Singer JoJo Siwa has responded to complaints about a board game for kids that is branded with her name and image. Siwa, who is popular for her Nickelodeon shows and YouTube channel for kids, took to Instagram Monday to address concerns some had with the game “JoJo’s Juice.”
Siwa said her fans and followers on TikTok made her aware over the weekend that her name and image were used to promote the game, manufactured by Spin Master, that has “some really inappropriate content.”
A woman named Heather Watson posted a TikTok video explaining that her daughter got the game for Christmas and there were questions on the playing cards such as “Have you ever stolen from a store?” “Have you ever walked in on someone naked or had someone walk in on you?” and “Have you ever been arrested?”
Watson noted that the game is intended for kids aged 6 and up. Her TikTok video, which was posted on Saturday, went viral with more than 600,000 views on the app.
She soon posted a follow-up video sharing more details about the playing cards. “This one though: ‘Have you ever gone outside without underwear? (A bathing suit doesn’t count),'” Watson reads from one of the cards.
Her second video was viewed more than 3.5 million times.
Other TikTok users agreed with Watson’s concern. “Good job Mama for paying attention and being on top of things,” one commenter wrote. “This is unacceptable!” another person wrote. “My niece is 5 and looks up to this girl!!”
Many other commenters defended Siwa, saying her name and likeness were on the box but she likely didn’t know what all the playing cards said.
In a video posted to Instagram and TikTok Monday, 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.”
“Now when I first saw this I was really, really, really upset about how gross these questions were and so I brought it to Nickelodeon’s attention immediately. And since then they have been working to get this game to stop being made and also pulled from all shelves wherever it’s being sold.”
Siwa added that she “never, ever, ever would have approved or agreed.”
According to Watson’s video, the game’s box specifies it was made in 2018 by Nickelodeon, which is a ViacomCBS property. In a joint statement, Nickelodeon and Spin Master said: “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. This game is no longer being manufactured and we have requested that retailers pull any remaining product from their shelves.”
Later on Monday, Watson and her daughter reacted to Siwa’s apology video on TikTok. The mom posted a new video with the caption: “Thank you sooo much for taking care of this! My daughter loves you!!❤️you made her day.”
