The Brett Cooper Show – Episode 126

Title: JoJo Siwa’s “Lesbian Era” Is Officially Over
Date: January 29, 2026
Host: Brett Cooper

Episode Overview

In this episode, Brett Cooper reflects on the dramatic public evolution of JoJo Siwa—from Nickelodeon child star and self-styled "gay icon" to her latest transformation as a woman "in love with a man," and the broader cultural implications of this shift. Brett examines how JoJo’s journey exposes pressures on Gen Z around identity, sexuality, and authenticity, and how her story illustrates a generational move away from rigid labels and toward a more nuanced understanding of self. Brett also discusses societal reactions, accusations of “lesbophobia,” and what JoJo’s transformation says about trends in LGBTQ+ identification among young people.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. JoJo Siwa’s Public Journey—A Full Circle Transformation

[00:00–02:53]

• Brett opens by describing how JoJo Siwa's career has taken the public “on a rollercoaster ride”—from wholesome child star to "gay icon," to hypersexualized pop figure, to reality show contestant, finally arriving in a place of apparent stability and happiness.
  • “Jojo Siwa is in love with a man. And it seems like it has completely and utterly changed her life.” (Brett, 00:40)
• Brett expresses relief and happiness at JoJo’s current state:
  • “For the first time in a while...JoJo Siwa...it's the time that she has seemed healthy and sure of herself.” (Brett, 00:54)
• Notes on JoJo’s return to her dance roots and launching “Siwa Studio Live,” an online dance program, and her overall more joyful public persona.

2. The Visual and Personal Transformation

[02:53–06:14]

• Brett highlights JoJo’s recent, softer, and more feminine style, referencing media reels and personal photos that demonstrate her transformation.
• Discusses the drastic change in JoJo’s demeanor, style, and energy compared to her controversial, hypersexualized public persona from the recent past.
• Key Quote:
  • “She is literally glowing from the inside out...You could lie to me and say that these were two different people and I would believe you.” (Brett, 03:20)
• Comments on JoJo’s obvious romantic happiness:
  • “That is the face of adoration. That is like a doting little fawn out in the forest. Goo goo eyes looking at your man. This is a girl in love.” (Brett, 03:55)
• Highlights a viral TikTok where JoJo posts AI-generated photos of imagined future children with her boyfriend, Chris Hughes, sparking both joy and backlash.

3. Viral Moments – Baby Fever, Societal Backlash, and Biological Longing

[06:14–08:18]

• Brett plays and reacts to an interview clip where JoJo paraphrases Meghan Trainor about the urge to have children with someone you love.
  • “One of the first things that I said to her after I started dating Chris, I was like, I get what you're saying now. Like, I love you so much. I need there to be a mini you.” (JoJo Siwa [via clip], 06:24)
• Brett relates to JoJo’s longing, emphasizing its biological basis and contrasting this with negative or cynical cultural commentary (“I'm so grateful we didn’t have a son” – Michelle Obama).
• Pushes back on critiques from online commenters accusing JoJo’s public happiness with a man of being “conversion therapy” or a “trad wife rebrand,” instead framing it as a healthy, positive, and natural evolution.

4. Cultural Reaction and Critique of Online Commentary

[08:18–10:55]

• Brett directly addresses negative social media responses accusing JoJo’s transformation of betraying the lesbian or queer community.
  • “You just wanted her to fit into your very specific box. You wanted her to be a utility for you. A means to an end is essentially what you're saying here.” (Brett, 10:33)
• Discusses JoJo's shift from "labels" to simply being herself, despite the LGBTQ+ community’s expectations.

5. JoJo on the Pressure to Label Herself

[10:55–13:09]

• Brett quotes JoJo from a Daily Mail interview and a clip from the Viall Files podcast, where JoJo details the pressure she felt to publicly adopt LGBTQ+ labels:
  • “When the whole thing in the LGBTQIA community is like, sexuality is fluid. Like, God, when I came out, I came out as pansexual. Then I came out as lesbian. Then I was like, maybe I am pansexual...I think I just exist. I think I'm done having my eyes be so one sided...I could just exist.” (JoJo Siwa [via clip], 12:42–13:09)
• Brett interprets this as JoJo rejecting rigid labels and community-imposed boxes.

6. The Child Star Pattern—Public Identity Crisis to Healing

[13:09–14:57]

• Brett contextualizes JoJo's “breakdown” as a typical trajectory for child stars (except for rare examples like Hilary Duff and Miranda Cosgrove), explaining how JoJo mimicked other stars’ attempts to shed their childlike images by adopting hypersexualized personas.
• Brett notes how JoJo’s “chaotic” years may have been part social pressure, part personal struggle to transition from child star to adult on her own terms.

7. Accusations of Lesbophobia and Community Betrayal

[14:57–17:31]

• Critiques backlash labeling JoJo a “lesbophobe” or accusing her of humiliating the lesbian community for dating a man.
  • “Disgusting human being who deserves nothing but contempt for the stunt pulled and virulent lesbophobia and overall queerphobia.” (Online comment read by Brett, 16:17)
  • “Maybe, maybe, just maybe, she wasn't actually a lesbian to begin with, and maybe she fell in love with a man, and that's totally fine.” (Brett, 17:10)
• Acknowledges that JoJo’s transition from relationship with a woman to falling for a man on live TV was messy for those involved but affirms it doesn’t negate her personal growth.

8. Generational Shifts Away from LGBTQ+ Labels

[17:31–21:17]

• Brett shares findings from a Canadian academic that Gen Z students are less likely to identify as LGBTQ+ now than in recent years, with heterosexuality “rebounding.”
  • “Non conforming sexual identity, queer questioning, et cetera, is in a sharp decline. Gay and lesbian are stable, while heterosexuality has rebounded by about 10 points since 2023.” (Brett, 19:49)
• Analyzes the desire for belonging among young people, suggesting that for many, LGBTQ+ identity provided this sense of community—something Brett now sees as fleeting or even “predatory” when turned into political/cultural capital.
• Criticizes societal obsession with sexual identity in adolescence and the medicalization of gender nonconformity as dangerous.

9. Lessons for Men and Reflections on Changing Gender Dynamics

[21:17–end]

• Addresses a comment urging men not to lose hope, humorously suggesting that “men can, in fact, fix her” (meaning, even women who publicly identify as gay may fall for men).
  • “Men. If you meet a cute little gay girl, you can in fact fix her. Like guys, it's not just Jojo. It's Demi Lovato and Billie Eilish...All of these women who are once identifying as lesbians or queer, and then they had men waltz into their lives...” (Brett, 21:44)
• Observes how public figures like singer Fletcher have had to “explain themselves” to fans after starting relationships with men.
• Concludes with optimistic encouragement for men regarding changing social trends, using JoJo's transformation as evidence of broader cultural movement:
  • “If in one year JoJo Siwa can go from chugging fireball on stage, gyrating publicly humping on a beach and singing about vaginas to publicly talking and dreaming about having babies with her male boyfriend and looking happy and healed...there is a chance.” (Brett, 22:45)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On JoJo's transformation:
  • “She looks joyful and youthful and fresh and innocent. And she's smiling. She doesn't have, like, insane crap going on.” (Brett, 01:57)
  • “You could lie to me and say these were two different people and I would believe you.” (Brett, 03:27)
• On identity pressure:
  • “You just get put into this world where you feel like, because now you've said, ‘oh, I’m a lesbian,’ then you have to be a lesbian.” (JoJo Siwa, quoted by Brett, 11:27)
• On labels and existence:
  • “I think I just am. I think I just exist.” (JoJo Siwa, [via Viall Files clip], 13:06)
• On generational trends:
  • “It is also a pattern that we are seeing in mine and JoJo's generation in Gen Z, a general move away from identifying as LGBTQ.” (Brett, 18:48)
• On optimism for men:
  • “There is always a chance. You hold a lot of power, men, in those relationships. So wield it well and you might just transform your own Jojo Siwa.” (Brett, 23:12)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:00] – Opening reflections on JoJo’s public journey
• [03:25] – Visual highlights of JoJo’s transformation
• [06:14] – Viral “baby fever” interview & cultural reaction
• [10:55] – JoJo on pressure from LGBTQ+ community to label herself
• [13:09] – Analysis of child star identity crises
• [16:17] – Accusations of “lesbophobia” and betrayals
• [19:49] – Data on Gen Z shifting away from LGBTQ+ labels
• [21:44] – Reflections for men & changing gender dynamics

Tone and Style

• Brett retains a conversational, direct, and at times slightly irreverent tone—oscillating between personal reflection, sympathetic critique, and sharp cultural commentary.
• She often punctuates insights with humor or rhetorical questions, grounding policy critiques in pop culture anecdotes and personal experience.

Summary

Brett Cooper’s episode is both a cultural postmortem on JoJo Siwa as an avatar for Gen Z’s shifting values and a broader meditation on authenticity, personal growth, and the perils of online labeling. By tracing JoJo’s arc from pride flag-waving icon to “glowing” young woman newly at peace, Brett both celebrates individual choice and critiques the social and political forces shaping young people’s identities. The episode weaves together pop culture commentary, generational analysis, and a pointed challenge to both progressive and conservative talking points, all filtered through Brett’s candid and sometimes playful voice.