How JoJo Siwa defied bullies to become the internet’s sweetheart

JoJo Siwa is all energy, enthusiasm and charisma on screen, and it’s not just for the cameras. She got her big break on the infamous show Dance Moms, but eventually made a name for herself as a popstar who caters specifically to young kids. Now that she’s 18, she’s got a starring role and an executive producer credit under her belt for her movie, The J Team. In The J Team, JoJo plays herself. Literally. Her plot may be fictionalized to remove the fact that she’s an ultra-famous social media star, but she’s all JoJo. JoJo has amassed 36 million followers on TikTok, making her the 22nd most followed user on the platform. “for the longest time, people didn’t like me. I started doing what I call ‘feeding the monster.’ The JoJo hate monster”. “People would make fun of me, so I would make fun of myself back”. JoJo’s sparkling and sincere persona seems to have melted the cold hearts of internet trolls far beyond her self-deprecating TikToks. She’s showing young people that they can embrace their identities and the most complicated and over-the-top parts of themselves and make it into something dazzling