Selena Gomez Says She 'Falls Victim' to Online Hate Around Who She Dates And Her Weight: 'Made Me Bitter...'

Selena Gomez opened up about the challenges of social media criticism and how it impacted her. She shared her thoughts on online negativity and why she believes women have it worse.

Written by Sakina Kaukawala , Entertainment Journalist

Updated on Mar 26, 2025 | 10:01 AM GMT | 12.7K

Selena Gomez (via Getty Images)

Selena Gomez recently opened up about the challenges of social media criticism, especially for women. In an appearance on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty Podcast, she discussed how online negativity affects her, while her fiancé, Benny Blanco, shared a different perspective. Blanco mentioned that he ignores negative comments, but Gomez admitted that she sometimes struggles with them.

Gomez stated that women deal with more intense scrutiny online. “I was also going to point out that women have it much worse,” she said.

From her perspective, Selena Gomez found it 'wild' and stated that it was no surprise that women experience more intense scrutiny, from their appearance to their clothing, while men often don’t face the same level of criticism.

The Only Murders in the Building star shared that social media affects her confidence at public events. “When I get prepared for an event, 90 percent of the time I’m just like, ‘I just hope I can take the picture and sit down,’” she said.

Gomez stated how online discussions about her appearance and identity take a toll. “It’s the character that gets judged; it’s the way I’m not white enough, I’m not Mexican enough,” she said.

Gomez shared that she often comes across negative comments online and struggles to ignore them, even though they do not add value to her life. She also pointed out that public scrutiny extends to her personal life, stating that while her dating choices are frequently criticized, men do not face the same level of judgment.

The singer has previously spoken about how her lupus medication leads to weight fluctuations, noting that social media users often comment on it.

She acknowledged that her weight is a frequent topic of discussion online and admitted that while she does not see herself as a victim, "I just think it’s made me a tad bitter, and I feel really guilty for saying that, but it’s true," she said.

Despite the negativity, Gomez said she takes breaks from social media for her well-being. She stated that while she sometimes comes across negative comments, she tries to ignore most of them and currently does not have any social media apps on her phone.