A former member of XOMG Pop! has alleged to Rolling Stone that she was mistreated during her time in JoJo Siwa’s girl group. The bubbly pop act with an initial lineup ranging from ages 8 to 14 was formed by JoJo and her momager, Jessalyn, through the reality TV competition Siwas Dance Pop Revolution. The Sandersons allege that participants in the show were subjected to insults from Jessalyn and JoJo, grueling rehearsal schedules, and a cutthroat environment that pitted the young contestants against each other, among other claims. Multiple unnamed sources close to Dance Pop Revolution told Rolling Stone that producers actively tried to make kids cry on camera, which the show’s production company denied and said goes against “everything JoJo Siwa stands for.” An attorney for the Siwas denied the Sandersons’ allegations as “100 percent provably false” and instead criticized Anjie. “[V]oluminous and irrefutable evidence would tell you all you need to know — that a disgruntled momager’s own abusive behavior caused for her daughter to be asked not to return to the group,” he said in a statement.
The Sandersons allege that treatment got worse once the show ended and XOMG Pop! became a full-time group. Leigha, who has spina bifida, recalls bleeding through her belly button during a rehearsal. Allegedly, instead of having Leigha take a break, Jessalyn told her to put a maxi pad on it to protect her costume. Leigha also alleges that after a surgery, she was told to come back to work before the physician-recommended recovery period.
Other claims in the lengthy report include that the Sandersons were not directly paid for social media content, brand deals, and merch revenue. The Sandersons also allege that they had to pay many expenses out of pocket, including transportation and food. Anjie, who closed a day care center in Texas to move to Los Angeles, claims she became so short on funds that she started scrubbing toilets for Jessalyn for $20 an hour.
Anjie says she was afraid to speak up because she didn’t want to harm her daughter’s position in the group or be sued for breach of contract (she claims mothers were threatened with this more than once). But after Anjie got frustrated and verbally confronted other mothers and a teacher in May 2023, Leigha was fired. Anjie claims she pleaded for Leigha to be kept in the group because she didn’t want to ruin her daughter’s opportunity. Siwa’s attorney said Anjie’s “relentless texts begging for forgiveness and for her daughter to be reinstated completely discredit her and these ridiculous allegations Jess Siwa was protecting the staff, the other girls and their families which she will continue to do vociferously and unapologetically.”
The mothers of the current XOMG Pop! members asked not to be individually identified, but sent Rolling Stone statements praising their experience with the group as positive. Four of the original seven members in the lineup have left the group over the past year and a half. Anjie says she was the only mother of an ex-member who did not sign an NDA; the other mothers of members who left declined to comment.
- [Rolling Stone]
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Jennifer Zhan , 2024-02-14 07:21:36
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