After what fans are calling the “calm before the media storm,” Selena Gomez has thrown the internet into chaos by publicly supporting Hailey Bieber’s Rhode skincare line—just months after allegedly being at the center of whispers that Rare Beauty may have influenced Sephora’s decision to keep Rhode off shelves.

And while this unexpected endorsement already had fans gasping, what happened next has turned this seemingly sweet gesture into a full-blown scandal: a private text—allegedly from someone inside Justin Bieber’s inner circle—has leaked, and it is raising major red flags about Selena’s true intentions.

The Instagram Post That Started It All
On Tuesday morning, Selena shocked her 429 million Instagram followers by sharing Hailey Bieber’s official Rhode announcement, congratulating her on the upcoming Sephora launch this fall.

“Big move for a beautiful brand. Congrats, Hailey!” Selena Gomez wrote in her Story, tagging both Hailey and Rhode’s official account.

While some fans initially praised Selena for “rising above the drama,” others weren’t so sure. After all, it was only earlier this year when rumors swirled that tensions between the two women had allegedly caused delays in Rhode hitting major retailers—rumors that were never publicly denied.

Hailey’s supporters have long speculated that Rare Beauty’s grip on Sephora shelf space might’ve contributed to Rhode being pushed back. And now, this sudden turn of events has left many asking: why now? why?

Then the Text Leaked… And Everything Changed
Just hours after Selena’s Rhode shoutout, an anonymous screenshot began circulating on X (formerly Twitter). The image appears to show a text message exchange between someone close to Justin Bieber and an unnamed friend.

The message reads: “It’s so fake. She [Selena] never wanted Rhode in Sephora. This is just PR cleanup, bro. Justin is not stupid. He sees it.”

Social media sleuths immediately began dissecting the message, pointing to stylist tags, location metadata, and even past typing patterns to connect the dots—many claiming the sender is someone from Justin’s personal security team. Nothing has been confirmed, but the damage was done.

“Why would Selena support Hailey now unless she had something to prove—or hide?” one fan tweeted. “This isn’t about skincare anymore. This is about Justin.”

Selena’s Silence Speaks Louder Than Words
As the controversy erupted, Selena remained silent, fueling speculation even more. No follow-up statement. No clarification. Not even a vague Story about “staying kind.”

Meanwhile, Hailey Bieber has also avoided addressing the situation, choosing instead to repost articles celebrating Rhode’s Sephora debut. Justin Bieber, as usual, has remained completely silent, though insiders claim he was “caught off guard” by Selena’s post and “doesn’t want to be dragged into anything.”

But it may be too late.

According to a source close to the situation, “Selena knew exactly what she was doing. She’s media-savvy. She’s calculated. This wasn’t a random act of kindness—it was a signal, and Justin got the message loud and clear.”

What’s Really Going On?
Many fans believe Selena’s recent post was a strategic olive branch meant to either clear her public image—or to remind Justin Bieber what he left behind. Others argue it is a sincere attempt to close the chapter on years of internet-fueled rivalry.

But after the leaked text, those theories have fractured. Now, it feels less like healing and more like a PR grenade with Justin Bieber caught in the blast radius.

As of this writing, neither Selena Gomez nor Hailey Bieber has commented on the leaked message. But the fallout is far from over.

Stay tuned. This story is still unfolding—and it is about to get a lot messier.