Recently, the 20-year-old actor and media personality shared a TikTok with a soundbite from her teenage years before she came out as queer.
The video was captioned, “Good morning from me and this audio of me at age 15 trying not to come out when asked in an interview ‘Any boyfriends?'”
In the TikTok, Jojo mouthed the words along with the audio that said, “Well, for me, the answer is just ‘no.'”
15-year-old Jojo continued to struggle to find the words. “I don’t have time. I-I can’t be right now,” she said. “It’s just not… it’s not for me. It’s not my time right now. I don’t need it. There’s really no one. I had a crush on somebody—.”
Later in the full interview, after being continually pressured, she responds that dating is not her “jam” and she’s “not boy crazy.” Rewatching her struggle with this inappropriate line of questioning is a moment I’m sure many queer kids, teens, and adults have experienced before.
Of course, the Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test star found this moment hilarious now, but it’s such a real predictment for queer folks like myself. I remember getting my words twisted up every single time I tried my best to not come out when I was a teenager. It’s funny now, but it was a nightmare back then.
I’m not the only one who can relate. Here’s what people are saying:
“Me at Thanksgiving,” one TikTok user wrote.
“Literally me in middle school,” another person said.
“I just made up a bf so people would get off my back,” another user wrote.
“Me to my family whenever they ask.”
“IYKYK and YOU KNEW,” another person added.
“Me when I was in the closet. This is so real.”
Can you relate? Did you ever have to dance around prying questions from family and friends to conceal your LGBTQ+ identity? If so, tell me about it in the comments.