--- title: Selena Gomez Calls Out Justin Bieber On Instagram, Sofia Richie description: Selena Gomez criticized ex Justin Bieber after he posted a controversial caption addressed to his fans relating to alleged girlfriend Sofia Richie. canonical: https://time.com/4452301/selena-gomez-justin-bieber-instagram-sofia-richie/ author: Cady Lang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-08-15T15:43:50.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-07T06:42:56.392Z og:title: The Internet Is Loving the Selena Gomez-Justin Bieber Instagram War og:description: Shots fired og:url: https://time.com/4452301/selena-gomez-justin-bieber-instagram-sofia-richie/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd6c333594d71c265/6988a262ab6d7753e16aae57/selena-gomez-justin-bieber-sofia-richie.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2000 og:image:height: 1125 og:image:alt: 2011 American Music Awards - Arrivals og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Internet Is Loving the Selena Gomez-Justin Bieber Instagram War twitter:description: Shots fired twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd6c333594d71c265/6988a262ab6d7753e16aae57/selena-gomez-justin-bieber-sofia-richie.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber Are Having an Instagram War and the Internet Loves It > Sponsored content. 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It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=6f3c3e2f-32a8-44f2-bc26-50dcdc423619&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Selena Gomez Defends Beliebers and Gets into Instagram Spat with Ex Justin Bieber [Watch (HLS stream): Selena Gomez Defends Beliebers and Gets into Instagram Spat with Ex Justin Bieber](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/1SeJzBYL.m3u8) (1:38)  _Published 2016-08-15_  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Aug 15, 2016 3:43 PM UTC  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Aug 15, 2016 3:43 PM UTC The Internet imploded Sunday night after [Selena Gomez](http://time.com/4415053/selena-gomez-could-be-making-serious-bank-on-her-instagram-fame/) allegedly called out her ex, [face tattoo enthusiast](http://time.com/4322795/justin-bieber-face-tattoo-reason/) [Justin Bieber](http://time.com/4084131/justin-bieber-sorry/), in an Instagram comment. The [enfant terrible of the music world](http://time.com/4281839/justin-bieber-dreadlocks/) recently warned fans that he would make his Instagram private if they continued to hate on his purported new lady friend, Sofia Richie. The 17-year-old [celebrity progeny](http://time.com/4439098/celebrate-the-anniversary-of-lionel-richies-dancing-on-the-ceiling-with-these-80s-movie-dance-sequences/) has received a barrage of Internet vitriol from Beliebers after the Biebs posted a series of selfies with her on his Instagram. As might be expected, Bieber’s fans were up in arms that their beloved would abandon them for his new squeeze. This is just the latest [in a series of recent events](http://time.com/4326097/justin-bieber-no-fan-photos/) this year that has had Bieber in hot water with his ardent fans. [_People_](http://www.people.com/article/justin-bieber-selena-gomez-instagram-feud) reported that Gomez commented on Bieber’s Instagram post with the following: “If you can’t handle the hate, then stop posting pictures of your girlfriend lol- It should be special between you two only,” she wrote. “Don’t be mad at your fans. They love you and supported you before any one ever did.” This comment immediately made Selena the veritable patron saint of the Beliebers, which predictably did not sit well with the Biebs. Bieber [reportedly](http://www.people.com/article/justin-bieber-selena-gomez-instagram-feud) responded to Gomez in the comments as well. “It’s funny to see people that used me for attention and still try to point the finger this way,” he wrote. “Sad. All love.” According to [_People_](http://www.people.com/article/justin-bieber-selena-gomez-instagram-feud), he later added another comment, noting, “I’m not one for anyone receiving hate. Hope u can all be kind to my friends and eachother. And yes I love my beliebers.” This brief online interlude between the pair formerly referred to as Jelena was all the Internet needed to create a hashtag, #SelenaEndedJustinParty, which promptly started trending on the web. Some fans were in awe of Selena’s deft handling of the situation. > [](https://twitter.com/chanelnkordei/status/765114786560503809) > [](https://twitter.com/OfficialPLT/status/765109311056011264) While some were Beliebers who were just grateful for Selena standing up for them. > [](https://twitter.com/vanillaspain/status/765149284014653444) > [](https://twitter.com/TheRitaOraWorld/status/765149218092773376) One fan queried why Justin accused Selena of being attention-hungry, when [his throwback photos of her post-breakup](http://time.com/4320988/most-liked-instagram-selena-bomez-justin-bieber/) have basically broken the Internet. > [](https://twitter.com/thisiskick/status/765149762920210433) While others were just here for the drama. > [](https://twitter.com/thatgomezboy/status/765136347183079424) > [](https://twitter.com/serendjpjty/status/765135827533983748) > [](https://twitter.com/NoControlProjec/status/765021857133240324) ## Transcript There is some drama in the land of Galena fans. Justin Bieber posted some pictures of his rumored girlfriend Sofia Richie recently. He posted six pictures in a row. That's when you know it's getting pretty serious you guys. The model is daughter of singer Lionel Richie and sister of socialite Nicole Richie. But some Bieber fans have left some negative comments about Sofia and Justin ain't having it saying, I'm gonna make my Instagram private if you guys don't stop the hate. This is getting out of hand. If you guys are really fans, you wouldn't be so mean to people that I like. Now, this is where things is get dramatic for fans of Justin and his ex Selena Gomez because she apparently got involved in the drama, they posting comment If you can't handle the hate then stop posting posting pictures of your girlfriend lol. It should be special between you two only. Don't be mad at your fans, they love you. Of course fans were quick to screenshot all of this. Selena then posted this collage of her with fans captioning it, my whole life. You matter most. Thank you for letting me do what I love every day. So [ INAUDIBLE ] rough day for Selena fans. I'm not understanding why everybody's getting so angry with him about these pictures. I know. He likes this girl. He posted the pictures. What's the problem? It's because the Belieber's are jealous. Of whoever he's with. And it sounds like Selena is also because I wouldn't be calling my ex- boyfriend if I didn't like him anymore. I wouldn't call him out on a picture he put out on social media. And interesting that she comments on social media when she probably has his number. She could just text him. Yeah. So you think that Selena is in the wrong here? I think she's wrong. I think she's showing her hands. 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