5 Selena Gomez Clapbacks That Instantly Put Haters In Their Place
The internet is a wild place, y'all. It gives haters and trolls a place to run wild, hurling insults at others with no regard for their feelings. Selena Gomez is no stranger to being on the receiving end of the internet’s wrath. She grew up in the public eye and had every aspect of her life scrutinized as a result, from her whirlwind romance with Justin Bieber and her complicated friendships with other major pop stars like Demi Lovato, to every tiny fluctuation in her weight. And while the former Wizards of Waverly Place star may be known for her sweet, supportive nature, that doesn’t stand in the way of her calling out her haters. Selena Gomez’s clapbacks come few and far between, but when she does decide to dole out a sharp clapback in the face of haters and trolls judging her every move, it’s no joke.
Considering there’s never any shortage of random people on social media bombarding Gomez with their unsolicited opinions about every aspect of her life, I'm actually surprised she hasn't gone off on her followers more. It seems like she only claps back when she feels it's absolutely necessary, and that’s why these five Selena Gomez clapbacks were so important for her followers to see — fans and haters alike. They might even leave you with a secondhand burn, so proceed with caution.
1. When She Reminded Haters She'll Never Shade Another Woman
On Oct. 23, Gomez released her latest single "Lose You To Love Me," which is about finding herself after heartbreak. The song is widely believed to be about Gomez's on-and-off relationship with Bieber that officially ended in July 2018.
Shortly after the song was released, Bieber's wife, Hailey Baldwin, posted a screenshot of Summer Walker's "I'll Kill You" on social media, which Selenators interpreted as shade directed at Gomez.
Baldwin shut the speculation down, writing, this under Just Jared's screenshot of her Instagram story: "Please stop with this nonsense. There is no ‘response.’ This is complete BS."
Gomez then responded on Instagram Live, saying, "I am so grateful for the response of the song. However, I will never stand for women tearing other women down. So please be kind to everyone."
2. When She Burned Bieber on National TV
In March 2013, Gomez appeared on The David Letterman Show to promote her flick Spring Breakers. Letterman inquired about Gomez's relationship status with Bieber, saying, “Last time you were here, you were with a Justin Bieber. That’s not going on now.”
Gomez answered, “No, I’m single. I’m so good.”
Letterman jokingly responded, “Now, the last time he was on, he and I got into a conversation and he said something and I said something, and then he said something and I said something, and I made him cry.”
“Well then, that makes two of us,” Gomez responded, which definitely sounded like a pointed dig at her ex.
3. When She Clapped Back At A Major Designer Calling Her Ugly
In June 2018, Italian designer Stefano Gabbana of Dolce & Gabbana commented on Catwalk Italia's Instagram collage of Gomez wearing a series of red dresses. Gabbana wrote, “E’ proprio brutta!!!” which translates to “She’s really ugly!!!” in English.
While many expressed outrage over the rude AF comment in the moment, including Miley Cyrus, Gomez took a more subtle (and chic) approach to clapping back.
In September 2018, she stepped out during New York Fashion Week wearing a cute hair clip that spelled out the word "UGLY." Fans believed this was Gomez's subtle way of taking back the insult and using the word as a form of empowerment. Check out photos of her rocking the statement clip on People.
4. When She Shut Down Body-Shamers
On Sept. 8, 2015, Gomez released her cover art for Revival before its Oct. 6 release. The grayscale artwork featured a seemingly-naked Gomez (but, on second glance, it was clear she was wearing black underwear while her torso was strategically concealed with her crossed arms and hair).
In speaking to Power106, she explained this was her way of clapping back at trolls who judged her appearance in the past. "I dealt with a lot of body-shaming this year and I've never experienced that before," she said. "I don't care about that stuff but I did start gaining weight and I didn't mind it. And that hurt...I've experienced people who try to control that kind of stuff before. This is my time and I want to do it the way I want to do it."
5. When She Slammed Dating Rumors
Constant speculation about a celebrity's dating life can be just as harmful as trolls spewing hate in the comments section.
On Oct. 29, 2019, when Gomez was spotted at the same restaurant as her ex Samuel Krost, rumors quickly swirled that the "Lose You To Love Me" singer was rekindling an old flame. But she silenced the rumor mill with one cutting Instagram story post.
"I am not dating anyone. I've been single for two years. I'm on God's timing not mine," she wrote. It's clear Gomez is not here for anyone rushing her to start dating again.
