Kylie Jenner had been the most-followed woman on Instagram, but Selena Gomez officially racked up more followers yesterday, re-claiming a title that was once hers. CNN notes that Gomez previously had the coveted distinction of "most-followed woman on Instagram," however, she took a break from the platform, which allowed Jenner to rank above her.
Previously, Gomez told Vanity Fair that she actually deleted the Instagram app from her phone. So, that meant that her team was posting images and captions on her behalf.
“People can call me ugly or stupid and I’m like, Whatever. But these people get detailed,” she said, citing how toxic the platform could be. “They write paragraphs that are so specific and mean. I would constantly be crying. I constantly had anxiety. I couldn’t do it anymore. It was a waste of my time.”
She added: “The only thing I have on my phone is TikTok because I find it to be a little less hostile. There are wonderful things about social media — connecting with fans, seeing how happy and excited they are and their stories. But usually that’s filtered through [for me now]. I created a system. Everything I do I send to my assistant who posts them. As far as comments, my team will put together a few things that are encouraging.”
In April 2022, Gomez reconsidered her relationship with social media, speaking about it as she promoted her mental health initiatives with Rare Beauty's Rare Impact Fund.
"I am happier, I am more present, I connect more with people," Gomez said during an appearance on Good Morning America. "I understand how powerful the internet is, and in so many ways it’s done the best things for the world. But for me, I get to my news that is actually important I get through people in my life."
USA Today also reports that TikTok user @devotedly.yours tried to claim that Jenner and Hailey Bieber were "shading Selena Gomez" with a post showing laminated eyebrows. Of course, Hailey Bieber and Gomez both dated Justin Bieber, and Hailey went on to marry him.
Jenner did leave a note in the comments section of @devotedly.yours's post, writing, "This is reaching. No shade to Selena ever and didn't see her eyebrow posts! U guys are making something out of nothing. This is silly."