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JoJo Siwahas stepped away from starring in theWill Smith-produced filmBounce.
Sources told the outlet that Siwa dropped out of the project “months ago” and her removal is in no way related to Smith’s incident at the2022 Academy Awards, where he slapped comedianChris Rockon stage for making a joke about his wife,Jada Pinkett Smith.
“That project got put on hold, and then went away,” Siwa toldVarietyover the weekend. “It wasn’t the one.”
The YouTube star then reiterated that her exit from the project had nothing to do with Smith’sOscars controversy, adding, “I normally stay out of all politics, it’s not my gig. But, I will say that being kind to one another is very important. I think that can go both ways, kindness.”
Insiders also toldVarietythat Paramount Pictures has removed the project from its development slate altogether.
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In June 2021, Siwa appeared onEntertainment Weekly’s Pride digital cover, where she talked about dealing with fame andcoming out publiclyas part of the LGBTQ community, as well as how she was trying to have a romantic scene between herself and a man removed from the film.
“I’m madly in love and I do not want to kiss another human. Especially because it’s a man,” Siwa toldEW, adding that her fans likely wouldn’t separate her persona from her character Franny on-screen: “That’s what they look at me as, not some character, not some fictional thing. And so it’s going to be a little weird.”
“I’m not about it,” she continued of thekissing scene. “I’m trying to get it pulled so bad. It’ll happen. It’ll get pulled.”
That same week, Siwa then updated fans that Paramount hadagreed to cut the footage. “My friends at paramount and my friend Caleeb Pinkett are 1000% supportive of me and assured me that I don’t have to do anything I don’t wanna do ever!!!” the Nickelodeon startweetedat the time. “I’m so excited to make the movie ‘Bounce’ and couldn’t have better people to make it with!!🎥❤️.”
source: people.com
