Dance Moms breakout and former child star Joelle Joanie Siwa, known to millions as JoJo Siwa, has come a long way from her bow-topped ponytails and bubblegum pop persona.
Now 21, Siwa has reinvented herself with a bold new look, a string of headline-making moments, and a surprising number of tattoos.
Once a squeaky-clean role model for tweens, Siwa has grown into a young adult navigating fame, identity, and self-expression in the public eye. This includes an incredibly open journey surrounding her sexuality.
The transformation kicked into high gear in 2023, when she shed her signature sparkles and began flaunting an edgier aesthetic.
It was a sharp break from her Nickelodeon-era image, and it didn’t take long before she made waves with controversial appearances on Celebrity Big Brother Season 24.
But perhaps the most visible marker of Siwa’s rebrand? Her growing collection of tattoos.
Below, we break down every known JoJo Siwa tattoo, complete with meanings, photos, and fan reactions.
JoJo Siwa’s Wild Reinvention
JoJo Siwa first stepped into the spotlight as the youngest contestant on Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition Season 2 at just nine years old.
Despite being eliminated in Week 9, she quickly rose to fame through standout appearances in Dance Moms Seasons 5 and 6 (per Grazia Daily UK).
Her vibrant personality and glitter-drenched style earned her a massive young fanbase. That momentum landed her a multi-year deal with Nickelodeon, launching her into children’s entertainment stardom.
The release of her hit single “Boomerang” in May 2016 further cemented her place as a tween idol.
Siwa soon became a merchandising powerhouse, headlining TV shows like JoJo Siwa: My World and The JoJo & BowBow Show Show. Her rainbow outfits and oversized hair bows became pop culture staples for a generation of young fans.
But by 2020, Siwa began shedding her child-star image, pivoting to more mainstream projects. She appeared on major reality TV series, including Dancing with the Stars, The Masked Singer, So You Think You Can Dance, and most recently, Celebrity Big Brother.
In April 2024, she released “Karma,” her first official single as an adult artist, marking a definitive shift in sound, image, and tone (per Rolling Stone).
Every JoJo Siwa Tattoo So Far
“1031” Tattoo
JoJo Siwa debuted her first tattoo in August 2023, marking the milestone with a series of photos and a video posted to Instagram. The small “1031” inked behind her right ear contains personal meaning.
The number represented the total number of days her D.R.E.A.M. THE TOUR ran. The “03” also symbolized the year she was born, while the entire design was customized to reflect her experience on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test Season 2.
Siwa noted that the “1’s are straight and the 03 is italicized,” adding, “I designed this tattoo to also specifically represent the number 3, which was my recruit number on Special Forces.”
She originally hadn’t planned to get tattooed that day. Siwa was accompanying her close friends, Raven-Symoné and Miranda Maday, to a tattoo appointment when she admitted on Snapchat that she’d been considering getting “1031” behind her ear for a long time.
“Today might be my day,” she said. “I don’t know. I might do it. I really might do it.”
After some encouragement, she did. The moment shared across her social channels and later picked up by Teen Vogue officially kicked off her growing body art collection. Maday also posted a celebratory shot of Siwa on Instagram Stories, captioning it: “bb’s first tattoo.”
Winged Teddy Bear Tattoo
On June 26, 2024, JoJo Siwa revealed a new piece of ink, a winged teddy bear. Her tattoo artist shared the design on Instagram, posting a photo of the 21-year-old beaming beside her fresh tattoo and noting that it was “her new album cover brought to life in ink.”
The tattoo features a stylized teddy bear wearing edgy, avant-garde sunglasses, with angel wings extending from its back. The bear also sports a utility vest, surrounded by a burst of black specks that add a gritty, graphic flair.
While Siwa didn’t publicly explain the tattoo’s deeper meaning, fans quickly connected the dots. Just a month later, she dropped her EP Guilty Pleasure, whose cover art featured Siwa in a nearly identical pair of shades, suggesting that the bear was a symbolic nod to her new musical era.
“Karma” and Star Tattoos
By July 2024, JoJo Siwa’s tattoo collection was growing fast, and she wasn’t shy about showing it off. During a Q&A on Instagram Stories, the singer responded to a fan who noticed a new set of eyes inked on her left arm.
She revealed that the design was inspired by her signature black makeup look while promoting her single “Karma.” The tattoo, she said, served as a permanent reminder of the era and the song.
In a follow-up video, Siwa counted her tattoos and confirmed she had six. Among them were several stylized numbers in 3D on her arm and matching shooting star tattoos on both hands (per People).
CEO OF GAY POP Tattoo
JoJo Siwa’s most controversial piece of ink is her “CEO OF GAY POP” tattoo. On December 6, 2024, her tattoo artist, BLOOD DAISY, shared a reel of Siwa getting the phrase inked while her single “Karma” played in the background.
Siwa appeared upbeat in the video, but the tattoo’s message had already stirred backlash. In April 2024, during an interview with Billboard, Siwa declared that she wanted to start a new genre called “gay pop.”
The comment didn’t sit well with many fans and LGBTQ+ community members, who pointed out that the genre already exists, including trailblazing artists like David Bowie and Elton John. Some saw the statement as dismissive of queer music history.
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Following the criticism, Siwa clarified her intent in an April 2025 interview with TMZ. “I’m not the creator. I’m not the president,” she said. “But I might be like the CEO or CMO, chief marketing officer.”
Tattoos With Her Future Kids’ Names
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Before committing to permanent ink, JoJo Siwa gave herself a test run. In a February 2024 interview with Access Hollywood, the former Dance Moms star appeared with a full tattoo sleeve on her left arm, though she later confirmed it was temporary.
Among the mock designs were two tattoos dedicated to her future children. “This one’s dedicated to my baby girl one day. Her name is Freddie,” Siwa said on camera.
“Then this is dedicated to twin boys, Eddie and Teddie. Freddie, Eddie, and Teddie. I want three babies. I’ve got a sperm donor lined up.”
Fan Reactions To JoJo Siwa’s Tattoos
JoJo Siwa’s dramatic image shift has sharply divided fans. Reactions to her tattoos have ranged from curiosity and confusion to full-blown criticism.
In a Reddit thread dedicated to the “worst tattoos,” users aimed at Siwa’s “Karma” eyes ink, calling her taste questionable and suggesting the tattoo reflects self-obsession.
One commenter wrote, “Ngl I don’t know anyone with a bigger ego… like she wears merch with her face. Her car is wrapped in her face. And now tattoos of herself?”
Much scrutiny also stems from confusion over whether Siwa’s tattoos are real. Her mix of temporary and permanent ink has led to widespread speculation and skepticism.
In another Reddit thread, users were stunned that one of her shooting star tattoos might be permanent. “I’m hoping that’s a fake tattoo because that looks awful,” one comment read.
Still, not all reactions have been adverse. On Instagram, fans praised the sentimental meaning behind her first tattoo, “1031.” One commenter wrote, “I love this! What a meaningful tattoo!”
More recently, during her appearance on Celebrity Big Brother Season 24, Siwa revealed that she no longer identifies as a lesbian but as queer (per USA Today).
That shift has prompted some fans to question the lasting relevance of her “CEO OF GAY POP” tattoo, which now seems misaligned with her evolving public identity.