On Sunday night, a new hashtag emerged and became impossible to ignore: #SelenaEndedJustinParty. Filled with memes and disses galore, Twitter users couldn't get enough of the fact that Selena Gomez reportedly called out Justin Bieber in a comment on one of his Instagram posts and "ended him." She allegedly responded to Bieber's claim that he'd make his Insta account private if fans didn't leave his rumored new girlfriend, Sofia Richie, alone. If Gomez really did post these comments, instead of praising her like everybody else, I'd be a little perplexed. Not only that, I'd be disappointed.
Bustle has reached out to reps for Bieber and Richie regarding rumors that they are dating, and to Bieber and Gomez's reps regarding their alleged Instagram comments, but has not yet received any responses.
Before diving into why Gomez's alleged involvement disappoints me, let's recap this whole debacle. It all began when Gomez reportedly commented on Bieb's Instagram:
If you can't handle the hate then stop posting pictures of your girlfriend lol -it should be special between you two only. Don't be mad at your fans. They love you.
Screenshots allegedly showing the comment from Gomez quickly began circulating and everybody was cheering her on. But is it really winning if she stooped to Bieber's level? Instagram fights are for middle schoolers, not multi-platinum artists. Overall, this drama feels undeniably petty. Sure, the "Kill 'Em With Kindness" singer never hesitates to stand up for her fans — and in this case, seemingly stands up for Beliebers — but if she really did write those comments, she inserted herself into a situation that was not about her. And in doing so, she only made things unnecessarily more dramatic.
In responding to #BieberGate, Gomez seemingly tried to one-up her ex-boyfriend. As satisfying as it may be to get the last laugh, is it really worth it? Don't get me wrong, I respect her as a musician. Plus, with her endless amounts of charity work, it sure seems like she has a big heart. The 24-year-old has stood up for fans against cyberbullying and even promoted important causes like UNICEF and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. So, why is she wasting her time dissing the Biebs? That's the part the blows my mind. There are much more productive ways to channel her energy.
And wait, there's more: After the aforementioned comment, Bieber then reportedly responded to Gomez, writing, "It's funny to see that people used me for attention and still try to point the finger this way. Sad. All love." Gomez later allegedly added, "Funny how the ones that cheated multiple times, are pointing the finger at the ones that were forgiving and supportive, no wonder fans are mad. Sad. All love." When will this childish drama end? And more importantly: When will they stop writing their comments with the word "Sad." at the end, as if they're Donald Trump? Adding cheating allegations to the mix is jaw-dropping, yes, but also shows a lowering of maturity.
Amidst all of this, I can't help but mention the tinge of irony that's occurring. When the whole Kim Kardashian and Taylor Swift drama went down, Gomez criticized the masses for caring so much about something that she believed didn't really matter, i.e. celebrity feuds. At the time, she tweeted,
There are more important things to talk about... Why can't people use their voice for something that f*cking matters?
Is she not contradicting that very message by getting involved with all this Bieber beef? Come on, girl. You're better than that. Is this really how she wants to use her voice — by pitting her ex against his own fans? She's got so much star power already that she doesn't need to succumb to such infantile arguments.
Making the situation all the more confusing, Gomez previously tried so hard to disassociate herself from her ex. While I hate that Bieber claims she used him for fame (she's successful on her own, thank you very much), I'm also annoyed she's latching onto this Bieber news and trying to drag him down further. In the past, she's been vocal about being her own person. Remember when she crumpled a fan's "Marry Justin" poster during a concert? Plus, in January, Gomez was asked about Bieber by Rolling Stone and responded, "Honestly, what I would love to be printed is that I am so beyond done with talking about that, and him." She should resume that attitude of not being defined by the Biebs and not wasting her time talking about his life.
For all of these reasons, if Gomez really did post the comments that fans are claiming she did, please count me out of the #SelenaEndedJustinParty. Instead, I'll just be sitting here waiting for all the Jelena drama to finally end. It's only been, what, five years now?
