JoJo Siwa is reflecting on her public back-and-forth with Candace Cameron Bure after the “Dance Moms” alum called the “Full House” star the “rudest” celebrity she had ever met in a TikTok video last year.
After the clip went viral, Siwa, 20, and Bure, 47, had several other public exchanges, and the two appeared to have resolved their differences. However, the dancer later called out Bure once again regarding comments the “Let It Snow” actress made about “traditional marriage” in a press release and a Wall Street Journal interview.
Bure, the chief creative officer for the faith-based Great American Family channel, sparked backlash after saying the network’s Christmas programming “will keep traditional marriage at the core.” Siwa, who came out as a member of the LGBTQIA community in 2021, said in November Bure’s remarks were “rude” and “hurtful.”
In an appearance Thursday on the “Viall Files” podcast, Siwa said she wished Bure “was able to be a little more open, more accepting.”
“I’m OK with calling her out in the way that I did,” Siwa added, referring to her TikTok video.
JoJo Siwa, right, is speaking out again about her back-and-forth with Candace Cameron Bure, left. (Getty)
“For a while, I regretted it. But after I found … that article about her not wanting anything to do with LGBTQIA, that’s my people. And I’ve got to stand up for my people. And that’s messed up.”
The “Boomerang” singer explained she didn’t object to Bure’s goal of focusing on traditional marriage in Great American Family’s Christmas movies. In Bure’s WSJ interview, she had been asked if the network would feature same-sex couples as leads, and Bure said, “I think that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core.”
“You should do a movie with traditional marriage, with a man to a woman,” Siwa noted. “Not that that is what should be traditional marriage, but it is traditional marriage. You know what I mean? Like, a lot of times people are like, ‘That shouldn’t be traditional marriage. Anything can be traditional marriage.’ But, typically speaking, man to woman marriage is traditional.”
The “Dance Moms” alum said she didn’t regret “calling out” Bure over comments the actress made about “traditional marriage.” (Tommaso Boddi/Variety via Getty Images)
During the “Viall Files” podcast, a portion of Bure’s WSJ interview about switching networks was also read to Siwa.
In April 2022, Bure surprised fans when she announced that she was leaving Hallmark Media to develop, produce and star in projects for Great American Family. For over a decade, the “Full House” alum was a mainstay on the Hallmark Channel, starring in 30 movies, including 10 holiday films.
“My heart wants to tell stories that have more meaning and purpose and depth behind them,” Bure said at the time. “I knew that the people behind Great American Family were Christians that love the Lord and wanted to promote faith programming and good family entertainment.”
Siwa explained to podcast host and “The Bachelor” alum Nick Viall she took issue with that particular quote from Bure’s interview and shared how she viewed Bure’s remark.
Bure said her new network Great American Family’s Christmas programming “will keep traditional marriage at the core.” (Morgan Lieberman/Getty Images)
“It wasn’t that she wants to do a movie about that. It’s that she wants to do a movie about that to put down LGBTQIA, and that she was specifically going to make movies that had no representation of LGBTQIA, which is fine if you are doing it because it’s just your movie’s storyline, and it’s just it is what it is,” Siwa said.
“Not everything needs to be gay, essentially, but when you’re doing it out of spite to say, ‘Too much is about LGBTQ right now. You guys suck, and I want to make a movie about traditional marriage. And you’re not traditional.’ That got to me a little bit.
“That’s what I don’t like because … why is LGBTQIA not allowed to be good, loving, Christian? You know what I mean? You can be gay, and you can look up to the Lord. Why not? You know?” Siwa said. “And, so, that’s where it’s like, ‘Homegirl, just go make your movie.’”
Earlier in the podcast, the Oklahoma native said she “grew up to be religious.”
“I still have faith. I still believe,” she added.
A representative for Bure did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Siwa later slammed Bure’s comments as “rude” and “hurtful.” (Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images)
After Bure’s comments sparked backlash in November, she issued a statement.
“All of you who know me know beyond question that I have great love and affection for all people,” the statement said. “It absolutely breaks my heart that anyone would ever think I intentionally would want to offend and hurt anyone.
“We need Christmas more than ever. I am a devoted Christian, which means that I believe that every human being bears the image of God. Because of that, I am called to love all people. And I do.
“I have long wanted to find a home for more faith-based programming. I am grateful to be an integral part of a young and growing network.
“I had also expressed in my interview, which was not included, that people of all ethnicities and identities have and will continue to contribute to the network in great ways both in front of and behind the camera, which I encourage and fully support.”
After Bure’s remarks drew backlash, she issued a statement in which she said she “loves all people.” (Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
Siwa also recalled the alleged incident that led her to brand Bure “the rudest celebrity” she had ever met in her July 2022 TikTok video. According to Siwa, the interaction took place when she was 10 or 11 and attended the premiere of “Fuller House.”
“The J Team” star remembered she asked Bure to pose for a photo with her, but the actress told her, “Not right now.”
“And I was like, ‘OK, fine. Like, no worries,’” Siwa said on the podcast. “I was sad. I loved [Bure’s character D.J.] on the show, but whatever, fine.
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“I walked away, went back over to my mom. And I turned around, and she was taking pictures with other kids. And just as a little kid that just like stuck with me. You know what I mean? It was just kind of one of those things that if somebody was to ask me that question [about the rudest celebrity she has ever met], that would be my answer.”
Siwa told Viall that Bure contacted her and apologized after her TikTok video went viral.
Siwa had previously labeled Bure “the rudest celebrity” she had ever met. (American Broadcasting Companies via Getty Images)
“Everyone started coming after her. Everyone started coming after me,” the YouTuber recalled. “We were both getting hit. She called me. She was like, ‘Can we make peace of this?’ She was like, ‘What went on?’
“She apologized, and I was like, ‘Honestly, I appreciate that you called,” Siwa added. “If you make a post, I’ll respond to it.’ I responded to it, whatever, fine, and then after that, dust settled.
“I actually had a little bit of like, ‘I shouldn’t have posted that.’ She didn’t need that. I didn’t need that. Like, let’s learn the lesson for next time.”
However, Siwa said she felt compelled to respond after Bure’s “traditional marriage” remarks.
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The singer told Viall she has come to terms with the fact she and Bure will probably never see eye to eye.
“After reading [the article], it gave me a little sense of, ‘OK, you and her are never going to agree. You and her are never going to be friends. You and her are never going to get along,'” Siwa said.
“I’m never going to be able to change her. She’s not gonna be able to change me. We can both just live life. We can just both have fun.”
