Topline
The weeks-long fan-generated drama between pop star and actress Selena Gomez and model Hailey Bieber, Justin Bieber’s ex-girlfriend and wife, respectively, took a serious turn Friday as Gomez announced Hailey Bieber was receiving death threats and pleaded with fans to stop bullying.
Selena Gomez arrives at the 80th annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Tuesday, … [+]
Key Facts
In an Instagram story Friday morning, Gomez said Bieber reached out to tell her of receiving death threats and “hateful negativity.”
Gomez pleaded with fans to back down; “I’ve always advocated for kindness and really want this all to stop.”
As of Friday morning, Bieber has not addressed the threats on her social media platforms.
Key Background
Rumors of the feud began at the end of February when fans perceived a Bieber social media post with reality star Kylie Jenner to be a dig at Gomez. This sent fans of Jenner, Bieber and Gomez—who collectively have more than 835 million Instagram followers—speculating there was beef among the stars. This is not the first time rumors of a feud have spread, in the years since Bieber married her pop star husband, Gomez’s ex, fans have jumped on internet theories that the two women dislike each other. But both women have publicly attempted to quash those rumors. In September 2022 in an interview with the Call Her Daddy podcast, Bieber discussed the purported drama and said Gomez and her were on good terms. The following day Gomez told her fans that “words matter” and urged them to stop leaving hateful comments.
Big Number
403 million. That’s how many Instagram followers Gomez has, who likely saw her post Friday morning.
Further Reading
The Selena Gomez And Hailey Bieber Social Media Drama, Explained (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/03/24/selena-gomez-urges-fans-to-leave-hailey-bieber-alone-after-model-reports-death-threats/