Taylor Lautner Called Out Selena Gomez’s Body Critics

Already known as Taylor Swift’s “best ex,” Taylor Lautner is now making a case for himself as Selena Gomez’s, too. The Home Team star proved he’s still in Gomez’s corner after their brief 2009 relationship by standing up for her against internet body-shamers on Feb. 26. He issued an important reminder for the trolls and everyone else.

Lautner’s Message

On Feb. 25, body-confidence influencer and author Alex Light posted two photos of Gomez at the SAG Awards on Instagram — one in 2024 and the second in 2025. She overlaid them with comments showing that “women can’t win” when it comes to their appearance: Fans criticized Gomez for being too “big” in 2024, then said she “looked better” before losing weight in 2025.

Lautner saw Light’s post, and he shared it to his Instagram story. “It’s a cruel world full of hate out there,” he wrote. “You can never please everyone nor should you have to. In my experience it doesn’t make the words sting less, it just refocuses you on what matters. And it sure isn’t the shape, color or appearance of your body. Daily reminder to all of us to not forget how beautiful you are inside and out …and to be a little nicer.”

Similar Experiences

Gomez has been dealing with body-shaming comments for years. In a November 2019 interview with Raquelle Stevens, she discussed her issues with lupus, kidney issues, and high blood pressure, explaining that her health problems cause weight fluctuations. She shared that the constant attacks “messed [her] up” and led her to take mental health breaks from social media at times.

Lautner has been there, too. As he shared on his Squeeze podcast with his same-named wife in February 2023, he got tired of working out after having to get ripped to play the werewolf Jacob Black in the Twilight movie series. Then, once he started “losing the eight-pack,” he dealt with years of negative comments from fans that really “messed with [him].” He had to learn to separate his self-worth from his appearance — and to limit his social media consumption.

“I make an effort now to read less in the comments sections,” he said. “Especially if it’s not on my page, because, my gosh, you go on some of these websites … Those comments sections are dangerous. It just feels like 90% of the people on there are only on there to just bash other people.”

A Bigger Conversation

The conversation went further than the photos Light posted on Instagram. She’d already inspired the hosts of The View to discuss the situation with a Glamour UK essay published on Feb. 24. In it, she discussed how some fans felt “betrayed” by Gomez’s weight loss and reminded readers that it’s not their place to judge.

“We all deserve to exist in a world rich in diverse beauty where our bodies aren’t our defining feature, and where we are free to change without judgment,” she wrote. “We all deserve a world where we are valued for who we are, not what we look like.”