Fans aren’t letting Justin Bieber get away with what appears to be a shade at his former girlfriend, Selena Gomez. The singer gave attendees at his birthday celebration a souvenir with a cryptic message.
The gesture was described as “petty” by fans, alongside several comments about the singer “still living in the past.” The controversy around the souvenir further fueled the flames around Selena’s ongoing drama with Justin’s partner, Hailey Bieber.
Keep on reading to learn more.
Justin Bieber’s Cryptic Message
Justin got fans riled up after he appeared to shade his ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez, with whom he had had an on-and-off romance that spanned from 2010 until 2018.
The singer, who is now married to model Hailey Bieber, threw a big bash for turning 29 over the weekend, celebrating with his closest pals, including Leon Bridges, Billie Eilish, and The Kid LAROI.
Unsurprisingly, Selena was not in attendance at the shindig as the two have mostly avoided each other since their separation, and more so by Justin’s marriage to Hailey.
At Justin Bieber’s 29th birthday party, he gifted a souvenir to attendees bearing the words:
“I’m so grateful that I didn’t end up with what I thought I wanted.” pic.twitter.com/FFdtLwWyN3
— Pop Tingz (@ThePopTingz) March 5, 2023
However, amid the lavish festivities, Justin raised eyebrows when he gave the attendees a souvenir that had a cryptic message, “I’m so thankful that I didn’t end up with what I thought I wanted.”
Although he did not explain why he had the statement etched on the souvenir, fans immediately surmised that it was a jab at his ex, who is currently embroiled in an online feud with Hailey.
Fans Blast Justin And Hailey Bieber
Fans aired their views on the gesture on Twitter, describing it as “petty” and alleging that the “Intentions” crooner was “brainwashed.”
One fan said, “This is so petty, I mean if that’s the way you and your wife feel keep that petty sht to yourself lol, and please, you don’t have to mention somebody’s name or say ‘who’ to understand exactly what they talkin abt.”
Another follower commented, “He seems very controlled and brainwashed just sayin,” while a third wrote, “This gift says ‘still living in the past’ to me.”
Some fans took a different stance, defending the singer’s action as him being grateful for how far he has come. A supporter quipped, “How do people not realise that he’s only being thankful for the life he has and not ending up with the kind of life he thought he wanted?”
Another penned, “can’t believe people are interpreting this negatively. Justin is saying he’s grateful for the life he has as is.”
Selena Gomez Tells Fans To Be Kinder
Amid the outrage on social media, Selena took to TikTok to seemingly address the issue as she asked her fans to “be kind.”
“Thank you, and love you all so much. I’m deeply grateful for each and every one of you humans. You make me unbelievably happy,” the singer captioned a clip of herself doing a makeup tutorial, per Daily Mail.
She added, “Please, please be kinder and consider others mental health. My heart has been heavy, and I only want good for everyone. All my love.”
Later, she took to the platform to share she was taking a hiatus from the internet, hinting at being unable to cope with all the drama.
At the moment, both her TikTok and Instagram accounts are still up, although it is unclear if the singer has been coming online to keep up with trends.
Selena Gomez And Hailey Bieber’s Ongoing Drama
Selena’s decision to take a short break may have been influenced by her ongoing feud with Hailey. The most recent spat between the two came last month when Selena shared a TikTok video of her over-laminated eyebrows.
Soon after, Kylie Jenner, a friend of Hailey’s, posted a screenshot of her FaceTime conversation with the model that showed a close-up of both of their brows.
Many believed that it was a sly dig at Selena at the time, but Kylie dismissed the rumors as unfounded and disputed the accusations.
In the past, Selena has stoked the fires of their argument by standing up for her pal Taylor Swift after a video that appeared to show Hailey dissing the “All Too Well” singer surfaced again.
