Singer JoJo has recalled feeling awkward at Taylor Swift’s home after her own pop career stalled amid a contract dispute with her record label – which only ended in 2013.

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JoJo, whose real name is Joanna Noëlle Levesque, became the youngest star to have a song peak at the top of the US Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart – at the age of just 13 with her debut single Leave (Get Out).

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But her career ground to a halt when she became embroiled in a seven-year contract dispute with her label Blackground Records, who she signed with at age 12.

Amid the controversy, JoJo formed a connection with Selena Gomez – who, like her – had started her career young, but said she felt jealousy over Gomez’s incredible fame.

In her upcoming memoir Over The Influence, set for release September 17, JoJo, now 33, reveals the pair were introduced by Gomez’s future kidney donor Francia Raisa.

Singer JoJo has recalled feeling awkward at Taylor Swift ‘s home after her own pop career stalled amid a contract dispute with her record label – which only ended in 2013
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Singer JoJo has recalled feeling awkward at Taylor Swift ‘s home after her own pop career stalled amid a contract dispute with her record label – which only ended in 2013
In memoir Over The Influence, Jojo recalls a Galentine’s Day celebration at Swift’s in the 2010’s – Swift pictured Wednesday
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In memoir Over The Influence, Jojo recalls a Galentine’s Day celebration at Swift’s in the 2010’s – Swift pictured Wednesday
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In the memoir obtained by People JoJo wrote: ‘I can’t lie; I felt the occasional twinge of pain or jealousy at the outward differences in our lives and careers, but then I’d quickly reel myself back in: the level of fame she had was overwhelming to me.

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‘She couldn’t go anywhere without security flanking her and fans mobbing her at every corner. It just seemed like there was no sense of freedom for her to explore the world and be wherever and whoever she wanted to be. I imagined that must be suffocating. It made me grateful for the relative anonymity I had whenever I walked down the street.’

JoJo revealed she was invited to Swift’s house by Gomez for Galentines Day- which saw the group dine on In-N-Out and do arts and crafts.

The star said while superstar Swift was ‘so sweet and complimentary’ she could see everyone ‘felt bad for me.’

She wrote: ‘Taylor mentioned deepcut songs of mine she loved and kept saying how f***ed up the lawsuit was, the fact that I couldn’t put out music. I don’t remember if she already knew what was going on from social media or if I’d told her about the situation, but she was — in no uncertain terms — letting me know she was on my side and believed in me.

‘I appreciated Taylor’s kind words, but I thought I could see in the eyes of everyone else at the party that they felt bad for me. Maybe they thought I was never going to get out of this limbo. Or that it was too late for me even if I did. Maybe they could tell I didn’t have the money or the parents who could help dig me out of any holes I might find myself in. Maybe they saw the imposter in my eyes. Then again, perhaps that was all my own projection.’

During the bitter legal battle, the Too Little Too Late singer claimed she was being held hostage by the label because she was not allowed to leave or release new music commercially.

The feud led to her fans taking up a #FreeJoJo campaign on social media at the time.

JoJo became the youngest star to have a song peak at the top of the US Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart – at the age of just 13 with Leave (Get Out). But her career ground to a halt when she became embroiled in a seven-year contract dispute with her label – pictured 2006
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JoJo became the youngest star to have a song peak at the top of the US Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart – at the age of just 13 with Leave (Get Out). But her career ground to a halt when she became embroiled in a seven-year contract dispute with her label – pictured 2006
Amid the controversy, JoJo formed a connection with Selena Gomez – who, like her – had started her career young, but said she felt jealousy over Gomez’s incredible fame
+
8
View gallery
Amid the controversy, JoJo formed a connection with Selena Gomez – who, like her – had started her career young, but said she felt jealousy over Gomez’s incredible fame
In her upcoming memoir Over The Influence, JoJo, now 33, reveals the pair were introduced by Gomez’s future kidney donor Francia Raisa
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8
View gallery
In her upcoming memoir Over The Influence, JoJo, now 33, reveals the pair were introduced by Gomez’s future kidney donor Francia Raisa
Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter arrive at VMAs after party

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JoJo went on to win the legal fight in 2013, was eventually released from her contract and signed with Atlantic Records in January 2014.

However, in 2017, JoJo proved she was still affected from the situation, as she tweeted: ‘My former label removed my music, I unfortunately have absolutely no control over what they do or don’t do…I want to let bygones be bygones. I pray one day they put my music back up.’

That year, the singer revealed she had turned to alcohol during low points in her life as she battled with her self image.

The singer told Entertainment Tonight: ‘I’ve had many low points, honestly. I thought, ‘How can I come back from this, you know, too much time has passed?

‘I was depressed, I was drinking a lot because I wanted to get out of my mind. I’m being totally honest … I just wanted to feel good and get out of my mind and that was obviously trying to fill a hole that I had.’

In 2020 she revealed how fellow pop star Taylor Swift had supported her amid her own battle with her old label.

‘A few years ago, Taylor had me over her house, actually,’ JoJo told People magazine.

‘She was just like, “I can’t believe everything you’re going through. This is so f****d up, so wrong, blah, blah, blah.’

‘Of course, she couldn’t have ever known that she would go through something similar where her catalog was bought from her.’

In 2016, the star released her third studio album, Mad Love, and is currently signed to Interscope.

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JoJo revealed in 2020 that she lost her virginity when she was just 14, one year after releasing her single Leave (Get Out).

‘I lost my virginity just before I was 15, so I was 14. I don’t know why I say that. I was 14,’ she told actress Sarah Hyland, YouTube star Simmi Singh, and OB/GYN to the stars Dr. Sherry Ross on the Ellen Original series ‘Lady Parts’.

She became engaged to Saved By The Bell actor Dexter Darden in December 2021 – however, the US Sun reported earlier this year that they had split.

JoJo went on to win the legal fight in 2013, was eventually released from her contract and signed with Atlantic Records in January 2014
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JoJo went on to win the legal fight in 2013, was eventually released from her contract and signed with Atlantic Records in January 2014
JoJo re-recorded her first two albums and are available to download from iTunes and available to stream on Apple Music.

She has also branched out into acting in her time, making her on-screen feature film debut in the 2006 film Aquamarine, as well as guest appearances in the likes of The Bernie Mac Show, Hawaii Five-0 and Lethal Weapon!

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This year she even made her Broadway debut, playing Satine in Moulin Rouge! The Musical – two decades after finding fame as a child star.

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