Attention, Hailey Bieber: Your Husband Should Be Defending You, Not Selena Gomez

When it comes to Selena Gomez's silent feud with his wife, Justin Bieber has gone "Ghost" instead of defending Hailey Bieber. Now that Gomez has stepped up to put an end to intense fan backlash against Hailey, it's never been clearer Justin doesn't have his girl's back.

Tensions between the two ladies have brewed for years, as Gomez had a decade-long tumultuous romance with Justin before he moved on to Hailey. In 2018 Justin shocked the world by getting engaged to Hailey just months after breaking up with Gomez for the final time. Flash-forward a few years and rumors of a conflict resurfaced when Hailey posted a TikTok with Kendall Jenner that many saw as her mocking Gomez. Later, she posted an Instagram Story some thought was making fun of Gomez's eyebrows. Social media users then rallied around #TeamSelena and dogged Hailey. Gomez posted to her Instagram Story on March 23 calling for an end to the drama. "Hailey Bieber reached out to me and let me know that she has been receiving death threats and such hateful negativity," she wrote. "This isn't what I stand for. No one should have to experience hate or bullying. I've always advocated for kindness and really want this all to stop."

Regardless of where you stand on whether Hailey bullied Gomez or not, death threats are never okay and no one should be on the receiving end of them. Surely Justin realizes that — but where is he?

There's no denying that Selena Gomez's Instagram story calling for a sort of cease-fire in her and Hailey Bieber's fan-fueled feud is a grand, noble gesture. You could even call it downright chivalrous; while that term has been reserved for "knights" or guys who do good deeds for women, Gomez's post definitely falls under the expression as well. Gomez didn't have to step up and ask fans to leave Hailey alone; she did so because the situation has escalated to death threats toward Hailey and that's not what Gomez is about. But you know what would have also been chivalrous? If Hailey's husband, Justin Bieber, had done that instead.

While it's a caring response from Gomez, she's not the one in a legally-binding relationship with the former Baldwin. And it's probably safe to say at this point that they aren't even friends. But Justin is Hailey's husband. Why would someone's spouse be just a passive viewer in the immense amount of hate directed toward their wife? Justin needs to answer for his silence, and Hailey's lack of support at home shouldn't result in her reaching out to the very frenemy she's at odds with.

This isn't an argument backed by the archaic belief that a man needs to protect his woman. Rather, it's that his wife's mental wellbeing could be at risk and he's nowhere to be heard from. The situation boils down to Justin Bieber's relationship with both women; his former on-again-off-again flame, Selena Gomez, and his current wife, Hailey Bieber. Whether you believe Hailey has single white female'd her way into Justin's life or not, he is at the center of any conflict between Hailey or Selena, fan-made or real.

It's not like there isn't a precedent for this sort of situation either; Justin has come to Hailey's defense in the past. In 2019, he came at haters who got annoyed at his appreciation post about a "no makeup" Hailey. According to USA Today, the "Sorry" singer wrote, "I'm not forcing it down anyone's throat, YOU follow ME." In 2020, when someone urged Jelena fans to hate-bomb an Instagram Live of Hailey's, Justin posted lengthy Instagram stories, writing about how hard it is "to choose the high road" when things like this happen to his wife, per Elle.

Regardless of whether Justin has stepped up for Hailey in the past, this current situation is arguably worse, which means she needs him more than ever. And when it comes to threats to his wife's safety, staying quiet speaks volumes.