JoJo Siwa addresses backlash over ‘inappropriate’ children’s board game: ‘I would’ve never, ever approved’
Board game included questions such as: ‘Have you ever been arrested?’
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Your support makes all the difference.JoJo Siwa has addressed backlash surrounding a board game featuring her image and name, which she has said contained “inappropriate" content for its target audience.
Over the weekend, a woman named Heather Watson uploaded a video about the game, called JoJo’s Juice, to TikTok.
In the video, which has since been viewed more than 3m times, she shows that the game is labelled for children ages six and up, before showing the types of cards players are encouraged to answer.
According to the TikTok, examples of the questions directed at players include: “Have you ever been arrested?” “Have you ever walked in on someone naked or had someone walk in on you?” and “Who in this room would you most like to date?”
“My daughter got this for Christmas … I need an explanation …” Watson wrote in the TikTok, adding in the caption: “I just don’t understand!”
The video prompted agreement in the comments of Watson’s video, with many other commenters also expressing their dismay over the game’s contents.
“Nope, that game would be in the trash fast,” one person wrote, while another said: “This is not okay, glad you posted this.”
Following the criticism from both Watson and other social media users, the 17-year-old influencer addressed the concerns in a video posted to her TikTok and Instagram.
“Over the weekend, it has been brought to my attention by my fans and followers on TikTok that my name and my image have been used to promote this board game that has some really inappropriate content," Siwa said. "Now, when companies make these games, they don't run every aspect by me, so I had no idea of the types of questions that were on these playing cards."
@watsonfam6 Reply to @ramen_.art @itsjojosiwa @_nickalodeon Total photoshop. ##ForYouPage ##JoJoSewa ##JoJoJuice
♬ original sound - Heather Watson
According to Siwa, when she first saw the examples of questions included in the game, she was “really, really, really upset at how gross these questions were” and “brought it to Nickelodeon's attention immediately”.
After contacting Nickelodeon, Siwa assured her more than 10m Instagram followers that the company has been “working to get this game stopped being made and also pulled from all shelves wherever it's being sold”.
“I hope you all know that I would've never, ever, ever approved or agreed to be associated with this game if I would've seen these cards before they started selling it," she continued, before thanking fans for bringing the game to her attention.
"Thank you for bringing this to my attention so that way I could put a stop to it, and I could get it fixed immediately,” she concluded. “I love you all so much and I hope you have an awesome 2021.”
In response to Siwa’s video, fans thanked her for addressing the situation.
“Thanks for addressing this and being so mature about it,” one person wrote. “You’re a great role model.”
Another said: “Such a queen. Honestly, thank you for being so professional.”
Watson also responded, duetting Siwa’s TikTok with her daughter on her account, where she captioned the video: “Thank you sooo much for taking care of this! My daughter loves you!! You made her day.”
@watsonfam6 ##duet with @itsjojosiwa Thank you sooo much for taking care of this! My daughter loves you!!❤️you made her day.
♬ Boomerang - Jojo Siwa
In a joint statement to The Independent, Nickelodeon and Spin Master, the maker of the game, confirmed that the board game was no longer being manufactured.
“We respect and value the relationship JoJo Siwa has with her fans and take the concerns raised regarding the game 'JoJo's Juice' very seriously," the companies said. "This game is no longer being manufactured and we have requested that retailers pull any remaining product from their shelves."
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