Selena Gomez Addresses Her Return to Social Media & Getting 'Mouthy' Defending Loved Ones Online

Selena Gomez opened up about her return to social media and why she’s getting “mouthy” online.

The 31-year-old pop star, actress and Rare Beauty founder took an extended break from Instagram, returning in January 2023. She has since stepped away for brief periods multiple times amid drama online.

Now that she’s back in charge of her account, Selena reflected on her decision to step away and where she stands with social media today.

Keep reading to find out more…

While speaking at the Time100 Summit on Wednesday (April 24), Selena described her break from Instagram as “the most rewarding gift I gave myself.”

“I think people, especially young kids, it’s… You’re sitting there so focused on what looks wonderful when everything that’s meant to be wonderful to you is not from here,” she explained, via Elle. “[During my break], I was more present. I was happier. I would actually get real phone calls [from] people telling me about their story, and I could actually hear it instead of going, ‘Oh, I already know what you did today.’ It’s more human.”

Since she’s returned to the app, Selena admitted that it is “frustrating” at times. When loved ones are hurt, she steps up to defend them.

“I get a little mouthy, and I wanna defend people I love,” she admitted.

Where does she stand now? Selena still sees the value of breaks from the apps. Her perspective in general has shifted, too: “I don’t really pay much attention. I’ll just do things here and there.”

Did you see that Selena recently filmed a pivotal scene for Only Murders in the Building? We’ve got the pics!