Revisiting the Time When JoJo Siwa Faked Her Own Dad’s Death for Views

Viral entertainer and TikTok star JoJo Siwa once faked the death of her dad. It was just a big bad stunt to gather views, as it was later revealed. 

Since that day, the internet sensation has come a long way. 

Who Is JoJo Siwa? 

Siwa was born on May 19, 2003, in Omaha, Nebraska. Her parents are Jessalynn and Dr. Tom Siwa. 

She has a brother named Jayden, who makes occasional appearances on her videos. 

Siwa is a dancer, singer, actress, YouTube sensation, and TikTok star. So far, she has appeared in two seasons of Dance Moms, a dancing reality show.

However, she will soon be seen performing in the celebrated dancing reality show Dancing With The Stars. And for the first time in the show's history, Siwa has been paired with a same-sex dancer.  

She started her reality show career by participating in Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition. Siwa was accompanied by her mom in the dancing show. 

Siwa Is an Entertainer

Siwa, age 18, is a hit entertainer. She competes in reality shows, sings songs, produces YouTube and TikTok videos. All in all, she is known to provide entertainment to her audience. 

In May 2016, Siwa released her hit single 'Boomerang.' Since its release on her YouTube channel titled Its JoJo Siwa, the video has amassed 944,193,611 views and has been liked 4.9 million times.

However, the video has been disliked by 1 million YouTube users.

Teen-pop star Siwa followed her successful song with another single, 'I Can Make U Dance.' She is also known for her hit song 'Kid in a Candy Store.' 

Her Instagram account, @itsjojosiwa, is currently being followed by 10.9 million fans, and her YouTube channel is being subscribed to by 12.3 million users. Additionally, she has a massive following of 36.3 million fans on her TikTok account. 

JoJo Siwa Comes Out as Queer

When she was 17-year-old, Siwa announced her orientation. She revealed herself as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. The revelation was made when she appeared in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

She got a lot of love from the online community for her courageous act. She told Fallon she was currently in a long-distance relationship with "the most amazing, wonderful, perfect, most beautiful girlfriend in the whole world."

The Clickbait Prank

In 2017, Siwa posted a video on her YouTube channel announcing the death of her dad. Upon breaking of the news, Siwa was flooded by posts of sympathy. Then, however, the teen YouTube posted another video revealing that it was all part of a prank.

In the follow-up video, she first talks about her dad getting run over by a bus and tells everyone that he was at the hospital right that moment. However, at the end of the video, her dad walks right into the recording.

With a big grin on her face, Siwa tells her followers that they have been compromised for clickbait. The online community then started criticizing Siwa for her child-like play.  

She posted another video which, at first glance, appeared to be an apology video. However, it turned out she was mocking everyone who felt disheartened by her theatrics. 

The Role of Siwa's Mom and Dad 

Speaking exclusively to USA Today, the dancer/singer's mom, Jessalynn, sang praises of her daughter. She said that whatever fame Siwa had brought to herself, she had earned it all.

Her mom explained that Siwa's hard work led to her fame and fortune. 

The greatest thing about it is she literally was doing it all herself, from filming to editing to thumbnails to producing.

It is understood that Siwa's parents have long since quit their jobs and remain a part of her ever-growing career.

Her father, Tom, manages behind-the-scenes activities while her mom, Jessalynn, remains alongside her daughter.