Let's be real. If you’ve been anywhere near TikTok or X (yeah, we're still calling it that) over the last year, you’ve seen it. You’ve seen the black rhinestones. You've seen the "Gene Simmons at a thrift store" makeup. And you’ve definitely seen the viral chatter surrounding the jojo siwa butt tattoo and her wild transition into "Joelle" Siwa.
Honestly, it’s been a lot.
JoJo Siwa spent her entire childhood as a neon-colored human highlighter. The bows were huge. The energy was... exhausting. So, when she finally turned 21 and decided to burn the old image down, things got weird. People didn't just watch her change; they dissected every single inch of her new "bad girl" persona. And nothing got people talking more than the ink.
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That Infamous Ink: The Jojo Siwa Butt Tattoo Explained
Okay, so there was a massive amount of confusion about her tattoos for a while. Remember when she showed up with a full sleeve of ink and everyone thought she'd lost her mind?
Turns out, those were mostly temporary. But the permanent ones? Those are the real story.
Back in early 2024, JoJo—now preferring Joelle in many professional circles—started revealing some pretty personal permanent pieces. While the internet was busy meme-ing her "Karma" music video, she was actually getting serious work done. One of the most talked-about spots was her backside and thighs.
Why did she do it?
Basically, it was about reclaiming her body. When you've been a Nickelodeon property since you were a literal child, having control over your own skin is a massive deal.
- The Karma Tattoo: She actually got the word "Karma" tattooed on her arm to celebrate her transition into adult pop.
- The "Future Kids" Tattoos: This is where it gets interesting. She has tattoos dedicated to her future children—names already picked out: Freddie, Eddie, and Teddie.
- The "Bum" Tattoo Rumors: While Jojo Robinson (from The Real Housewives of Durban) actually made headlines for a literal butt tattoo around the same time, fans often conflate the two "JoJos." However, Siwa has leaned into the "edgy" aesthetic by showing off ink in places her old Nickelodeon contracts would have never allowed.
The 2026 Shift: From "Karma" to "Joelle"
Fast forward to right now, January 2026. The "Karma" era was, frankly, a bit of a train wreck. The "gay pop" comments didn't land well, and the music video was widely mocked for being "cringe."
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But something changed when she met her boyfriend, Chris Hughes (yeah, the Love Island guy).
The 22-year-old version of JoJo we’re seeing today is way more... normal? She’s ditched the "Kiss" makeup and the aggressive "bad girl" posturing. On New Year’s Eve just a couple of weeks ago, she officially changed her TikTok name to Joelle Siwa. It feels like a second rebrand. The glitter is mostly gone, replaced by a "quiet luxury" vibe that actually suits her.
Is she actually done with the shock value?
It’s hard to say. She’s currently teasing "big plans for 2026" and just released a cover of "Bette Davis Eyes." The vocals are still getting dragged for being over-processed, but the look? The look is elegant. She’s wearing pearls and blonde wigs instead of spikes and face paint.
What Most People Get Wrong About Her Transition
People love to say she's "fake." They say the jojo siwa butt tattoos or the fake leather outfits were just a PR stunt.
And, look, they kind of were.
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But you've got to realize that child stars don't just "grow up." They have to violently break out of the box people put them in. When Miley Cyrus did it in 2013, it was a mess. When JoJo did it in 2024, it was an even bigger mess because of the internet's obsession with "cringe" culture.
She wasn't just trying to sell records; she was trying to kill the "JoJo with the Bow-Bow" version of herself so the actual person, Joelle, could exist.
Why the Internet Can't Stop Looking
We’re obsessed with the "train wreck" of it all. We want to see the tattoos. We want to see the weird outfits. We want to see her do something "shocking" because it validates the idea that child stardom ruins people.
But if you look at her now—posting about her relationship with Chris and talking about potential engagement—she seems more grounded than she ever was during the "Karma" era. The "bad girl" phase was a necessary, albeit awkward, bridge.
Actionable Takeaways from the Siwa Rebrand
If you’re following this because you’re interested in branding or just love celebrity gossip, there are a few real lessons here:
- Shock value has a short shelf life. The black glitter and "gay pop" claims got her views, but they didn't build a sustainable new fan base.
- Authenticity (eventually) wins. The 2026 "Joelle" era is getting way more positive attention because she actually looks like a 22-year-old woman instead of a character.
- Tattoos are the ultimate "I'm an adult" move. For child stars, permanent ink is the fastest way to signal to the world that the "clean-cut" contracts are dead and buried.
So, next time you see a headline about the latest jojo siwa butt tattoo or her newest wild outfit, just remember: it's all part of a very public, very messy growing pain. She’s trying to figure out who Joelle is after a decade of being JoJo. And honestly? We’d probably be a little messy too if we grew up in a rhinestone-covered goldfish bowl.
Check out her latest "Joelle" era posts on TikTok to see the difference for yourself. It's a wild 180 from where she was just a year ago.
Next step for you: You can look up her "Bette Davis Eyes" music video to see the visual difference between her 2024 "bad girl" look and her current 2026 aesthetic.