JoJo Siwa doesn't do quiet when it comes to her love life. The "Boomerang" singer has fired back at speculation that she and boyfriend Chris Hughes are in a "lavender relationship"—a term used to describe a heterosexual arrangement designed to conceal one or both partners' queer identity.
Speaking on E!'s Hot Goss with Eyal Booker and Lonnie Marts on June 4, the 23-year-old didn't mince words. "I came out when I was 17, I had a wonderful relationship with a girl," JoJo explained. "Coming out dating a man for me ended up getting more scrutiny than coming out dating a girl."
The internet had plenty of opinions when she started dating the Love Island UK alum—whom she met on Celebrity Big Brother UK a year ago. "A lot of people took it in a negative way for the fun of it," JoJo continued. "People thought Chris and I's relationship was not real."
When JoJo finally heard the "lavender relationship" whispers, she had to look it up. "I had no clue what it meant before," she said. "I Googled it and I was like, 'Oh, grow up!'"
The singer was clear about her sexuality: she's queer, and she's been open about it from day one. "I hate that people think that love is controllable," JoJo said on the podcast. "Prior to Chris, I was never interested in men—still not interested in men as a whole. I'm interested in a man—singular, not plural."
So what makes their relationship work? JoJo considers herself "one of the bros." She explained that she bonds better with guys, doesn't carry a purse (backpack, thanks), and wears men's pants. "I saw him and I was like, 'Yeah, we're going to be best friends,'" she recalled of meeting Chris, 33.
Now at their first anniversary, JoJo spoke warmly about her boyfriend. "Chris is such a wonderful partner. We have the utmost trust for each other. We have the utmost respect for each other," she said.
