Selena Gomez has come under fire after sharing—and later deleting—a video of herself breaking down as she expressed her distress over recent immigration policies enacted under President Donald Trump‘s administration.
The 32-year-old actress and singer, currently in the news for her Oscar-nominated film Emilia Perez, posted a video on her Instagram Story on January 26 that saw her weeping for “people”. In the video, Gomez says, “All my people are getting attacked, the children. I don’t understand. I’m so sorry, I wish I could do something but I can’t. I don’t know what to do. I’ll try everything, I promise.”
The clip, was accompanied by a caption featuring a Mexican flag emoji and the words “I’m sorry”.
While many fans praised Gomez for her vulnerability and empathy, others criticized her for speaking out, accusing her of using the situation for attention. Social media was flooded with mixed reactions, with some detractors labelling her post as ‘dramatic’ and a “publicity stunt.”
Amid the backlash, Gomez removed the video and shared a brief follow-up message on her Story, which has also since been deleted. “Apparently it’s not ok to show empathy for people,” she wrote, addressing the criticism.
The timing of Gomez’s post coincided with an announcement from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) about a large-scale operation resulting in as many as 956 arrests—the highest number since Trump returned to office. These actions have sparked widespread debate across the country.
This is not the first time Gomez has voiced her opposition to Trump’s policies. During the Los Angeles premiere of Emilia Perez in October, she shared her thoughts on the same and told Variety, “I definitely want to stand by my people.”
