The Shady Side Of Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez is often regarded as a sweetheart—the "classy" alternative to fellow Disney exports such as Miley Cyrus, but don't be fooled by the saccharine starlet. She has plenty of shade surrounding her, too.
She exploited her relationship with Justin Bieber
Gomez often claimed to want to keep her on-again-off-again relationship with Justin Bieber under wraps, yet she often publicized their romance and their breakups (of which there were many) when it suited her. In March 2013, Gomez and her pals practiced an entire choreographed routine to the song "Everybody Knows," featuring a Bieber-lookalike she affectionately referred to as a "douchebag." She also mocked Bieber in an interview with late night host David Letterman, boasting that she made the boy wonder cry. For all of her smack-talking, she repeatedly reunited with the "Boyfriend" singer and even included a voicemail from Biebs in her song "Love Will Remember" on her Stars Dance album. Really discreet stuff.
In July 2015, when Gomez was promoting Revival, an insider dished to Celeb Dirty Laundry that her motives weren't lost on Bieber. "Justin has always felt like he gave Selena a boost in her career here and there, because of all the press they get when they are together. He is starting to feel a little used because Selena has made it very clear she doesn't want to be with him—but keeps trying to make plans with him in public places," the source said. "It's not a coincidence that she is promoting her new album."
Did she use Demi Lovato to protect her own reputation?
When Bieber was arrested for DUI in January 2014, Gomez made a point to go out with old pal Demi Lovato, with whom she hadn't been seen publicly in years. The ladies hit up Craig's, a notorious paparazzi hotspot where they likely knew they'd be seen. Lovato was famously sober after her own harrowing experiences with substance abuse, so some suspected the meetup was a deliberate move on Gomez's part to maintain her squeaky clean image in the wake of her ex's arrest. Gomez reportedly also made sure to hug Lovato in full view of the cameras and made no efforts to hide from flashbulbs.
The timing was also suspect when you recall that in 2010, Gomez was allegedly side-eyed by Lovato for supposedly ditching her old friendship to spend time with new BFF Taylor Swift. She and Lovato have had several "unfollowing" dramas on Twitter and reportedly haven't been seen together publicly, save for one selfie in 2015, since their conveniently timed date at Craig's.
She lashed out at Bieber after he moved on from her
In August 2016, Bieber posted a few selfies with his blink-and-you'll-miss-it girlfriend, model Sofia Richie, leading many to believe that he and Gomez had both moved on from one another for good. After his Beliebers spammed those selfies with hateful comments about Richie, an understandably frustrated Bieber threatened to make his Instagram private.
Gomez then commented, "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."
Bieber responded, "It's funny to see people that used me for attention and still try to point the finger this way. Sad. All love. I'm not one for anyone receiving hate. Hope u all can be kind to my friends and each other. And yes I love my beliebers." He got so frustrated that he temporarily quit Instagram.
Gomez retorted in another comment, "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." She later apologized on Snapchat, writing, "What I said was selfish and pointless." No kidding.
She's been accused of lip syncing
Gomez has been accused of lip syncing on multiple occasions, yet she continues to deny those allegations, even spouting off on social media, "Yes I f**king sing live."
In October 2013, she tripped but didn't miss a vocal (despite not visibly moving her lips) while performing "Slow Down" live. At the Jingle Ball in December 2013, she experienced audio issues and threw a tantrum, yelling, "What the f**k?" She was also accused of lip syncing during a May 2013 performance at the Billboard Music Awards.
She stirred up drama with Kendall and Kylie Jenner
At Coachella in April 2014, Gomez was buddy-buddy with Kylie and Kendall Jenner, posting pics of the pals on Instagram. A few days later, she deleted all traces of them from any and all of her social media accounts following an alleged fight that supposedly went down at one of then-boyfriend Bieber's parties.
"Selena felt Kylie was flirting with Justin," a source told Us Weekly. Another insider concurred, "It got messy. Selena said the Jenner girls were flirting with Justin and his crew. She was p**sed and overreacted."
Despite this beef reportedly being water under the bridge, Gomez seemed to once more take a subtle jab at Jenner in March 2016, when Gomez revealed that the supermodel, who keeps her love life private, had a "secret boyfriend."
She can be culturally insensitive
In 2013, Gomez came under fire for cultural appropriation after she made bindis part of her brand when promoting "Come & Get It."
"The bindi on the forehead is an ancient tradition in Hinduism and has religious significance," Rajan Zed, leader of the Universal Society of Hinduism, said in a statement to WENN (via E! News). "It is also sometimes referred to as the third eye and the flame, and it is an auspicious religious and spiritual symbol. It is not meant to be thrown around loosely for seductive effects or as a fashion accessory aiming at mercantile greed. Selena should apologize and then she should get acquainted with the basics of world religions." Gomez didn't apologize and kept wearing bindis while out and about.
Hinduism wasn't the only religion bothered by Gomez's style choices. On New Year's Eve 2014, the singer went on a paid trip to Abu-Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and visited a mosque, where she reportedly showed her ankles in an Instagram photo. The move attracted criticism from Muslim fans, and she later deleted the snap.
Did she use Zedd for publicity?
Gomez had a brief romance with Zedd when they recorded and promoted their collaboration "I Want You to Know" in early 2015. The pair frequently posted about the relationship on Instagram and Twitter, and they got cozy together in front of cameras at public events. The alleged fauxmance seemed so obvious that other stars, including Diplo, actually called the "couple" out.
"[Zedd has] been pegged as a money-maker for a major label to do EDM, which to me isn't even a genre. But they've pegged him for that, they've marketed him, even the fake relationship with Selena Gomez, all the things to sell records took away from the music," Diplo griped to Radio.com.
In a June 2015 interview with a New Zealand radio station (via Us Weekly), Gomez claimed Diplo was just kidding when he dissed her relationship. "He said that was a joke 'cause I talked to him," she said, adding, "First off, it's very interesting that Diplo would think he knew about my personal life, but he doesn't. I adore Zedd a lot and I definitely had a thing with him, which was nice."
Zedd admitted to Billboard in August 2017 that the attention he got during their relationship was overwhelming. "Reporters were calling my parents. People were hacking my friends' phones. I was p**sed, [though] I kind of knew what I was getting myself into," he said. "She is one of the most talked about people in the world, but I had no idea how much that would change my life."
She bailed on two tours
In August 2016, Gomez cancelled the last legs of her Revival world tour to reportedly deal with complications from lupus, including anxiety, panic attacks, and depression. She later explained to Vogue that she felt like she wasn't "good enough" for her fans.
It wasn't the first time Gomez quit a tour. In December 2013, she announced that she was canceling the Australian and Asian legs of her Stars Dance world tour to "spend time on herself." She was then immediately spotted with Bieber, leading fans to believe she may have just simply had a lousy work ethic.
She may have hooked up with Orlando Bloom while he was dating Katy Perry
In May 2016, just days after a rumored romance between Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry made headlines at the Met Gala, the actor was spotted getting very cozy with Gomez at a nightclub. The plot thickened when photos surfaced of Bloom and Gomez leaving the same club in the same car.
For the record, Gomez and Perry denied anything went down, and sources told TMZ Gomez went back to her hotel room alone on at least one of the nights she was seen with Bloom.
She complains about fame, yet courts it
In 2016, AdWeek estimated that Gomez's Instagram posts were worth about $550,000 each, meaning she's making a killing from her sponsored posts for Coca-Cola, Adidas, and Pantene. Despite her profits, she told W magazine, "In a few years, I'll give all of [social media] up. I'm utilizing social media right now because of my age and because, to be honest, everybody else in the world was talking about me, so I wanted a f**king say. I honestly had to, because I didn't really expect my life to be as public as it was."
In November 2016, at her first public appearance following an alleged stint in rehab, she told her fans, "I don't want to see your bodies on Instagram... I'm not trying to get validation nor do I need it anymore." A few weeks later, she posted a topless photo in a thong.
Her hypocrisy doesn't stop at social media. In an unintentionally ironic April 2016 interview with Vogue, Gomez told one of the biggest magazines on the planet, "How can I say this without sounding weird? I just really can't wait for people to forget about me."
She may have battled substance abuse
Gomez checked into rehab in early 2014, and though her team insisted she was there for depression—not substance abuse—some have suggested otherwise. Sources told Radar Online that Gomez had been "partying very hard" and "experimenting with marijuana and prescription drugs, including Xanax and Ambien." An insider said, "Her friends and family became increasingly worried that there might be a serious problem with Selena." Insiders also dished to TMZ that Gomez was seeking treatment for alcohol abuse in addition to drug use. Gomez reportedly left treatment after only two weeks, and according to TMZ, she did not attend outpatient therapy.
She allegedly went to rehab again in the summer of 2016. Just before checking in, an insider told InTouch Weekly, "She's been showing a lot of signs that worry her friends who've seen this behavior before. First she gets depressed, then has massive anxiety, then starts drinking and partying way too hard, then goes into denial and finally has a breakdown." Another source added that she was on a "downward spiral" and noted, "If anyone knew how bad she was, they'd be in shock."
Thankfully, this stint in treatment seemed successful. "Since Selena got out of rehab, she has been cutting out all of the bad influences in her life," an insider told Radar Online in December 2016. "Selena is sober now, and she is doing everything right. She is continuing to see a therapist and surround herself with positive influences."
She's been vague about her treatment and well-being
Complicating matters further has been Gomez's behind-the-scenes battle with lupus and her hot-and-cold willingness to discuss her well-being and treatments. Oftentimes, she's been either vague about her battle, or she's spoken about treatment well after the fact, prompting many to speculate about her health and fueling the buzz about substance abuse.
Gomez told Billboard in October 2015, "I was diagnosed with lupus, and I've been through chemotherapy. That's what my break [in 2014] was really about. I could've had a stroke."
When the singer reportedly went to rehab in September 2016, right after her social media feud with Bieber, a source told Radar Online that Gomez was being treated for anxiety and depression that may be caused by lupus, but Gomez never actually acknowledged that she was in treatment in 2016. She did announce a hiatus, telling press and fans, "I want to be proactive and focus on maintaining my health and happiness and have decided that the best way forward is to take some time off. Thank you to all my fans for your support... I hope others will be encouraged to address their own issues."
In September 2017, the "Bad Liar" songstress finally opened up about her health on Instagram. "I'm very aware some of my fans had noticed I was laying low for part of the summer and questioning why I wasn't promoting my new music, which I was extremely proud of. So I found out I needed to get a kidney transplant due to my Lupus and was recovering," she said. A friend was the donor. "I honestly look forward to sharing with you, soon my journey through these past several months as I have always wanted to do with you. It was what I needed to do for my overall health," Gomez said.
We can certainly understand and respect a celebrity's desire to maintain some privacy about their health. Regardless of what Gomez chooses to share with the public, we wish her the best throughout her treatment and recovery.
She hooked up with The Weeknd right after rehab
In January 2017, just months after allegedly leaving rehab, Gomez embarked on a relationship with singer The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye), who has been open about his own substance abuse issues, both in interviews and in his lyrics.
Tesfaye told The Guardian in December 2016 that he "dibbles and dabbles and whatnot" in drugs but "everything in moderation," though he admitted that in the past he had legitimate struggles with substances, including cocaine, MDMA, ketamine, and others. "When I had nothing to do but make music, it was very heavy," he said. "Drugs were a crutch for me. There were songs on my first record that were seven minutes long, rambling—whatever thoughts I was having when I was under the influence at the time. I can't see myself doing that now."
Perhaps Gomez and The Weeknd can hold each other accountable, but for Gomez to entangle herself with someone who "dibbles and dabbles" in drugs could also pose problems for her personal well-being.
Her relationship with The Weeknd might be toxic
Tesfaye's pals reportedly aren't fans of Gomez, with a source telling OK! in June 2017, "They think she's pushed him into this romance by having them papped together and she's trouble with a capital T. Abel's left his drug-taking days behind him, but the crows that Selena brings to the table aren't good... she's a total party queen of the highest order and Abel's buddies are worried she's going to lead him astray."
The relationship has reportedly been dramatic, with one source telling InTouch Weekly, "They've gone from being madly in love to being at each other's throats. They've hardly been spending any time together lately, and it's led to many fights... Whenever The Weeknd's phone rings or he gets a text, Selena looks over his shoulder to see who it is. It drives him crazy."
Perhaps Gomez has trust issues because Radar Online reported that The Weeknd may have hooked up with an Instagram model when he was on tour in Ireland in 2017. What's more, Gomez seems consumed by the romance. A source told Radar Online that she ditched work to follow Tesfaye on tour, adding, "No one can get through to her right now. She is not responding to anyone's texts, calls, or emails at the moment. Her mother is worried about her and has been for quite some time now. No one can really do anything at this point. Selena is going to do what she wants to do."