These days, you can’t be a young celebrity unless you’re involved in an online feud or two. Such seems to be the case for exes Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez right now.
Bieber recently posted six pictures in a row on his Instagram with rumored new romantic interest Sofia Richie (it’s not official unless it’s on social media, after all). His fans quickly took to the comments section to voice their opinions, which didn’t sit well with the “Baby” singer.
“I’m gonna make my Instagram private if you guys don’t stop the hate this is getting out of hand,” he wrote on Instagram. “If you guys are really fans you wouldn’t be so mean to people that I like.”
Hours later, fans screen grabbed a post from Gomez that appeared to be a response to Bieber’s earlier message.
“If you can’t handle the hate then stop posting pictures of your girlfriend lol – it should be special between you two only,” she allegedly wrote. “Don’t be mad at your fans. They love you.”
Later in the day, Gomez continued to fan the flames when she posted a collage of pictures dedicated to her fans. No one said this war of words was subtle.
“My whole life. You matter most,” she wrote. “Thank you letting me do what I love every day.”
Yet the back and forth still wasn’t over. Bieber reportedly responded in kind, which fans were quick to notice. “It’s funny to see people that used me for attention and still try to point the finder this way. Sad. All love. I’m not one for anyone receiving hate. Hope u all can be kind to my friends and each other. And yes I love my beliebers.”
Despite the insistence that Justin and Sofia are “just friends,” their coziness on Instagram and the drama that is surrounding them suggests otherwise. Then again, the pop star was caught skinny dipping with Sahara Ray in Hawaii earlier this month.