Over the years we’ve witnessed countless questionable celebrity moments via online platforms. From Kendall Jenner’s cucumber-cutting fiasco to Kayne and Kim’s relationship dramas… the list has proven to be extensive. However, the confusion that surrounds cancel culture still stands. Currently, the media has resurfaced a long-running feud between Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber, which has once again highlighted the internet’s “cancelling” abilities. But what does this say about where society’s priorities lie? 

Hailey Bieber and Selena Gomez’s feud stems from Justin Bieber, who previously dated Selena before marrying Hailey in 2018. For years the two have gone back and forth posting things that have caused socials to erupt with false accusations on which party’s story is more believable, and therefore easier to defend.   

Hailey and Selena’s social media posts haven’t helped tone down the accusations, but if anything, have fuelled the drama of their situation more than necessary. A perfect example of this is the current drama circulating TikTok. A fight about eyebrows? Are you serious? Though it’s obviously not that big of a deal, fans have made it their personal mission to dissect the videos and blow them out of proportion to further perpetuate this imaginary beef.  

Selena Gomez recently posted an Instagram story joking about how she laminated her eyebrows too much. This was then responded to on Kylie Jenner’s Instagram where she shared a close-up photo of her own and Hailey’s eyebrows. Fans were quick to jump to conclusions, claiming that Kylie was joining Hailey in bullying Selena. Then, to add fuel to the fire, a TikTok was posted on Hailey’s account to the sound “I’m not saying she deserved it, but God’s timing is always right”. An innocent TikTok trend? Many fans didn’t think so. Hailey then deleted the TikTok which made the situation even worse, convincing everyone her TikTok was aimed at Selena.   

 In a TikTok live, Selena stated “I’m very happy, I’m so blessed. I have the best friends and the best fans in the whole world, and I just couldn’t be happier!” This was happening while Kylie and Hailey were losing followers rapidly. Selena Gomez also commented on a TikTok where Taylor Swift’s name was bashed by Hailey Bieber. She commented, “So sorry, but my best friend is and continues to be one of the best in the game” causing fans to think Selena was finally addressing the situation and giving Hailey “a taste of her own medicine”.   

Currently, the media is split in half by which team they’re on. Hailey Bieber or Selena Gomez? But still… why? Pinning two highly successful and influential women up against each other over a man. What’s the point?  

Furthermore, ‘Jelena’ shippers have analysed various video examples on how differently Justin Bieber treats Hailey compared to how he treated Selena, alluding to a fraudulent relationship between Justin and Hailey. Though it may seem that Justin is mistreating Hailey and disrespecting her in the paparazzi shots, it’s likely to be a miscommunication. For example, in April last year a video filmed by ‘Hollywood Fix’ showed Justin shutting the car door as Hailey was trying to exit, and the two had to clear up the rumours mere hours after the event stating that Justin thought Hailey was getting out from the other side of the car and he was simply just shutting a door. It astounds me that either party needed to respond to this.  

Being a celebrity means even the simplest actions can have the most complex consequences, that you must relentlessly watch what you’re saying, be conscious of who you’re speaking to, what you’re wearing… the list goes on. Nowadays we’re so adamant about treating everyone the same no matter how they appear. But what happened to making a judgement on people based on speaking to them in person, not through an amalgamation of fake stories construed by people hidden behind the mask of a screen?  

So, whose team are you on? Should you even pick a side? Are there even teams? Is there even a battle? Let’s quit pinning celebrity women against each other because they are both seemingly trying to live their lives peacefully in a world full of eyes.  

Let’s instead focus on why we care so much about these people as a society. Are we distracting ourselves from the dissatisfaction of our own lives? Or are these drama spiels a Hollywood marketing strategy to get us to further consume content?