Selena Gomez reveals why she disabled Instagram comments

Selena Gomez has made the decision to disable her Instagram comments.

The most followed woman on Instagram recently made an appearance at her makeup brand, Rare Beauty’s Mental Health Summit, where she spoke with US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy and Today show host, Hoda Kotb, about how she handles what comes with having such a large social media following.

“I disabled all my comments on my photos on Instagram for only my friends. So I think I’ve created boundaries to help me,” she said, according to Today. “Obviously people fussed about it. They fuss about everything.”

“I felt empowered by doing that, by saying: ‘This is just for me,’” the former Disney star continued.

This isn’t the first time the Only Murders in the Building actress has opened up about social media. While a panellist at the Time100 Summit in New York City, Gomez also talked about why she takes as many breaks as she does.

“Well, I took four years off of Instagram, and I let my team post for me for those years,” she said, according to Elle. “I felt like it was 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.”

“[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.”

For Gomez, the biggest difficulty is trying to avoid any negative comments that may come up about her loved ones.

“I just – I find it frustrating and then I get a little mouthy, and I wanna defend people I love,” she said during the summit.

Recently, fans have been speculating what kind of negative comments Gomez may be receiving after her ex-boyfriend, Justin Bieber, announced that his wife Hailey Bieber was pregnant in an Instagram post from Thursday 9 May.

Their post featured the two of them on a mountain together while Hailey was dressed in a white lace dress and black sunglasses as she cradled her baby bump.

Gomez and Bieber first met in 2009 and confirmed their relationship in 2011. In November 2012, they broke up for the first time before getting back together in 2017 and breaking up in March 2018, only six months before Hailey and Justin announced they were engaged in an Instagram post.

“Was gonna wait a while to say anything but word travels fast,” Justin’s caption began. “Listen plain and simple Hailey I am soooo in love with everything about you! So committed to spending my life getting to know every single part of you loving you patiently and kindly.”

Hailey and Justin went on to announce their engagement in July 2018 before getting married in a Manhattan courthouse in September. They have been married for over five years.

Gomez is currently dating record producer Benny Blanco, with the singer confirming their relationship in 2023.