Selena Gomez has threatened to delete her Instagram account after being criticised for her silence on the Israel-Palestine war.
The pop star, 31, who has been a UNICEF Ambassador since 2009, took to Instagram in a now-deleted post on Thursday to share that she was ‘taking a break’ from the platform.
She threatened to delete her Instagram account, which is currently still active, and said a post won’t ‘change the world’ as she seemingly addressed backlash for her social media silence on the Israel-Palestine war.
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 criticise her for her silence.
After Selena disabled comments on her more recent posts, some of her 430million 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’