The Double Life Of Selena Gomez

Singer-actress Selena Gomez is an enigma. We don't know much about her personality, but we know a lot about her personal life. She's the queen of Instagram but claims to hate social media. She's gone on hiatus twice and canceled two tours. She has a tumultuous relationship with ex Justin Bieber and a love-hate relationship with the press, her peers, even her fans. We're onto you, SelGo. Here's the double life of this fascinating pop star.

In an interview with Billboard in October 2015, Gomez complained, "I'm so f**king nice to everybody, and everyone is so vile to me. I've been working since I was 7. I've been a UNICEF ambassador since I was 17. It's so disappointing that I've become a tabloid story. It took away everything I loved in this business. That hate motivated me."

Fair enough, right? She's certainly charitable and kind to fans. Billboard even noted that she once stood in heels for a four-hour meet and greet with her beloved Selenators. But is she really nice to everyone?

Gomez isn't always nice to everyone. In fact, when she's feeling less than sweet, she tends to be passive aggressive. In March 2016, she played the faux-nice card with one-time Disney rival Miley Cyrus, telling W magazine, "Every single [Disney] girl has done it completely differently. Obviously, [Cyrus] wouldn't want to be doing what I'm doing, and I wouldn't want to be doing what she's doing. But I'm a fan of her music—I don't know if she'd say that about me." Girl, we see you.

That same year, Lorde criticized the message of Gomez's "Come and Get It" as being anti-feminist, and Gomez responded by attacking Lorde herself as anti-feminist. Her first time taking Lorde's name in vain was in a Flaunt magazine interview in November 2013, when Gomez griped, "That's not feminism. [Lorde is] not supporting other women. That's my honest opinion, that's what I would say to her if I saw her." She added, "I actually covered her song in all of my shows that I've done so far... I'm not sure if I'm going to continue that."

She went after Lorde again with a backhanded compliment to Seventeen in January 2014. "There is one artist that I think is very powerful," Gomez said (via E! Online). "She doesn't really like me, but that's all right. Her name's Lorde and she's really cool."

Gomez has even gone off on fans who had the nerve to point out her own hypocrisy. In July 2016, when Gomez's BFF, Taylor Swift, was taking heat over her "Famous" feud with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, Gomez tweeted, "There are more important things to talk about...Why can't people use their voice for something that f**king matters?"

A fan replied by politely asking Gomez why she doesn't use her voice to support the Black Lives Matter movement or discuss police brutality. Gomez flipped out, writing, "Oh lol so that means if I hashtag something I save lives? No—I could give two f**ks about 'sides.' You don't know that I do." The Twitter community was quick to roast her afterward.

In September 2015, Gomez told Elle she had officially moved on from former flame Bieber, recalling a pivotal moment backstage at the 2014 American Music Awards. Gomez was about to perform "The Heart Wants What It Wants," a track that had lots of tongues wagging about her love life. "Everybody was talking about the same thing: my relationship," she said. "I was so exhausted. I said, I want this [performance] to be the last time I have to talk about this. And acknowledge this feeling...This is gonna be it. And all I want is to move on." When asked if she and the Biebs are still pals, she replied, "Genuinely. I'll forever support him and love him in a way...And I think he respects me, in a healthy manner."

In October 2015, she told Refinery29, "At this point, there is no anger. There's closure in a very good, healthy way. We've seen each other. I'm always encouraging and I am proud of his journey. I think people are making it out to be something that is more tragic than it really was. We grew up together. We both made mistakes. That's it."

In January 2016, when Rolling Stone asked about Bieber, Gomez snapped, "...what I would love to be printed is that I am so beyond done with talking about that, and him."

In March 2016, she addressed Bieber again to W magazine: "I'm so exhausted. I honestly am so done. I care about his health and well-being. But I can't do it anymore."

Time and again, Gomez asserted that she had nothing more to say about Bieber, which made her very voluntary commentary about him in 2016 so confounding.

Considering Gomez was adamant that she and Bieber were totally over romantically, she shocked the world when she lashed out at him over Instagram for dating model Sofia Richie. In August 2016, Bieber posted a few selfies with then-girlfriend Richie, then lamented that Beliebers were being mean to her. Instead of leaving well enough alone, Gomez jumped in, commenting, "If you can't handle the hate then stop posting pictures of your girlfriend lol—it should be special between you two only. Don't be mad at your fans. They love you."

Bieber responded, "It's funny to see people that used me for attention and still try to point the finger 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."

Gomez still couldn't let it go, responding, "Funny how the ones that cheated multiple times are pointing the finger at the ones that were forgiving and supportive, no wonder fans are mad. Sad. All love." She later apologized on Snapchat, writing, "What I said was selfish and pointless."

Does this sound like someone who's over him to you? Of course not. A source close to Gomez told People, "He was Selena's first love, and she hasn't been able to totally get over him."

Part of what supposedly frustrates Gomez about her job as an entertainer is the scrutiny applied to her private life. She told Vogue Australia in August 2016, "For a while my private life was the most talked about thing. Nobody really knows everything and they can only assume. You want to do what you love but all this other stuff overshadows it so it makes it a little harder for people to take me seriously." She added, "I think people would think it's kind of dumb [to date me]. Nobody would want to throw themselves into that situation where it was so heightened publicly. Like, why would they?"

In July 2013, Gomez admitted to the Guardian, "Sometimes it will just be, like: 'Urgh, people are talking about me!' But then it feels gross [to complain], because it comes with what I love to do...Sure, I knew people would talk about [her relationship with Bieber]...You're young and you don't know how to be. You don't think: 'Now I have a boyfriend—let's keep it super-private and low key,' because that's not what you're thinking about. You're thinking about: 'Oh my God, we're holding hands!' You're just thinking about stuff like that." She added, "Everybody falls in love and you would never want to hide something you're so happy about. But I've learned a lot. You keep the things that are super-private to yourself. I definitely want to do that now. But it's so hard."

That same month, she hung up on an interviewer for asking about Bieber.

Fair enough, right? Except...

For someone so determined to keep her personal life private, Gomez seems to have no qualms about making her private life public when it suits her. For example, after her initial split from Bieber, she included a voicemail from him on her song, "Love Will Remember," in 2013. That same year, she laughed about making Bieber cry on The Late Show with David Letterman. This was all around the same time she hung up on the aforementioned interviewer for asking about her ex.

In July 2015, when Gomez was promoting Revival, a source told Celeb Dirty Laundry, "Justin has always felt like he gave Selena a boost in her career here and there, because of all the press they get when they are together. He is starting to feel a little used because Selena has made it very clear she doesn't want to be with him—but keeps trying to make plans with him in public places. And, it's not a coincidence that she is promoting her new album."

Bieber isn't the only famous beau Gomez has seemingly pimped out for press. In early 2015, she was linked to DJ and producer Zedd, who happened to be dropping a collaboration with Gomez right around the time of their suspicious romance. They pair flaunted their fledgling courtship on Instagram, Twitter, and at industry soirees...all while she was allegedly privately hooking up with Bieber again, according to TMZ.

Even Zedd's peers side-eyed the couple for the convenient publicity. Outspoken producer Diplo told Radio.com, "I'm actually not enemies with Zedd by any means. I just think that he came from such a cool place, and now he's been pegged as a money-maker for a major label to do EDM...They've marketed him, even the fake relationship with Selena Gomez, all the things to sell records took away from the music."

Gomez denied the PR-romance rumors, telling People, "[Diplo] said that was a joke! He said it was a joke 'cause I talked to him." Then she got defensive, adding, "First off, it's very interesting that Diplo would think he knew about my personal life, but he doesn't...I adore Anton [Zedd] a lot and I definitely had a thing with him, which was nice."

Gomez told Billboard in October 2015 that her 2014 rehab stint was for a medical issue, though it was a bit unclear exactly what the issue was. "I was diagnosed with lupus, and I've been through chemotherapy," she said. "That's what my break was really about. I could've had a stroke." Gomez later told GQ that she underwent chemotherapy for leukemia.

Numerous sources claimed she was actually being treated for substance abuse. A source told Radar Online Gomez had been "partying very hard...experimenting with marijuana and prescription drugs, including Xanax and Ambien...Her friends and family became increasingly worried that there might be a serious problem with Selena." Insiders also tipped off TMZ that Gomez was seeking treatment for alcohol abuse.

A source denied the allegations to Billboard in 2014 insisting, "She's not that girl. Does she party and have the occasional joint? Yes. Does she drink when she goes out? Yes. But she's not struggling with drug addiction or alcoholism. I've never seen her out of control. There's no needle dangling out of her arm."

Gomez also denied having a drinking problem in an October 2015 interview with Billboard. "I've never had a problem with drinking," she said, vaguely adding. "Just because it's not plastered everywhere doesn't mean I didn't have my rock bottom. I've had my moments, and it's almost unsafe for me to even talk about them, because I'll be taken advantage of."

The singer went to rehab again in September 2016, just after her social media feud with Bieber. A source told Radar Online she was seeking help for anxiety and depression, that may have been magnified by lupus. While Gomez never actually acknowledged that she was in rehab, she did announce her hiatus before she disappeared, telling press and fans, "I want to be proactive and focus on maintaining my health and happiness and have decided that the best way forward is to take some time off. Thank you to all my fans for your support. You know how special you are to me, but I need to face this head on to ensure I am doing everything possible to be my best. I know I am not alone by sharing this. I hope others will be encouraged to address their own issues."

When an Instagram follower insinuated Gomez didn't sing live while performing in the 2015 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, the singer didn't take it lightly, commenting on the snap (via the New York Daily News), "Yes, I f**king sing live."

That said, Gomez has confessed she lacks confidence in her vocals. "I was always insecure with my speaking voice because it's so low," she tweeted (via the Daily Mail) in September 2015. "I never felt like it was feminine-sounding. I didn't know it would be such an asset to who I am now, though. It adds a cool, personal quality. It's exciting."

In June 2015, she admitted to Elvis Duran and the Z100 Morning Show that she realizes she is no Aretha Franklin. When discussing "Good For You" off her Revival album, she said (via BillBoard), "I know that maybe vocally I wouldn't be the greatest singer in the world, but I know my strengths now. I know that I can translate emotion and heart, and I've written more than I've ever written on any album for this record. I have a lot to prove, but I think, for instance, this song is totally in my register. It's smoky and fun and sexy."

Perhaps Gomez's self-awareness is why she often uses backing tracks, even when she does sing live. She's been busted numerous times for miming, including at the Jingle Ball in December 2013, when she flipped out over an audio issue and yelled, "What the f**k?!" She later fled from the stage and didn't return. Fellow performer Ariana Grande shaded her for her lip sync fail later on during the same show.

That's not the only time she's been busted for her vocals projecting without a mic to her lips, such as the time she fell without missing a vocal beat during a 2013 performance in Fairfax, Va. She was also criticized for allegedly lip-syncing during a performance at the Billboard Music Awards in May 2013.

AdWeek estimated that Gomez's social media posts are worth close to $550,000 each, perhaps in part because of the buzz she generates when she shades her exes on the platforms, but also because of her relatively clean image. Her sponsored posts from brands such as Coca-Cola, Adidas, and Pantene kill it on Instagram (this shot was one of the most liked photos of anyone ever on the app). Of course, those sponsored posts are peppered in between slews of selfies, some of which flaunt the singer's barely-clothed bod.

In February 2016, Gomez, the most followed person on Instagram, told W magazine, "In a few years, I'll give all of [social media] up. I'm utilizing social media right now because of my age and because, to be honest, everybody else in the world was talking about me, so I wanted a f**king say. I honestly had to, because I didn't really expect my life to be as public as it was. Is this going to destroy me or make me? I still have to make that choice on a daily basis."

In her first post-rehab public appearance at the American Music Awards in November 2016, she said to her fans, "I don't want to see your bodies on Instagram, I want to see what's in [your heart]. I'm not trying to get validation nor do I need it anymore." Of course not. Not unless it turns a profit?