JoJo Siwa and Chris Hughes Keep One Topic Off Limits

There’s a lot to admire about how JoJo Siwa, 23, and Chris Hughes, 33, are handling their year-long relationship — but it might not be what you’d expect. Instead of diving deep into every conflict or concern, the couple has made a deliberate choice to keep one major topic completely off the table: online criticism.

When Hughes recently publicly praised how Siwa handles the constant barrage of internet trolls and negativity that comes with fame, she didn’t know about it at first. But when she read his comments, something clicked. Here’s the kicker: they’d never actually discussed the subject directly.“We don’t speak about that,”Siwa explained during an exclusive chat at the Fox junket for Nation’s Dumbest on Thursday, July 9.“We choose to have our stuff just be positive, fun, loving conversations, not negative stuff.”

It’s not avoidance dressed up as positivity — it’s strategy. By refusing to rehash the noise, they protect themselves from absorbing the toxicity that could seep into their relationship. Yet that doesn’t mean Siwa is emotionally disconnected from his support. Reading that Hughes thought she handled criticism well actually became a moment of self-affirmation for her. Everyone wants to feel seen and valued by their partner, and sometimes that recognition hits differently when it comes as a surprise.

That said, Siwa and Hughes aren’t pretending hard conversations don’t exist. They’ll have them when they need to.“There’s only been one time with him where I’ve been like,‘I’m not good right now,’and he’s there for me,”she said. The difference is intentionality — they’re not manufacturing drama or picking apart every perceived slight. They’re choosing connection over chaos.

Speaking of connection, Siwa is heading into her next big venture. The dancer-turned-singer will compete alongside celebrities like Dr. Drew Pinsky, Carmen Electra, Ice-T, Steve-O, Hilaria Baldwin, and Elle King on Fox’s new game show Nation’s Dumbest, where the goal is hilariously backwards — you want to avoid winning. The show debuts Wednesday, July 15 at 9 p.m. ET on Fox and streams the next day on Hulu, with British comedian Jack Whitehall hosting the mayhem. When asked whether Hughes could hold his own against her, Siwa gave him credit where it’s due: different skill sets, same team energy.“He’s really knowledgeable…in the world of sports, in the world of horses,”she said.“I have my worlds that I’m really knowledgeable in. So I think together we come with a lot of separate knowledge.”

It’s a refreshing reminder that strong relationships aren’t built on processing every wound or dissecting every criticism. Sometimes the smartest move is knowing what to leave unsaid.