Hailey Vs. Selena: Why Do We Care?
Trite thoughts on a full blown internet fiasco
Initially, my interest was mildly peaked by this drama. A couple rungs above my Bravo investment, but more matched to the attention I lend to the high school dramas my teenagers occasionally unload on me when they want advice. I care. But only a little.
Juvenile turmoil tends to spark a certain toxic nostalgia considering at one point, not that long ago, we were all in that phase of life, stewing in it. Bitter, broken-hearted, jealous, and vengeful. In you were me you were writing sad poems in pencil on your wall, hopelessly tracking the lives and evolution of certain exes, and their exes, as they appeared in fragmented glory on Myspace, later Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram, and … well … you get the point.
This Hailey Vs. Selena situation doesn't feel that much more advanced. Just widely magnified by fame? But I could be wrong. A good chunk of the internet seems entirely engrossed by it, painting one woman as a snarky obsessed villain and the other as a liberated victim still haunting the marriage of her famous teenage crush. As we know, nothing in Hollywood fires up a young fanbase more than an old-fashioned lovers spat. Remember the intensity of team Anniston vs. Jolie? When Brad jumped ship for his stunningly full-lipped co-star, and left Jen and her glowing locks in the dust, in front of everyone? We. Were. Dedicated. To the rage, the revenge, and the healing that went with it.
As far as modern celebs feuds are concerned, the ongoing clash between Gomez and Bieber currently takes the cake. Thanks to ‘eyebrow-gate,’ which started with an overly laminated brow confession by Gomez posted on TikTok, followed by a mean girl lip-synced response by Kendal & Kylie, the internet has erupted with fiercely-sided attacks on Hailey in defense of Selena.
To date, Hailey Bieber has lost over a million followers, while Selena has surpassed Kylie Jenner as the most followed person on Instagram. Petty as it is, it's my favorite part of this whole scandal. Honestly, whoever knocks a Kardashian from the top tier of any pop culture peak has a new fan in me.
My question, though, is: if the obsessive copying and trolling of Selena by Hailey is really as blatant as internet sleuths claim, how did it take this long to be fully exposed? Admittedly, I'm not well versed enough on any of these people to form a solid stance, but collected opinions from others to help me gauge the consensus. Why? Because it’s a nice brief break from pedophiles & suicides.
One source in the industry I trust, who has worked frequently in the past with Hailey, said the obsession with Gomez is “very much real.” This person told me that Hailey was constantly wanting to talk about Selena and is incredibly “manipulative” overall. They described Bieber as fame-starved, insecure, and downright mean behind the scenes which I find odd because it's hardly the vibe she puts off in interviews. Whenever I've seen her she appears well-styled, sweet, and seemingly endearing in sentiment and demeanor. She and Justin appear equally enamored with each other. I had no idea the sub-situation resembled a Netflix thriller.
Aside from mean girl antics, the internet is accusing Hailey of copying everything about Selena, from her outfits, to her tattoos, to the cooking show, to the makeup brand, down to signature slang words. The list goes on and on. And with ample video proof documenting this as a steady trend over the years, it's a hard one to deny.
The Cooking Show Controversy
Gomez's show, Selena + Chef, premiered on HBO Max in early 2020
Bieber's cooking show, What's In My Kitchen? quickly followed, with first episode uploaded in December 2022
Both women introduced their shows with a humble disclaimer — mentioning that they're filming in their "real kitchen" and "not a set."
Another point of comparison between the two shows is the inclusion of Gomez's & Bieber's grandparents as frequent guest stars. Gomez featured her Nana and Papa several times on Selena + Chef, and then Bieber started to include her Nana and mother in the second episode of What's In My Kitchen?
Fans also accused Bieber of copying Gomez by using the same endearing nicknames for family members. Maybe a stretch….
History
As it turns out, Justin and Selena have been silently baiting one another for years. Rumors of bad blood between the threesome dates back to the early days of their shared romantic history with Justin.
Apparently, things amped up when Bieber and Gomez's long-standing on-again-off-again romance finally ended for good, and Bieber quickly rebounded by tying the knot in a whirlwind romance that took fans (and Selena) by surprise.
From there, the feud has only intensified, with Gomez reportedly feeling hurt and betrayed by her rapid replacement in his marriage to Hailey. And Bieber feeling unfairly targeted and viciously attacked by Gomez's notoriously loyal fan base.
In recent years the two have traded a fair share of barbs in interviews, with snarky comments on social media, and cryptic jabs in their respective music videos, which continued to fuel the feud.
A Look Back
Justin and Selena dated on and off from 2010 - 2018, after meeting in 2009 after an interview with a Los Angeles radio where Justin revealed that Gomez was his celebrity crush.
They were later introduced by their managers.
"Actually, his manager called my mom, who is my manager," Gomez said during an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman in 2011.
The couple was spotted kissing on a yacht in the Caribbean that December and made their red carpet debut at the Vanity Fair Oscars party in February 2011.
But by January 2016, after a series of back and forth breakups and rekindling, Gomez said she was "so beyond done" talking about Justin.
"Honestly, what I would love to be printed is that I am so beyond done with talking about that, and him," she told Rolling Stone. "I honestly am so done. I care about his health and well-being. But I can't do it anymore."
In a separate interview with W magazine, she doubled down on this irritation — telling the outlet she was "so exhausted" discussing him.
The Song Situation:
The feud was sharply reignited back in January 2020, when Gomez released a song called "Lose You to Love Me.” Which many fans interpreted as being about her relationship with Bieber. Shortly after, Hailey Bieber posted a screenshot of the song "I'll Kill You" by Summer Walker on her Instagram story, which appeared to be a subtle (but direct) response to Gomez's song.
Lose You to Love Me Lyrics
You promised the world and I fell for it
I put you first and you adored it
Set fires to my forest
And you let it burn
Sang off-key in my chorus
'Cause it wasn't yoursI saw the signs and I ignored it
Rose-colored glasses all distorted
Set fire to my purpose
And I let it burn
You got off on the hurtin'
When it wasn't yours, yeahWe'd always go into it blindly
I needed to lose you to find me
This dancing was killing me softly
I needed to hate you to love me, yeahTo love, love, yeah
I needed to lose you to love meI gave my all and they all know it
Then you tore me down and now it's showing
In two months, you replaced us
Like it was easy
Made me think I deserved it
In the thick of healing, yeahWe'd always go into it blindly
I needed to lose you to find me
This dancing was killing me softly
I needed to hate you to love me, yeahAnd now the chapter is closed and done
To love, love, yeah
And now it's goodbye, it's goodbye for us
I’ll Kill You Lyrics
If them bitches 'round you, better be blood
If it ain't me or your mama, shouldn't be showin' you no love
Please forgive me, I know that I'm stingy
'Cause baby, I'm gang 'bout you
Ain't playing no games 'bout you
I'll go to Hell or jail 'bout you, boy,I been waiting so long for a love like this
It's a feeling so strong, I don't wanna resist
Like you can't do no wrong, got me losin' my shit
Gotta loosen my grip, nah
Fuck that, my baby, you all mine
Greatest of all time
You better tell them hoes fall in line
I do not play about mine
You know this energy so right
Don't put up no fight
You know I never tell no lie
I want you for life
The Games Continue
Last weekend, as fan fervor was still mourning, birthday pictures shared by Justin Bieber‘s party guests emerged on social media featuring a peculiar party favor: a metal lighter with a custom engraving that read: “I’m so thankful that I didn’t end up with what I thought I wanted.”
Leaving us to wonder, who came up with that phrasing, and did Hailey get a decent discount for her bulk purchase?
Where Does it Go From Here?
While both women continue to dig their heels into the profitable stakes of social media, where the power to grow competing brands is unmatched, their fans will undoubtedly be tracking the drama to where all of this goes from here.
Will Gomez and Bieber ever be able to put their differences aside and make peace as centered adults?
Will Hailey ever give up the old stalking tendencies to inhabit a securer sense of self now that she has that big fancy kitchen and the man of her dreams sitting inside it?
Will this angsty teenage feud continue to age and fuel tabloid headlines for years to come, enraging dedicated fanhood into middle age?
Only time will tell.
For now, only one thing is fair and certain. Kylie Jenner is no longer Instagram's ‘most followed.’
This definitely was a refreshing break from pedophiles and suicides. Thanks for getting us involved lmao *team Selena especially after this read*
Never had any feelings good or bad re Beiber, but since finding via this item that he's a "Trumper," I now actually like him.