Social media platforms have always had underlying toxicity, but it has recently taken a turn for the worse, as TikTok and Instagram users have been spreading rumors about Hailey and Justin Bieber’s relationship. Before marrying his wife, Justin dated Selena Gomez on-and-off until 2018. Since then, the public has been taking sides: Team Hailey or Team Selena. 

Though both women have not expressed any direct hostility towards each other, fans on both sides have been bombarding the “opposing team’s” comment sections and making hostile remarks on their appearances.  The whole concept of fandoms is toxic in itself, since they feel threatened when the artist they support is being trolled or criticized. 

“While the shade Hailey Bieber throws at Selena Gomez is not ideal, I think that this entire situation has pitted two successful women against each other; Justin Bieber has been known to disrespect Hailey while being a mediocre husband, yet the women he dates are the ones getting attacked, not him,” said senior Fiorella Lara. 

From saying the same lines on cooking shows to the same tattoo behind her ear, Hailey Bieber has allegedly been copying Selena Gomez. Hailey Bieber and her friend, Kylie Jenner, have been losing followers on platforms like Instagram, which is a part of Selena Gomez’s fans’ plan to make her the most followed celebrity and assert her prowess. 

Celebrities such as Zayn Malik and Taylor Swift have sided with Team Selena, and even Justin Bieber is rumored to have done the same. Though he has been outspoken about limiting the harassment comments towards his wife, fans have noticed his awkward disposition captured while with Hailey Bieber. Not to mention, his constant showing-off of the Selena Gomez tattoo he got during their rocky relationship to prove his love for her. 

Though this deep analysis can be an interesting form of entertainment, frankly, it is pushing the public too far into the lives of these celebrities who do not need their relationships to be under consistent review and criticism by the media. While it is true that fans will do whatever it takes to satiate their obsession with their favorite famous people, there is a certain line that should not be crossed, like pitting two women against each other, for instance, and instigating unnecessary and outdated drama for their mere enjoyment. 

In addition to the Justin and Hailey Bieber scandal, there have been pregnancy speculations toward Robyn Rihanna Fenty, also known as Rihanna. During her Super Bowl halftime show performance this year, many were left contemplating her pregnancy status, which was later confirmed by a representative from Rihanna’s team that she would be having her second child with her partner, Asap Rocky. 

“Honestly, I thought she looked so good, especially since she had just had a baby, and I had no idea that she was pregnant again until I checked Twitter and saw a huge amount of tweets saying that she was pregnant. Even though a lot of people are hating her performance, I think that she killed it considering she’s literally carrying a child and she is such an icon,” said senior Diana Rincon. 

Before the news was confirmed, fans on Twitter were releasing an overwhelming amount of opinions with negative connotations towards Rihanna and her body. This is ultimately an invasion of privacy. Not only is it a very personal subject, but also not the public’s job to hyperfixate on Rihanna’s body. Social media users should refrain from constantly commenting on people’s bodies, even if they are famous. These celebrities have a right to privacy, and should not be condemned to superficially perpetual judgment on their appearances. 

“I think that the public just takes it too far sometimes, and these celebrities deserve the right to keep their personal lives, well personal,” said senior Catalina Giorgio.