For Generation Z, Selena Gomez has become a familiar icon in pop culture. Whether she is known for her early movies and shows like “Barney,” “The Wizards of Waverly Place” and “Princess Protection Program” or songs like “Come and Get It” or “Same Old Love,” fans from across the world have come to love the 30-year-old, as she reminds them of their childhood.
Another part of Selena Gomez’s past that fans also remember was her relationship with pop star Justin Bieber. The couple was known and loved by many fans as both stars were very important figures to teenagers in the early 2010s era. When Bieber and Gomez went through their final breakup, fans were shattered at what seemed to be one of the most well-known couples of their childhood. According to Glamour, six months after their final breakup, Bieber proposed to model Hailey Baldwin, who is now Hailey Bieber.
From there, fans inferred a rivalry between the singer and model, and although both stars tried to appease tensions -- even by posing together for photos at an event in October 2022, according to Glamour – fans online continue to find ways to create tensions between the two stars, mostly claiming that Hailey Bieber is jealous of Gomez and tries to act like her.
Mason Hardman, a junior studying philosophy, law and anthropology, said the supposed rivalry between Hailey Bieber and Selena Gomez has been all over her TikTok page.
Hardman said her page is filled with a lot of contradicting theories on the two stars, making it hard to decipher what is right and what is wrong. She said she also believes the information feels a little bit irrelevant since the Bieber couple has been married for over four years.
“It feels very out of time,” she said. “This is stuff that you would have talked about when they first got together, not now.”
Hardman said if she had to pick a side it would be with singer and actress Selena Gomez.
“I’m gonna pick Selena because it’s Selena Gomez and you have to,” she said.
Kris Smith, a sophomore studying nursing, said the drama has also been all over her TikTok and has also started feeding into her Instagram.
Smith said she has always been on “Team Selena,” as she was never the biggest fan of Justin or Hailey Bieber.
She said she believes both Biebers are in love with Gomez and that neither of them really cares for the other in the first place.
Smith said it's been fun and interesting keeping up with the drama going on between the two celebrities.
“It gave a weird sense of this drama of celebrities that I haven’t been a part of in a while,” she said. “So it was fun but I don’t really care. I have other troubles to worry about right now.”
Joe Weber, a junior studying business, said he believes that Gomez should leave the Bieber couple alone as Hailey is receiving a lot of hate messages from fans of Gomez.
“I think Selena Gomez needs to kind of back off,” he said. “I think Hailey Bieber’s got him. Locked him up. She’s got the ring. Selena can go get any guy she wants probably, other than him, so now she’s just trying to be a drama queen about it.”
Weber said that Gomez should steer clear of both Biebers and stay away.
“Selena can go get any guy she wants,” he said. “Selena should come date Joe Weber.”
Jazmine Amoako•, a junior studying economics, said she is “Team Selena” as she is not a big fan of Hailey Bieber in any way.
“I’m Team Selena just for the simple fact that Hailey gives mean girls vibes and it seems that she just wanted Justin Bieber for the clout,” she said. “Not that I care about Justin Bieber at all. I’m not a ‘Belieber,’ but something’s off about Hailey Bieber.”
