Grimes Defends Selena Gomez Against ‘High School Level Bullying,’ Demands Punishment For Body Shaming

Singer Grimes has had enough of the intense scrutiny Selena Gomez faces over her appearance and is calling out the critics behind it.

For years, Gomez's appearance has been a constant topic of online discussion, something she has admitted causes her deep pain. The chatter resurfaced last week after she released the video for her first solo single in nearly two years, sparking speculation about cosmetic work.

Amid the talks, Grimes firmly stood by “The Wizards of Waverly Place” star and condemned the body-shaming comments.

In a lengthy statement, Grimes, born Claire Elise Boucher, responded to an Internet user's comment mocking Gomez's face, noting that she had just returned to social media but might need to leave because of the negativity.

Grimes wrote on her X account, “Watched this Selena Gomez video, besides a few weird derp shots that [people] were able to clip and super misrepresent how she looks, she looks extremely beautiful, is [probably] one of the most beautiful girls.”

The Canadian singer continued urging the critics to put themselves in the actress's shoes, imagine how it would feel to be spoken about cruelly, and consider how their remarks affect the actress's mental health. 

She went on to express outrage that people who create and spread harmful posts aren't held accountable.

 The 37-year-old, who shares three children with Elon Musk, then called for strict measures against online bullying. “It shud [sic] not be ok to do high school level bullying. Accounts shud [sic] be suspended for body shaming en masse,” Grimes suggested, adding that it is “disturbing.”

She concluded by pointing out that normalized hate online is “culture death” for everyone who sees and interacts with such posts.

Grimes' response is to a comment where an X user compared Gomez’s face to that of an "X-Files monster," claiming that South Korean women get better results from cosmetic surgery at a lower cost than Hollywood celebrities.

The clip that sparked the discussion was released on October 23 for Gomez's new track, “In the Dark,” featured on Netflix's “Nobody Wants This Season 2: The Soundtrack.”

Directed by Luke Orlando, the shoot features the former “Barney & Friends” star dressed in all-black outfits posing in open spaces as she performs the emotional song. When Gomez shared snippets on Instagram, she noted that the project was a nod to her 2015 “Revival” album.

 “‘In The Dark' is out now. This is just a little nostalgia droplet, and I hope you love it,” she captioned her post, per People Magazine. On her Instagram Stories, she added, "I thought it would be fun to add a little Revival to it."

As talk about her body persists, the Rare Beauty founder, who just tied the knot with Benny Blanco, has been candid about how hurtful the criticism can be, calling her weight a deeply sensitive topic.

In her 2022 documentary “My Mind & Me,” she revealed that behind her confident posts, she often cried in private, saying, “Nobody deserves to hear those things.”

Speaking recently in a cover story, which The Blast reported, Gomez recalled being “stung” by someone calling her fat and explained that her weight often fluctuates due to health issues.

She then shared that therapy, particularly dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), has helped her process the pain and better understand the emotions tied to her past.

While Grimes has spoken out against body shaming, she has also been open about her own health journey. In March, the singer revealed she was diagnosed this year with ADHD and autism and suspects she may also have dyslexia.

As The Blast reported, the “Oblivion” singer reflected on how these conditions shaped her creativity and resilience, saying she's glad she overcame them without early intervention.

 She added that being diagnosed earlier might have limited her drive and that she “probably would have been drugged too.” The artist also criticized what she called the rise of "extreme info hazards" in online mental health spaces, accounts that, in her view, spread harmful or misleading advice under the guise of raising awareness.