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Unless you’ve been completely offline for the past week and have spoken to no one aged below 35 with a phone, it’s likely you’ve heard something about fresh drama kicking off between Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber. Yes, the two women who posed for a photo together late last year for the first time, seemingly burying the years of animosity that came from both having the same great love: Justin Bieber. It appears since that internet-breaking photo, and Bieber’s kind of random ‘Call Her Daddy’ interview about their love triangle, something has been simmering behind the scenes between the two women (and Kylie Jenner — but we’ll get to that) with everything coming to a head online last month. Now, Gomez has deleted her social media, TikTok is overrun with videos alleging Bieber is a bully, others alleging Gomez is a crazy stalker ex, others alleging Bieber is, in fact, the stalker, and a whole lot of people — thousands! — piling into the comments section of pretty much anyone associated with any of these three women (even Kendall Jenner’s cute outfit pic isn’t safe!). Below, a brief explainer of the recent drama to get you up to speed. https://www.instagram.com/p/CjyM2l1v33O/ January 9th: Hailey Bieber posts — and then quickly deletes — a TikTok video fans say was about Selena Gomez Bieber posts a TikTok with her two friends, Justine Skye and Kendall Jenner, lipsyncing to the soundbite “And I’m not saying she deserved it, but God’s timing is always right.” Fans speculated it was a reference to Gomez being body-shamed by the paparazzi earlier that day in photos of her wearing a swimsuit on vacation. This feels like a reach, but none-the-less, Bieber quickly deletes the TikTok.
January 11th: Bieber says there’s no drama
Bieber responds to speculation about her post, writing under a TikTok, “I never comment on this type of thing but we were just having a girls’ night and did a random TikTok sound for fun. It’s not directed at anyone.”
February 9th: Gomez says there is, in fact, drama
Gomez comments on the below TikTok video alleging Bieber was indeed shading her in the clip, writing, “It’s ok! I don’t let these things get me down! Be nice to everyone! x.”
https://www.tiktok.com/@ellenacuario/video/7186742923239640366?embed_source=121331973%2C71011722%2C120811592%2C120810756%3Bnull%3Bembed_blank&refer=embed&referer_url=www.cosmopolitan.com%2Fentertainment%2Fcelebs%2Fa43119394%2Fselena-gomez-hailey-bieber-drama-timeline%2F&referer_video_id=7186742923239640366 February 22nd: The eyebrow post
This is when things really kick off. Gomez posts a video on TikTok mentioning that she accidentally over-laminated her eyebrows. Shortly after, Kylie Jenner posts a photo of herself on Instagram with the words “this was an accident???” sitting directly over her brows. Then Jenner goes on to post a close-up FaceTime selfie of both her eyebrows and Hailey Bieber’s.
I mean, this does look pointed.
@devotedly.yours Replying to @happy_mama3 Selena Gomez is a such a kind soul and I love that she will never get involved in the petty drama 👑 #kyliejenner #haileybieber
February 23rd: Jenner says there’s no drama
Jenner comments in the above TikTok writing, “this is reaching. no shade towards selena ever and I didn’t see her eyebrow posts! u guys are making something out of nothing. this is silly.”
Surprisingly, Gomez responds directly to Kylie’s comment, writing below it, “Agreed @kyliejenner It’s all unnecessary. I’m a fan of Kylie!”
February 23rd: Gomez comments on an old video of Bieber shading Taylor Swift
Internet sleuths discover Gomez has found an old video of Bieber seemingly gagging at a mention of her friend Taylor Swift’s name. In response, Gomez writes, “So sorry, my best friend is and continues to be one of the best in the game.”
February 24th: Gomez says she’s taking a break from social media
Gomez goes live on TikTok to say she’s too old for the drama and is going offline. “I’m very happy, I’m so blessed, I have the best friends, the best fans in the whole world and I just couldn’t be happier. I’m good. I love the way I am I don’t care, I’m big, I’m not, I don’t care. I love who I am. And yeah, I’m gonna be taking a second from social media, because this is a little silly. And I’m 30, I’m too old for this, so…but I love you guys so much! And I will see you guys sooner than later, I just… I’m just gonna just take a break from everything.”
But not before she commented on *multiple* TikToks calling out Bieber for alleged bullying.
In addition to writing “I love you” on a since-deleted video of a fan calling out “mean girls coming at [Selena’s] fucking throat,” she writes “that made me cry” and “thank you” in the comments of the below video from a fan speaking about what she’s been going through. The clip begins, “Does anybody just ever feel really bad for Selena Gomez? Like, can you imagine going through a breakup so publicly with a guy that you were in love with for seven years and then two months later he just marries someone?”
https://www.tiktok.com/@essymakingsounds/video/7203125900223712558?referer_url=www.cosmopolitan.com%2Fentertainment%2Fcelebs%2Fa43119394%2Fselena-gomez-hailey-bieber-drama-timeline%2F&refer=embed&embed_source=121331973%2C71011722%2C120811592%2C120810756%3Bnull%3Bembed_blank&referer_video_id=7203125900223712558 Today: The current discourse The activity from Gomez before she went offline that seemingly confirms the internet’s suspicions of Bieber’s bullying prompts her fanbase to go wild, deleting their follows from Bieber’s account, blowing up her comments, and posting theories and old videos all over TikTok from when she used to publicly fangirl over her now-husband. Half the internet seems to agree that Bieber bullied Gomez, spent years copying everything from her clothes to her mannerisms to her businesses to her tattoos, stalked and then married her long-term love and is now playing the ‘nice one’ game. The other half thinks Gomez has been obsessed with her ex-boyfriend for far too long when he’s clearly happily married and moved on and would be incredibly annoying to Bieber, who’s just trying to get on with her marriage and life and continually has to deal with ‘Jelena’ fans obsessing over and harassing her due to her partner’s former relationship. Unfortunately, very likely, more to come.
