American singer and dancer JoJo Siwa quietly changed her name on TikTok after sharing a look at her past year. Ahead of the new year, Siwa posted a video on the platform on December 28, 2025, which quickly went viral, garnering 8 million views.
Aside from the Dance Moms alum’s dramatic transformation amidst her relationship with sports presenter Chris Hughes, fans noticed that her account was now attributed to Joelle Siwa. After using the nickname “JoJo” for most of her career, the change caught many fans off guard.
Highlights
- JoJo Siwa quietly changed her name on social media after sharing a dramatic transformation video on TikTok.
- Netizens had mixed feelings about Siwa’s name change and transformation and wondered about her motivations.
- Some fans attributed Siwa’s dramatic transformation to her boyfriend, Chris Hughes, whom she met during their stint on Celebrity Big Brother.
“This really is the end of her bizarre adventure,” one fan wrote on X.
JoJo Siwa quietly changed her name at the start of the new year
Image credits: itsjojosiwa/Instagram
The user’s comment referenced the popular Japanese manga/anime JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, since the singer shares her stage nickname “JoJo” with the protagonists of the Hirohiko Araki-created series.
Born Joelle Joanie Siwa, the 22-year-old quietly replaced her nickname with her official birth name on TikTok, following the viral video.
Image credits: itsjojosiwa/Instagram
She captioned the post, “Beautiful year if you ask me. Couldn’t count all the highs if you asked me to.”
The clip featured a snap of Siwa from March 2025 when she posed on the red carpet for the iHeartRadio Music Awards. She sported a denim co-ord set and a glittery silver and pink headpiece, complete with rhinestones and glitter-heavy makeup.
Image credits: Gilbert Flores/Getty Images
Later that same month, she was pictured in similar attire at the GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles. However, in the video’s second photo, Siwa was dressed more casually, wearing a simple Christmas sweater.
“The girl who is exiting 2025,” she captioned the second image.
Fans had mixed reactions to JoJo Siwa’s transformation and name change
Image credits: Gilbert Flores/Getty Images
For most of 2025, Siwa’s outfits comprised glitter and glam, which changed just before the year’s end. Some fans were excited by the singer’s transformation and welcomed her more elegant look. However, the name change left several netizens confused.
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“JoJo Siwa evolving! I wonder if this is a full rebrand or just a TikTok thing,” one X user said.
Another person commented, “Her adventure was so bizarre she changed her name.”
“Interesting choice! I wonder if she’ll explain the reason behind the change,” a third fan wrote.
Image credits: itsjojosiwa/Instagram
The transformation also made some netizens question whether the former child star was “channeling her straight persona” since she initially identified as a lesbian in 2021, but has more recently refused to label her orientation.
Netizens credited JoJo Siwa’s boyfriend, Chris Hughes, for her transformation
Image credits: itsjojosiwa/TikTok
Some fans felt that Siwa’s name change was a result of her relationship with former Love Island contestant Chris Hughes.
The two met during their time on the reality series Celebrity Big Brother. In June 2025, Siwa confirmed that their relationship with the 33-year-old was more than platonic.
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Some users accused that the singer was being forced to slip into traditional gender roles because of Hughes.
One fan wrote on TikTok, “You guys are ignoring that she never wanted to be called Joelle until she started to date her boyfriend.”
Image credits: itsjojosiwa/Instagram
Siwa faced similar backlash in July 2025, after posting a cover of the song Bette Davis Eyes, dressed as a housewife. However, the Karma singer defended her choice, telling CNN that the outfit was simply a Halloween costume.
“I don’t know where 'trad wife' came from," she said.
Image credits: itsjojosiwa/Instagram
Other fans were more supportive of Siwa’s relationship with Hughes and credited him with bringing a positive transformation in the singer.
“Chris Hughes has been so good for and to you,” commented one TikToker.
Another user said, “You've never glowed more than when Chris was loving you.” Siwa seemingly responded to her critics with a TikTok video posted on December 31, accompanied by the lyrics to her hit song Boomerang, lip-syncing to the line, “I don't really care about what they say.”
"It was a great run." Fans welcomed JoJo Siwa’s new persona after her transformation
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