by Selena Gomez has spoken up about her choice to delegate her social media presence to an assistant after being torn apart by trolls following a break-up.
Gomez stated in an interview with Vanity Fair for their annual Hollywood edition that she would be ‘constantly’ sobbing and anxious because of the terrible remarks she got from social media users.
During the split, Gomez, 30, claimed it was painful to be compared to another person by trolls.
She has now devised a’system’ in which her assistant acts as a buffer between herself and the comments by posting on her behalf.
‘I never had the opportunity to attend a traditional high school. For the longest time, the world was her high school, and I was swamped with knowledge that I didn’t want,’ she recalled. ‘I went through a difficult breakup and didn’t want to read any of the [feedback]—not necessarily about the relationship, but about my beliefs against [someone] else. There might be hundreds of extremely great remarks, but my mind automatically jumps to the unpleasant one.’
Selena highlighted the cruel things trolls did to her at this time, including writing lengthy paragraphs about her and labeling her “ugly or stupid.”
‘People may call me ugly or dumb, and I’m like, Who cares? But these folks go into great depth. They write very particular and mean paragraphs. I’d be sobbing all the time. I was frequently anxious…I couldn’t take it any longer. It was a complete waste of my time.’
While Selena recognizes the numerous advantages of social media, like “connecting with fans,” she currently just has TikTok on her phone because she finds it more manageable than other platforms.
‘The only app I have on my phone is TikTok, which I find to be less unfriendly. Connecting with people, seeing how happy and pleased they are, and hearing their tales are all amazing aspects of social networking. But that is typically filtered through [for me today]. I devised a system. I email everything I do to my helper, who publishes it. In terms of feedback, my staff will compile a few encouraging remarks.’
Selena also claimed in her interview that she gets ‘triggered’ when she is reminded of her history as a Disney star and now feels ‘free’ from it.
The actress originally debuted on TV as a kid in Barney & Friends, but she rose to prominence in the Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place, which she starred in from 2007 until 2012.
Selena said that she has worked hard to distance herself from the family-friendly brand.
‘I absolutely feel free of it,’ she added. I get triggered from time to time. I’m not embarrassed of my background; I’ve simply worked so hard to forge my own path. I don’t want to be who I used to be. I want to be myself.’
Selena also participated in the film Wizards of Waverly Place and recorded songs via Hollywood Records, which also signed Hilary Duff, Miley Cyrus, and the Jonas Brothers.
The actress also said that she was advised she couldn’t say or do certain things throughout her early career.
‘I wasn’t a wild kid by any means, but I was on Disney, so I had to be careful not to yell ‘What the hell?’ in front of anybody,’ she said. It’s something I was placing on myself in order to be the greatest role model I could be.
‘Now I believe that being honest, even with the nasty and confusing elements of oneself, is the finest role model.’
Selena previously told People that she felt a lot of pressure to be ‘perfect’ on the program since she was a role model for young people.
‘I constantly live with this frightening notion that people still see me as this Disney girl,’ she added. In some ways, being flawless was my job. You’re seen as a role model for children, and they take it seriously.’
Selena was also asked in her Vanity Fair interview what advise she would offer to a young kid starting out in Hollywood today.
‘All I can say is, I would love to be there for you if you ever have questions,’ she replied emphatically. However, this industry is a beast. It’s terrifying to see what occurs when you’re given so much power and money at such a young age. ‘I believe it’s quite frightening.’
Selena said that young people should be cautious about who they trust and expressed satisfaction that her nine-year-old sister Gracie had showed no desire in working in the sector.
In her documentary Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me, the singer also explored coming public with her bipolar diagnosis.
The actress said that she is not embarrassed of her illness and that the film has enabled her to ‘be honest about everything’.
The Hollywood edition of Vanity Fair, which also includes Florence Pugh, Emma Corrin, and Austin Butler, is now available.
