Selena Gomez’s break-up with Justin Bieber led to her quitting social media.
The ‘Only Murders in the Building’ actress’ on/off romance with the ‘Yummy’ hitmaker finally ended after eight years in 2018 and shortly afterwards, he was confirmed to be dating now-wife Hailey Baldwin.
The 31-year-old star has admitted her heartbreak was one of the deciding factors in her deciding to step away from Instagram.
Speaking to Fast Company, Gomez – who only returned to the platform over the last year – said: “I had just gotten my heart broken. I didn’t need to see what everyone was doing.
“Then there were those moments of not feeling positive about how I looked because of what I’d see on Instagram. Wow, I wish my body looked like that.”
The ‘Lose You To Love Me’ hitmaker also admitted cruel comments over her figure, because she no longer had a “teenager’s body”, took a toll at the same time.
She said: “None of the sample sizes were fitting, and that would make me feel embarrassed. Although how unrealistic is it to expect a normal woman’s body not to change?”
Although Gomez was diagnosed with bipolar disorder the same year she split from Bieber, she only made her condition public two years later and she explained she was “freaked out” at the thought being open would lead to her being judged and losing work.
She said: “I grew up being a people pleaser.
“I had a responsibility at a very young age – young people were looking up to me. I didn’t know who I was. Having that responsibility would make me walk on eggshells a lot.
“I thought maybe it would be damaging to tell people who I am. It started to become a threat that freaked me out. Well, if you’re not right, then you can’t work.”
But the Rare Beauty founder was relieved to get her diagnosis because she’d been struggling with her moods.
She said: “I went through a really hard season. It was my highs and my lows, and I didn’t know what to do, so I couldn’t control it.
“I would want to cancel things. It was just a tormented feeling. That’s why, when I found out my diagnosis, it was just: ‘Oh, okay, I feel a bit relieved, I understand a bit more.’”
Gomez thinks the key to her popularity is she comes across as a “best friend” to her fans, rather than an unobtainable “goddess”.
She said: “I’m not unattainable. I look at someone like a Beyoncé, and I am amazed. My jaw drops. Every part of her is just impeccable, and it’s just so beautiful.
“I went to her show and was blown away. But I’m just not that, and that’s okay.
“I’m me, and I’m a little silly, but I also like being sexy and fun, and I also want to do good with the time I have here. We need goddesses like Beyoncé and Adele. But I’m just happy to be your best friend.”
