If you aren't terminally online in the UK reality TV scene, you might not know who Chris Hughes is. He’s a Love Island alum, 33, and about ten years older than JoJo. They met while filming Celebrity Big Brother UK in 2025. What started as "we’re just best friends" very quickly turned into "we’re head over heels for each other."
By June 2025, they were official. And things have escalated fast.
Just this January, JoJo posted photos on Snapchat that stopped people in their tracks. She used AI to generate images of herself in a full-blown wedding dress and veil. The caption? "Call me a wife!!!" She even joked in a podcast interview that if Chris doesn’t propose within seven years, she’s going to be the one getting down on one knee by May 27, 2032.
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Honestly, it's a lot. Especially for a fan base that saw her as a lesbian icon for the last few years.
"I’ve Dropped the L and Gone to the Q"
JoJo hasn't been silent about the confusion. In fact, she’s been pretty blunt. During her time on Celebrity Big Brother, she had a conversation with drag queen Danny Beard that went viral. She literally said, "I’ve realized I am not a lesbian, I’m queer."
She followed that up with a line that became a meme overnight: "I've dropped the L and I've gone to the Q, baby!"
For her, the "lesbian" label felt like a box. She recently admitted to YOU Magazine that she felt pressured—both by the public and by partners—to stay in that box once she claimed it. But she’s 22 now. She’s realizing that the way she felt at 17 isn’t exactly how she feels today.
A Quick Reality Check on the Labels
- Pansexual: This was her first label. She said she just loved people for who they were.
- Lesbian: The label she used for most of 2021–2024.
- Queer: Her current preferred term. It’s an umbrella. It means "I’m not straight," but it doesn’t specify exactly who she’s attracted to.
Dealing With the "Tradwife" Allegations
The backlash from the LGBTQ+ community has been pretty intense. Some people feel like she’s "abandoning" them or that she was never really gay to begin with. She’s even been called a "tradwife" (traditional housewife) because she’s been leaning into a more "feminine" aesthetic lately and dating a man.
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JoJo clapped back at this in a CNN interview in late 2025. She pointed out that her past relationships with women and non-binary people (like her ex Kath Ebbs) don't just disappear because she’s in love with a man now.
"The people who are criticizing me for saying that I’m moving away from the queer community—which literally is not possible for me to do—those people are not doing the same for me," she said. She’s essentially arguing that being queer means having the freedom to love whoever, even if that person happens to be a guy.
The Rebrand to "Joelle"
Adding to the "is she straight now" fire is her 2026 rebrand. On New Year’s Eve, she quietly changed her TikTok name to Joelle Siwa. It feels more mature. More "adult."
Some fans think this is her way of shedding the "gay pop" persona and moving toward a more mainstream, heteronormative image. Others see it as a natural evolution. After all, nobody wants to be called "JoJo" and wear glitter forever.
Why This Matters for Fans
It’s easy to dismiss this as just another celebrity dating drama. But for a lot of young queer kids who looked up to her, the shift feels confusing. It brings up a lot of questions about "fluidity."
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If you’re wondering if she’s "straight," the most accurate thing to say is that she is in a heterosexual relationship, but she still identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. She isn't "cured" or "back to normal." She’s just dating a person she happens to like, who happens to be a man.
The Takeaway
If you’re trying to keep up, here’s the deal:
- She’s dating Chris Hughes. They are very serious and have talked about marriage.
- She identifies as queer. She has explicitly stated she no longer uses the term "lesbian."
- She isn't "straight." In her eyes, her attraction to women hasn't gone away; she’s just currently focused on one specific man.
If you’re interested in following the "Joelle" era, keep an eye on her TikTok. Between the wedding dress teasers and the AI-generated "family" photos she’s been posting (yes, she actually generated what their kids would look like), 2026 is shaping up to be her most chaotic—and most scrutinized—year yet.
If you're following JoJo's journey, the next thing to watch for is whether Chris actually meets that May 2032 deadline, or if we'll be seeing a "Joelle" wedding much sooner than that.