Over the last few weeks, one cannot open social media without being bombarded with posts about the recent alleged feud between Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber. 

The drama started on Feb. 22 when Gomez posted a recently deleted TikTok video making fun of how she accidentally over-laminated her eyebrows. Shortly after, Kylie Jenner, Bieber’s best friend, posted a picture on her Instagram story with the words “This was an accident?” over her brows and a screenshot of a close-up of her and Bieber’s eyebrows while on FaceTime, which many believe are digs at Gomez. The same day, Bieber posted a TikTok of her, Kendall Jenner, and Justine Skye lip-synching the words, “I am not saying she deserved it, but I am saying God’s timing is always right.” While this may have just been merely a coincidence, many speculate that all of these events are connected and were intended to come after Gomez. This has led to immense backlash online, with many calling Bieber a “mean girl” and accusing her of bullying Gomez, leading Bieber to lose over one million Instagram followers. Shortly after, the platform named Gomez the most followed woman with 397 million followers.  

“I am team Selena because I believe that Selena has done nothing wrong and is unproblematic. On the other hand, Hailey has always been problematic and a drama-starter. I think that Hailey needs to stay off social media and stop starting drama with everyone,” Victoria Sprecher, freshman, said.  

Things came to a head online when Bieber’s stylist, Von Ford, posted an Instagram story with the caption “I hate Selena Gomez.” This was followed with a meme from the “Wendy Williams Show” showing the host asking the audience “Should she suffer? Alright, clap if you think she should suffer,” while they applauded. Even after facing backlash and Instagram taking down his post due to bullying and harassment, Ford stood by his posts and stated that he said what he said. While many are using this as more evidence that Bieber is a “mean girl,” others are arguing that it is not her fault that her stylist did this, and he might have done it on his own.  

“It is puzzling why Von Ford felt the need to get involved in this Selena vs Hailey drama and make the situation worse. This issue does not concern him and his actions only contribute to the toxic online environment that needs to stop,” Hayden Raffield, sophomore, said.  

However, most of this drama is inferred and speculation, as none of the main stars involved have publicly proclaimed any ill will towards another. While these events could be connected, there are not any hard facts, and it could all be a coincidence. This is not the first time that fans have started drama between Bieber and Gomez, as there have been rumors for years that the two do not get along due to them both having dated Justin Bieber, Hailey’s current husband. Gomez and Justin were the internet’s “it” couple during the 2000s, and they dated off and on for eight years until they finally ended their relationship for good in 2018, leaving many fans still expressing hope today that they will get back together. Hailey and Justin started dating a month after the breakup and got married after six months, causing a lot of speculation that they may have been seeing each other while Justin was still dating Gomez.  

“I think the drama is pointless. I bet Hailey and Selena are perfectly fine with each other and the public is what is making the situation so severe. Honestly, it is like high school drama; two girls being pinned against each other over a boy,” Stacie Angelakos, junior, said.  

This situation is not unique, as it has become common culture, especially recently, for fans online to watch every step that celebrities make and read into everything they do, most of the time creating drama out of nothing. Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram have increased this, as it allows fans to post resurfaced clips and hang on to minor details.  

“Social media often blows events out of proportion, as it can easily reach a large audience, and with a greater audience, there are more extreme opinions in circulation on the platform,” Josh Sebring, senior, said.  

While keeping up with the recent drama taking over the internet is entertaining, it is important to keep in mind that one cannot believe everything online.