TikTok fans of out entertainer Jojo Siwa have found evidence that Siwa’s new teenaged girlfriend, Katie Mills, is a supporter of rabidly anti-LGBTQ Republican former President Donald Trump. Mills also once questioned whether transgender women are “actually” women.
A video posted by TikTok user @plainpastawithbutter showed that Mills allegedly retweeted a November 7, 2020 message to Trump that read, “I’m sorry @realDonaldTrump we let you down :/”. The video accompanies one in which Mills and Siwa dance together on a beach deck.
@plainpastawithbutter #duet with @mills.katie #greenscreen @JoJo Siwa 🤨🤨🤨
Another TikToker, @gracebcwen, found that Mills retweeted a September 29, 2020 tweet reading, “lord help us if Biden gets elected.”
Mills also retweeted another tweet from the same day which read, “Trump won the presidency because he is not a politician. He is a fighter for the American people. And that is why he will win again.”
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Trump did not win again.
@gracebcwen #duet with @mills.katie so are we gonna talk about how you’re a trump supporter or? #lesbian #gay #fyp
Another person noted that in 2018, Mills favorited a tweet that read, “Is a transgender woman actually a woman? retweet for yes, like for no”.
Catching wind of the videos and criticism, Mills addressed the issue in a December 28 tweet thread.
“This will be the only time I address this issue,” Mills began. “There is stuff that Trump did that I DO support, and there is stuff that I DID NOT support. It’s the same way for Biden. There’s stuff that he does that I DO support and there’s stuff that I DON’T support.”
She didn’t explain which of Trump’s “stuff” she does and doesn’t support, but he’s generally regarded as a white supremacist and quite possibly the most anti-LGBTQ president of all time.
Pt1.
This will be the only time I address this issue. There is stuff that Trump did that I DO support, and there is stuff that I DID NOT support. It’s the same way for Biden. There’s stuff that he does that I DO support and there’s stuff that I DON’T support.— Katie Mills (@katie_mills23) December 28, 2021
She added, “In 2018 there was a tweet that went around saying ‘Is a transgender woman actually a woman? retweet for yes, like for no’ I had liked the comment… I am ashamed. I have known I was gay since I was 11 years old.”
She explained that she grew up in the Mormon Church of Latter Day Saints where she was taught that marriage is only between a man and a woman. She also said church leaders told her that she had a mental illness after she came out at age 13. Her parents also sent her to conversion therapy to try and turn her straight, she said.
“I know it’s not an excuse for that awful tweet I liked, but it’s the only reason I can think of to why I would ever do that. I was young, dumb, not educated, and trying so hard to shun out the LGBTQ+ community in my life,” Mills explained.
Related: JoJo Siwa gets perfect score for Dancing With the Stars performance of Pride anthem
Mills then said she has since maintained a loving friendship with a transgender friend from her high school days. Invoking marginalized friends as proof that you don’t hate a certain group is super cringe. But she’s young, so perhaps she’s still learning.
At the end of her thread, Mills wrote, “I had made a mistake and now i’m suffering the consequences. I would like to apologize to all of those who I have hurt and offended!”
Siwa remains an influential entertainer whose coming out arguably helped numerous young people. Her audience is very young and often come from conservative backgrounds, so it was a big deal when she came out.
Siwa is also only 18 years old, so she’s allowed to fall in love with messy and imperfect people. But she also has hit songs, fills stadiums for her concerts, and has merchandizing deals with Target, Walmart, and JC Penney where her name and face are slapped on all sorts of products.
Mills’ old tweets could darken Siwa’s bright and positive brand. But the couple could also take public steps to rehabilitate Mills’ image after the recent fallout. They could also use the instance to show how people can grow past their old selves, and how conservatives can be better allies to LGBTQ folks. Time will tell.
