Selena Gomez posted a note to fans on her Instagram story on Wednesday, letting them know that she refuses to apologize to trolls for simply being herself.
Gomez’s expressive facial reactions during Tuesdays MTV Video Awards instantly became memes and were widely dragged on social media. The star, no stranger to online criticism, refused to engage in the conversation. “I’d rather sit still than be dragged for being myself. Much love,” the star wrote to her social media account, according to People.
Selena Gomez reacting to Chris Brown being nominated at the #VMAs. pic.twitter.com/ngx4Ep8aD5
— Pop Base (@PopBase) September 13, 2023
Viral video of her reactions began circulating immediately after the awards ceremony. They showed Gomez grimacing and scrunching up her face when Chris Brown was announced as a nominee.
She quickly became the focus of attention and fans continued to look on and judge her facial expressions. In the early moments of the program, Gomez was also seen reacting to the moment that it seemed Olivia Rodrigo’s set had come crashing down in some sort of stage malfunction. It turned out to be a dramatic representation of the same scene from her music video, not the dangerous set mishap it initially appeared to be. (RELATED: From Censoring To A Stage Collapse – Here Are All The Strange Things That Happened At The VMAs)
The “Only Murders in the Building” star and singing sensation is the most followed person on Instagram, but with that comes a whole lot of criticism and negative messaging from trolls. She has taken several breaks from social media in the past, and has noted the effects that online trolls have had on her mental health.
Gomez slapped back hard with her last post, making it clear that she isn’t here for the gossip by stating that she “will never be a meme again.”