JoJo Siwa opened up about her unexpected romance with Chris Hughes. The 23-year-old opened up about their connection, admitting she had always been “grossed out by dudes.” The pair met while starring together on the UK’s Celebrity Big Brother in 2025. At the time, Siwa was dating Australian actor Kath Ebbs.
JoJo Siwa explains why her feelings toward Chris Hughes caught her off guard after years of feeling “grossed out” by men
Over a year after going public with her co-star, the Dance Moms alum discussed their relationship on the September 8 episode of the Wildmen podcast with hosts Dylan Sprouse and Brendan Columbus. Siwa began by saying, “I’ve always been grossed out by dudes.” She then mentioned her male friends, including Tyler Cameron and Chris Hughes, whom she described as “conventionally hot” men.
Siwa explained that she initially viewed Hughes as just another friend. However, her feelings changed when she realized she did not feel “grossed out” by the idea of him as a romantic partner. She said the realization surprised her because she had never felt attracted to her other male friends in the same way. Siwa added, “I really do think that Chris is very much so the special dude.”
Siwa also discussed how she labels her sexuality. She said she initially identified as pansexual before later identifying as a lesbian. However, she now prefers broader terms such as queer or pansexual. She explained, “I just am the umbrella term of queer or pansexual, because yeah, I fell in love with a boy. Here we are.”
Siwa has attracted attention for her dating life since rising to fame on Dance Moms. She publicly dated Mark Bontempo in 2020 and came out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community in 2021. Since then, she has dated Kylie Prew, Avery Cyrus, Dakayla Wilson and Kath Ebbs, while reports have also linked her to Katie Mills.
