TikTok Dance Creator Mya Johnson Comments on Addison Rae’s ‘Fallon’ Performance and Ensuing Criticism

Mya Johnson—who created the TikTok dance challenge for Cardi B's "Up"—isn't mad at Addison Rae, but wishes she could have performed on 'Fallon.'

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TikTok dance creator Mya Johnson has responded to the controversy surrounding Addison Rae performing a slate of dance challenges on the Tonight Show.

“I was shocked and I was really happy ’cause it’s like my challenge made it all the way to TV, which is like—that’s crazy.” Johnson told TMZ. “But then as I started to think, I was like dang, I wish that could’ve been me and Chris [Cotter] performing our own challenge at his show.”

Johnson choreographed her dance to Cardi B’s “Up” with her friend Cotter in February, but neither were credited on Jimmy Fallon’s show. Since Rae’s appearance aired, she and Fallon have been facing criticism for not crediting Black creators for the TikTok dances Rae performed.

“Just to clear the air, it’s not nothing much against each other. So I would still be open to do those types of different things. We’re still teenagers,” Mya added.

 

Speaking to PopSugar this week, Johnson said, “My mom always tells me, ‘When it’s my time, it’s my time.’ I felt like that should’ve been my time and Chris’s time, because we created the dance.”

Commenting on the larger problem of Black creators not getting proper credit, she said, “This isn’t the first time this has happened and I don’t want it to continue. I feel like it is very important for us to get our credit because we are very good creators that are very overlooked in what we do.”

Following the controversy, Rae told TMZ these creators are warranted the credit and they have her support. “I think they were all credited in the original YouTube posting,” Rae said. “It’s kinda hard to credit during the show. But they all know that I love them so much and I support all of them so much. Hopefully one day we can all meet up and dance together.” She added, “I had so much fun. I’m very grateful and thankful. It was a great time.”

However, Johnson’s mother Candice Rangel isn’t satisfied with Rae’s remarks, saying they didn’t sound “sincere.” Rangel said, “I felt like it was not as genuine, but I definitely don’t feel that her going through this whole situation, I don’t think that she had any bad intent.”

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