Justin Bieber quits Instagram after public spat with Selena Gomez over Sofia Richie
Justin Bieber has quit Instagram after a public dust-up that involved Sofia Richie, Selena Gomez, possibly Hailey Baldwin and definitely a slew of attack fans.
But don’t say he didn’t warn us.
"I'm gonna make my Instagram private if you guys don't stop the hate this is getting out of hand, if you guys are really fans you wouldn't be so mean to people that I like," the 22-year-old tweeted Sunday after fans got hostile over a picture of him and Richie together in Japan.
Apparently, the hate didn’t stop.
The Biebs and Richie have been spending time together lately, including jetting overseas for “Purpose†tour dates Saturday and Sunday in Chiba, which is near Tokyo. The 17-year-old model is the daughter of Lionel Richie and his second ex-wife, Diana Alexander Richie. (Remember, Justin, Sofia doesn’t turn 18 until next week.)
Maybe that wouldn’t have been a big deal — this is the same guy who said in May that he was “done†taking pictures with fans because it made him feel like a “zoo animal.†But then ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez joined the party in comments on the post.
“If you can’t handle the hate then stop posting pictures of your girlfriend lol -it should be special between you two only. Don’t be mad at your fans. They love you. They were there for you before anyone," the “Same Old Love†singer wrote to her ex-boyfriend, whom she’s clearly over, 100%, done. Clearly.
Still, maybe not a huge deal? No such luck.
According to a fan’s screen shot, Gomez proceeded to accuse Bieber of cheating on her multiple times during the years they were on-and-off as a couple. And he accused her of using him for publicity.
“It's funny to see people that used me for attention and still try to point the finger this way. Sad. All love,†Bieber wrote.
Gomez took another shot: “Funny how the ones that cheated multiple times, are pointing the finger at the ones that were forgiving and supportive, no wonder fans are mad. Sad. All love."
Then came the final blow from the Biebs: “I cheated... Oh I forgot about You and Zayn?†(a reference to Zayn Malik). Gomez declared, “I’m done,†saying she had fans to meet.
Shortly after that, Bieber made his Instagram private. And then he deleted it entirely.
Of course, the “Love Yourself†singer hasn’t been linked only to Gomez, so the drama didn’t end with her. Somewhere along the way, a source told People, Richie made him unfollow Baldwin, because that’s how relationships work on social media. Stephen Baldwin’s 19-year-old daughter reportedly was not pleased. "[N]ow she and her friends are all super upset," the source said.
Fans (and non-fans) on Twitter didn’t seem super upset: They were marking the occasion with the celebratory hashtags #SelenaEndedJustinParty and #JustinDeactivatedParty.
Meanwhile, the 24-year-old Gomez has since shown herself to be the adult in the situation, albeit a bit late. “What I said,†she posted on Snapchat, “was selfish and pointless.â€
A rep for Gomez did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Follow Christie D’Zurilla on Twitter @theCDZ.
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