This morning, ‘Selena Gomez Golden Globes 2023’ was a breakout search term on Google. One would hope peoples intrigue was due to her nomination for Best Television Actress in a Musical/Comedy Series (for her starring role in Hulu's Only Murders In the Building), the public eager to see if she was given due credit for her exceptional performance. Perhaps it could even be down to fans wanting to know more about her stunning red-carpet look, a plunging Valentino gown in deep purple and black. But alas, it wasn’t – not if the other related search terms are anything to go by.
According to Google Trends ‘Selena Gomez weight gain’, ‘Selena Gomez skinny’ and ‘Selena Gomez health’ all increased in search at the same time. You only need look to social media to see why, trolls littering any post about her glamorous look with vile body-shaming comments. Some are even disguised as health concerns, with commentators debating whether or not Gomez’s chronic health condition, Lupus, has changed her body shape. ‘What is Lupus?’ is actually a breakout search term on Google too – FYI, it’s an autoimmune condition that causes joint and muscle pain, extreme tiredness and rashes, usually treated with steroids to reduce inflammation in the body.
I’ve seen Gomez’s body be the subject of public debate for years, with fans on TikTok often pointing out that Lupus can cause weight gain due to the steroid treatment. But the irony is, while well-meaning fans only hope to call off trolls, using someone’s health condition as a justification for weight gain only perpetuates the idea that gaining weight is wrong or bad – when actually, it would be wrong to body shame Gomez regardless of whether she is ill or not.
Meanwhile, Selena herself? She doesn’t care what anyone thinks, literally. Turning to Instagram after her red-carpet appearance, the 30-year-old singer appeared to address body shamers while on IG Live with her younger sister Gracie Elliott Teefey, (who attended the award ceremony with her.
‘I'm a little bit big right now because I enjoyed myself during the holidays,’ Gomez said, subsequently getting an affirmation from Gracie. ‘But we don't care,’ she added, both sisters laughing.
It’s the kind of nonchalant response these trolls deserve, preventing any satisfaction from mean-spirited people hoping to bring a woman simply enjoying her life down. Of course, the negative reaction to her look could’ve cut deeper than we would know from social media, and it’s important to remember that. Previously, Gomez has spoken about needing to attend therapy due to endless body shaming online. But equally, even if she’s pretending now, by not feeding into the trolls or seeming in any way phased by their attacks, Gomez is the real winner.