Let’s Leave Mean Girls in 2004
As one of the world's most influential and talked-about celebrities, Kylie Jenner's every move is closely watched and pulled apart by fans and media alike. So when rumours of a feud between Jenner and her former BFF Selena Gomez began to circulate, it was no surprise that the internet was buzzing with speculation and drama.
But it's not just Gomez who seems to have beef with Jenner - model and socialite Hailey Bieber has also been caught up in the drama, leading many to wonder what exactly is going on between these three young stars.
Let’s meet the ‘plastics’…
At the centre of it all is Jenner (let’s call her the ‘queen bee’ in reference to Mean Girls), the 24-year-old reality TV star turned beauty mogul whose massive social media following and fashion-forward style has made her one of the most powerful influencers of her generation. With a net worth of over a billion dollars, Jenner is used to being in the spotlight - but lately, that attention has taken on a more negative tone - and people are NOT for this ‘women bullying women’ behaviour.
Rumours of a feud between Jenner and the 30-year-old singer and actress Gomez, who were once close friends, first began to surface in 2019 when Jenner was spotted hanging out with Gomez's ex-boyfriend, singer The Weeknd. Though neither woman has publicly commented on the situation, many fans speculate that the apparent betrayal may have been the cause of the rift between them.
And now, it seems that Bieber has also become embroiled in the drama. The 25-year-old model and wife of pop star Justin Bieber, who has made a name for herself as a model and style icon and now beauty entrepreneur, has been spotted hanging out with Jenner on several occasions, leading some to speculate that she may have taken sides in the ongoing feud.
Of course, it's impossible to know exactly what is going on behind the scenes between these three young women. But the rumours and speculation have only fueled the intense interest in their lives and relationships, making them some of the most talked-about celebrities of the moment.
So…what actually happened last week?
Gomez posted a video of herself on her Instagram Stories, showing off her eyebrows and lightheartedly saying she “accidentally laminated too much”(FYI ‘Lamination’ is a way of lifting and straightening the eyebrows using a chemical solution). Gomez explained that they turned out “more dramatic than expected” and jokingly hinted that her eyebrows had “not gone to plan”.
The next day, Jenner shared a picture of her own eyebrows posting “this was an accident?”, followed by a screenshot of a Facetime call she had with Bieber, both zoomed into their eyebrows…obviously not a coincidence.
That was enough for fans of all 3 women to read between the brows and ignite the buzz about this feud online, trying to finger point who started what as we watch their social media follower counts either boom or drop. Gossip accounts on TikTok theorised that the Kylie Cosmetics owner was making a “clear dig” at Gomez.
Even though Gomez may already be over the TikTok drama, fans are not. Within just hours of this eyebrow incident (and still counting!), this backlash against ‘online bullying’ from fans standing strong behind the singer caused Gomez to gain about 10.5 million (!!!) Instagram followers and Jenner Lost around 1M. That says a lot about what sort of role models we want as a fan community.
How it was ‘resolved’
The feud was short lived thanks to Gomez who felt unaffected and was very quickly over the drama, maturely announced she's taking a break from social media amid all the noise, also stating that “She loves who she is” and that "This is a little silly."
A couple of days later, Jenner shut down the rumours of her ‘bullying’ by commenting on the viral TikTok post.
“This is reaching,” she wrote. “No shade towards Selena ever and I didn’t see her eyebrow posts! u guys are making something out of nothing. This is silly.” Hmm fans (nor I) are convinced…
Gomez then maturely replied to Jenner’s comment: "Agreed @kyliejenner. It’s all unnecessary. I’m a fan of Kylie!"
Gomez is a huge advocate of mental health and taking regular ‘Digital Detox’s’ to not get sucked into the unhealthy and dangerous sides of getting too involved in the social media world.
Gomez gave her honest thoughts about this supposed non-existent ‘feud' on a TikTok live and how she's “too old” for this stuff.
“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. And 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.”
- selena gomez
Although in saying that, as this feud was uniquely short lived, Gomez didn’t stay off socials for long. She has already reactivated her account and been active on instagram, most recently sharing a photo of her and her co-star Jesse Williams on set together for their show Only Murders in the Building.
bottom line
It is not ok to bully or demean anyone else. PERIOD.
Celebrities especially, as they are constantly online and have such a impact on those who actually look up to them, need to remember their influence over their fans. Something about the world view of the 1m people who unfollowed Jenner says alot.
Despite Bieber and Jenner acting like ‘Mean Girls’, it’s also not cool for fans (their own or Gomez’s) to be mean to them. Just unfollow and move on, Ladies.
Despite the drama, all three women continue to enjoy massive success in their respective careers. Jenner's Kylie Cosmetics empire shows no signs of slowing down, with her latest collection selling out within minutes of its release.
Gomez, too, is riding high on the success of her music career, with her latest album, Rare, receiving critical acclaim and strong sales. Being an advocate for mental health and self care, she clearly doesn’t tolerate or involve herself in drama or cyberbullying, and her fans, old and now new, are 100% behind her. So are we.
So while the drama between Jenner, Bieber, and Gomez may continue to capture headlines and fuel speculation, it's clear that there is a social media movement of us viewers, fans, readers, listeners and everything in between, that know we do NOT stand for this behaviour. Small or big.
For fans of fashion and celebrity culture, the ongoing feud between these three women is just one more fascinating chapter in a never-ending saga of drama and intrigue. But for Jenner, Bieber, and Gomez themselves, it's just another day in the spotlight - a place where they have each earned their place through hard work, talent, and a unique sense of style and flair.
WHATS UP NEXT…
