Selena Gomez Declares She’s Leaving Social Media ‘For a While’ After Golden Globes Drama
The pop singer and actress said she is ‘focusing on what really matters’ while sharing a video of her boyfriend, Benny Blanco.
Selena Gomez announced that she is taking a break from social media “for a while” after false rumors spread about her conversation with Taylor Swift at the Golden Globe Awards. Internet users incessantly poked fun at the moment and believed the 31-year-old Hulu actress was gossiping about Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet when, in reality, that wasn’t the case.
On Tuesday, January 9, Selena shared a video to her Instagram Stories of her boyfriend, Benny Blanco, enjoying a sweet moment with two children. In the Story, the Only Murders in the Building star announced, “I’m off social media for a while. I’m focusing on what really matters.”
Although she didn’t mention it, fans noticed that Selena’s announcement came shortly after the Golden Globes drama went viral. During the January 7 awards show, the “Single Soon” artist was seen approaching Taylor’s table to whisper something in her ear in between commercial breaks. Many wondered what the two could have been talking about, and a few self-proclaimed lip readers believed Selena told Taylor, 34, that Timothée, 28, and Kylie, 26, refused to take a picture with her.
However, on January 9, the former Disney Channel star shut down the speculation by commenting on a social media post about the situation.
Selena Gomez posts Benny Blanco via her Instagram story. She says she’s taking a social media break again.
pic.twitter.com/f7IDaWnhK2— Selena Gomez Source (@GomezSource) January 10, 2024
“Noooooo I told Taylor about two of my friends who hooked up. Not that that’s anyone business,” Selena wrote. Even Timothée was forced to clear the air after a TMZ videographer approached him and asked if there was any drama between his girlfriend and Selena.
“They’re all good,” the Wonka star said. He was also asked if the Wizards of Waverly Place alum and the Kardashians star were on good terms, to which he responded, “of course.”
Selena’s celebrity status and platform have brought her unwanted attention from internet trolls. Though she has navigated it gracefully, the “Lose You to Love Me” singer has felt the need to respond to rumors in recent years. In August 2023, fans speculated over a lyric in Selena’s latest track “Single Soon” and wondered if it was about her ex-boyfriend The Weeknd. In response to Hollywood Life’s Instagram post about the matter, she commented that the rumor “couldn’t be more false.”
For almost five years, the Golden Globe nominee stayed off social media by having her team handle posts. She previously explained her decision during a 2021 interview with Elle.
“I don’t have it on my phone, so there’s no temptation,” she told the publication. “I suddenly had to learn how to be with myself. That was annoying, because in the past, I could spend hours looking at other people’s lives. I would find myself down nearly two years in someone’s feed, and then I’d realize, ‘I don’t even know this person!’ Now, I get information the proper way. When my friends have something to talk about, they call me and say, ‘Oh, I did this.’ They don’t say, ‘Wait, did you see my post?’”
Selena officially returned to Instagram in January 2023.