Selena Gomez Fans Bitter As Beauty Brand Shows Support For Palestine
By Afouda Bamidele on November 6, 2023 at 4:09 PM EST
Selena Gomez seems to have taken a side in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war through her beloved makeup brand, Rare Beauty!
A week after the pop star broke her silence on the ongoing crisis, resulting in intense backlash from fans and critics alike, Gomez's brand announced they would be making donations to help affected Palestinian civilians.
Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty Gets Heat For Donation To Palestine
On Instagram Rare Beauty released a statement about their plans alongside a post with the words, "Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza." The inclusive makeup brand declared they were "devastated by the images & reports coming from the Middle East."
"Thousands of innocent Palestinian civilians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes & millions of civilians have been displaced & left without access to food, water, medicine, or basic necessities for survival," the statement continued.
Proudly declaring their support for Gaza, Rare Beauty wrote, "A large number of these victims are children. Palestinian civilians must be protected, period." However, Gomez's company also showed support for Israel, writing, "We remain heartbroken by the horrible terror attack against innocent civilians in Israel on October 7th, many of them also children. There is no situation where attacks on civilians are acceptable."
Clarifying where the company and possibly its owner, Gomez, stands, Rare Beauty noted that they "strongly denounce any & all forms of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia." It's quite similar to the "Wizards of Waverly Place" alum's initial stance that got her brutalized.
As a result, Rare Beauty will be putting their money where its mouth is and making donations to help the people of Gaza.
"Rare Beauty will be making donations to the International Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies - Magen David Adom, & Palestinian Red Crescent Society - who are providing urgent care on the ground. We will also be donating to UNICEF to help get urgent medical relief & resources to the children of Gaza.
Explaining the reasoning behind their actions, they wrote, "The DNA of our company is rooted in inclusivity. Our company is diverse & employs individuals from various backgrounds including race, creed, sexuality, gender identity, & religion – many of whom have been directly impacted by the recent violence.."
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Rare Beauty then urged its consumers to "treat each other with kindness & compassion during these times" before encouraging those who might need help with their mental health to use available resources.
Unfortunately, Gomez wasn't spared any backlash despite the message coming from her brand. Several fans blasted her for being more pro-Palestine. "This post is so messed up. It’s like take care of your mental health but you’re only allowed to be mentally healthy if you’re Palestinian!! ~ Selena Gomez," an angered fan wrote.
Another harsh comment read, "Stop supporting terror.. Hamas is ISIS and use the people of Gaza as human shield. Use your platform to go against Hamas.. you chose the wrong side of history."
Some fans branded the donation announcement as a "marketing tactic." One user commented, "Numbers must have dropped due to the face of the business and her message. I suppose marketing is handling this now and sees the impact of Huda beauty. I’m sorry but no, this isn’t a way to bring the money in. Marketing propaganda. FREE PALESTINE."
However, the comment section wasn't without praise from fans who felt Gomez was finally doing the right thing. "Finally you admitted the truth! Better late than never 🤷🏻♀️ Free Palestine 🇵🇸 🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸."
Selena Gomez Left Instagram After Being Criticized For Neutral Stance
Recall that last week, the "Single Soon" singer finally broke her silence on the Israel-Hamas war via Instagram Story. "I've been taking a break from social media because my heart breaks to see all of the horror, hate, and terror that’s going on in the world. People being tortured and killed or any act of hate towards any one group is horrific," the Disney alum penned.
She continued, "We need to protect ALL people, especially the children and stop the violence for good." The 31-year-old noted that her words will "never be enough for everyone or a hashtag." However, she just couldn't "stand by innocent people getting hurt" as it makes her sick.
Gomez concluded, "I wish I could change the world but a post won't. Love, Selena." In a shocking twist, her post received backlash from both pro-Israel and pro-Palestine supporters.
A fan commented, "I'm glad I never spent my money buying your products. Shame on you Selena. You portrayed positivity and influenced so much kindness to the world and now you came back with a post like this on your IGs."
Another noted, "She is always the victim. lol, I could actually believe her words but suddenly I remember how concerned she was about the Ukrainian War. Shame on you Selena. Stay kind silence [sic] as always."
Fans' disapproval of the statement possibly got back to the "Only Murders in the Building" actress, who later took to her Instagram to announce she was staying off. "I'm taking a break and deleting my Instagram. I'm done. I do not support any of what's going on."
She has since been off Instagram but joined fellow stars like Jennifer Lopez, Bradley Cooper, Gigi Hadid, and others to pen a letter to President Biden, asking for a ceasefire in Gaza.