Hailey Bieber and Selena Gomez attend Academy Museum Gala after online row

Hailey Bieber and Selena Gomez risked an awkward encounter at the 2025 Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles, just hours after appearing to exchange pointed remarks on social media.

The tension began when Hailey told WSJ Magazine that she “doesn’t feel competitive with people she’s not inspired by,” which many interpreted as a reference to Selena and her Rare Beauty brand.

Shortly after the interview circulated, Selena appeared to respond in a since-deleted Instagram post, writing, “She can say what she wants, it doesn’t affect my life whatsoever.” Her post continued, “It’s just about relevance not intelligence. Be kind. All brands inspire me. There is room for everyone. And hopefully we can all stop.”

The timing made their joint appearance at the gala even more notable. Hailey attended the event in a brown corset gown alongside close friend Kendall Jenner, while Selena arrived earlier in a floor-length black dress, accompanied by her husband, music producer Benny Blanco.

The two stars narrowly avoided crossing paths on the red carpet, though both posed separately for photographers.

Despite their past efforts to show unity — including a widely shared 2022 photo together — fans have continued to speculate about ongoing tension between them. Earlier this year, followers noticed that the pair had unfollowed each other on Instagram, reigniting feud rumours.

Hailey, who married Justin Bieber in 2018 and welcomed their son Jack in 2024, addressed comparisons to Selena in her recent interview, saying, “It’s always annoying being pitted against other people. I didn’t ask for that. When people want to see you a certain way and they’ve made up a story about you in their minds, it’s not up to you to change that.”

Selena and Hailey’s near run-in has once again drawn public attention to their long-speculated relationship dynamic.