Selena Gomez made her first public outing since threatening to delete her Instagram account.
The 31-year-old actress was spotted holding hands with her best friend, Taylor Swift, during a star-studded girls’ night out in New York City on Saturday evening.
The Only Murders in the Building star — who said she would delete her Instagram account after she was relentlessly criticized for staying silent on Israeli-Palestinian conflict — looked cozy yet chic in a tan, turtleneck sweater dress.
She cinched her waist by fastening a gold leather belt on the long, knitted dress with balloon sleeves.
She threw up her raven black tresses into a sleek and chic bun to showcase a pair of chunky, gold hoop earrings.
Girls’ night: Selena Gomez made her first public outing since threatening to delete her Instagram account. The 31-year-old actress was spotted holding hands with her best friend, Taylor Swift, during a star-studded girls’ night out in New York City on Saturday evening
Cozy yet chic: The Only Murders in the Building star — who said she would delete her Instagram account after she was relentlessly criticized for staying silent on Israeli-Palestinian conflict — looked cozy yet chic in a tan, turtleneck sweater dress
Underneath the maxi dress, she wore opaque tights and pointed-toe, slingback kitten heels.
She was also seen carrying a black, leather bucket bag with gold hardware to match the other details in her outfit.
For makeup, she opted for a light and dewy makeup look with champagne-colored eyeshadow and full, fluttering eyelashes.
She finished off her look with radiant, coral blush and a latte-colored lip gloss.
Gomez joined Swift and her posse for dinner while the Cruel Summer hitmaker’s NFL star boyfriend, Travis Kelce, was with his Kansas City Chiefs team overseas.
The longtime besties were joined by Sophie Turner, Gigi Hadid, Cara Delevingne, and Brittany Mahomes during their night out.
Earlier this week, Gomez took to her Instagram account to address all of the social media users criticizing her for remaining silent on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In a since-deleted post, she wrote that her making one post would not ‘change the world’.
Girl gang: Gomez joined Swift and her posse for dinner while the Cruel Summer hitmaker’s NFL star boyfriend, Travis Kelce , was with his Kansas City Chiefs team overseas. The longtime besties were joined by Sophie Turner, Gigi Hadid, Cara Delevingne, and Brittany Mahomes during their night out
Effortlessly stylish: She cinched her waist by fastening a gold leather belt on the long, knitted dress with balloon sleeves. She threw up her raven black tresses into a sleek and chic bun to showcase a pair of chunky, gold hoop earrings
Matching with her BFF: She was also seen carrying a black, leather bucket bag with gold hardware to match the other details in her outfit
Because of her fans flooding her comments section, she said she would be ‘taking a break’ from the platform.
Seemingly in response to the backlash, she wrote: ‘I’m taking a break and deleting my Instagram. I’m done. I do not support any of what’s going on.’
Instead, she just turned off commenting on all of her posts and has not posted on her Instagram Story since then.
Her latest post came days after Selena first took to Instagram on Monday to announce she was taking a ‘break’ from Instagram.
She said that her ‘heart breaks to see all the horror, hate, violence, and terror that’s going on in the world’ but argued that a social media post won’t ‘change the world’ as she hit back at criticism.
‘People being tortured and killed or any act of hate towards any one group is horrific,’ she wrote in a statement.
Elegant: Underneath the maxi dress, she wore opaque tights and pointed-toe, slingback kitten heels
Glowing and glossy: For makeup, she opted for a light and dewy makeup look with champagne-colored eyeshadow and full, fluttering eyelashes. She finished off her look with radiant, coral blush and a latte-colored lip gloss
With her girlfriends: As they left a restaurant, Swift had her arm wrapped tightly around GOmez and also held Mahomes’ hand
Chic: Selena threw up her raven black tresses into a sleek and chic bun to showcase a pair of chunky, gold hoop earrings
‘We need to protect ALL people, especially children and stop the violence for good,’ she continued. ‘I’m sorry if my words will never be enough for everyone or a hashtag.’
‘I just can’t stand by innocent people [getting] hurt. That’s what makes me sick. I wish I could change the world. But a post won’t.’
It comes after Selena shared a video promoting the Rare Impact Fund to mark World Mental Health Day earlier this month, but fans later took to the comments section to criticize her for her silence.
After Selena disabled comments on her more recent posts, some of her 430 million followers went back to her video from October 4 to comment that she should have spoken out about the war due to her role as a UNICEF Ambassador.
Over it: Selena Gomez might have made history as the most followed woman on Instagram but, on Thursday, she publicly threatened to deactivate the popular Meta-owned social media platform entirely over the Israel-Hamas war (pictured Monday)
The 31-year-old ‘Texican’ pop star posted then promptly deleted an Instastory reading: ‘I’m taking a break and deleting my Instagram. I’m done. I do not support any of what’s going on’
Appearing to respond to the backlash, Selena then wrote in a now-deleted Instagram Stories post: ‘I’m taking a break and deleting my Instagram. I’m done. I do not support any of what’s going on.’
Her latest post came days after Selena first took to Instagram on Monday to announce she was taking a ‘break’ from Instagram.
Breaking her silence, Selena said her ‘heart breaks to see all the horror, hate, violence, and terror that’s going on in the world’ but argued that a social media post won’t ‘change the world’ as she hit back at criticism.
‘People being tortured and killed or any act of hate towards any one group is horrific,’ she wrote in a statement.
‘We need to protect ALL people, especially children and stop the violence for good. I’m sorry if my words will never be enough for everyone or a hashtag.
‘I just can’t stand by innocent people [getting] hurt. That’s what makes me sick. I wish I could change the world. But a post won’t.’
The two-time Grammy nominee also Instastoried an old snap of her 10-year-old half-sister Gracie Elliott Teefey captioned: ‘Having a sister, everyday has made me tragically sick. I would do anything for children and innocent lives.’
Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry reported Thursday that over 3,600 children (9K total) have been killed in the first 25 days of the war, mostly due to airstrikes in retaliation for their October 7th attack which left 1,033 Israeli civilians dead.
‘My words will never be enough’: Selena had first announced her ‘break from social media’ on Monday ‘because my heart breaks to see all the horror, hate, violence, and terror that’s going on in the world. We need to protect ALL people, especially children and stop the violence’
Gomez also Instastoried an old snap of her 10-year-old half-sister Gracie Elliott Teefey captioned: ‘Having a sister, everyday has made me tragically sick. I would do anything for children and innocent lives’
Meanwhile, Israel claimed around 500 Hamas militant rockets have misfired and landed in Gaza, and it accuses the terrorist group of using civilians as human shields at targeted militant sites and infrastructure.
Selena turned off the comments on her last two Instagram posts, but fans went back to her World Mental Health Day post from October 4 to comment on her silence on the Israel-Palestine war.
One wrote: ‘Only makes a post when people start calling her out that she’s a UNCEF ambassador to advocate for children but does not speak out or anything. What a shame.’
Another said: ‘You’re losing fans with every minute of silence. And you will be remembered for your silence.’
A third wrote: ‘You have 430 million followers…. shame on you for thinking not saying anything wouldn’t make a difference.’
A fourth added: ‘A Unicef Ambassador?? Shame on you!!’
However, others flocked to her defence as one wrote: ‘She’s taking a break from social because of the heartbreaking videos she’s seeing of innocent lives being taken. Saying that a post won’t change anything is because it can’t bring lives back.
‘She doesn’t have to choose a side she’s choosing the side of all lives they all matter. So stop harassing her for having a good heart.’
Selena previously spoke about her Instagram platform and its influence at the Music & Health Conference in September.
‘I suppose I’m grateful for the platform, and I would love to continue to use it for what I’m able to do, but numbers are just numbers,’ she said.
War: Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry reported Thursday that over 3,600 children (9K total) have been killed in the first 25 days of the war, mostly due to airstrikes in retaliation for their October 7th attack which left 1,033 Israeli civilians dead (Gaza Strip pictured Thursday)
Unwinnable? Meanwhile, Israel claimed around 500 Hamas militant rockets have misfired and landed in Gaza, and it accuses the terrorist group of using civilians as human shields at targeted militant sites and infrastructure (Nuseirat refugee camp pictured Thursday)
Opinions: Selena previously spoke about her Instagram platform and its influence at the Music & Health Conference in September
‘It can be a little heavy. I feel for people, and I think that’s what kind of keeps me in check, to be honest. I think I can be a little reckless with my emotions and having conversations with young people, women who are going through divorces or going through chemo – it’s not just about me, and I’m fully aware of that. I will just always cherish it. It’s a big responsibility, though. It’s a little scary.’
Selena – whose assistant ran her account for four years – previously took a break from Instagram in February over her alleged feud with ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber’s wife Hailey Baldwin Bieber.
‘I’m gonna be taking a second from social media, because this is a little silly,’ Gomez said on TikTok Live at the time.
‘And I’m 30, I’m too old for this, but I love you guys so much and I will see you guys sooner than later – I’m gonna just take a break from everything.’
The Only Murders in the Building producer-star continued: ‘I think I can be a little reckless with my emotions and having conversations with young people, women who are going through divorces or going through chemo – it’s not just about me, and I’m fully aware of that. I will just always cherish it. It’s a big responsibility, though. It’s a little scary’