Being a celebrity with a beauty brand is nothing special these days. Rihanna has Fenty, Selena Gomez has Rare, Kylie Jenner has Kylie Cosmetics—I mean, does every star really need to have their own lipstick or highlighter? Probably not, but that hasn’t stopped Hailey Bieber and Kim Kardashian from joining the competition. With the release of Rhode and SKKN By Kim, respectively, the two have managed to stand out from their peers, but not because of amazing formulas or vegan ingredients—instead, they’re each being sued by smaller businesses for trademark infringements. Let’s take a deep dive into each lawsuit so we can better understand what’s going on.
Rhode by Hailey Bieber
Hailey Bieber launched her skin care line, Rhode, on June 15, 2022. Just one week later, founders of luxury clothing brand RHODE, Purna Khatau and Phoebe Vickers, released a statement on their Instagram page explaining why they were filing a lawsuit.
“Hailey could choose any brand for her skin-care line,” it read. “We have only the brand name “RHODE” that we’ve built. That’s why we didn’t sell her our brand when she asked four years ago, and why we ask her now to change her skin-care line’s brand. Her using our brand is hurting our company, our employees, our customers, and our partners.”
The pair founded RHODE in 2014 and have since had garments carried by Net-a-Porter, gained media attention from Vogue, and even attracted celebrity fans like Beyoncé and Jamie Chung. The brand is projected to earn $14.5 million this year and $20 million in 2023 as they plan to expand beyond fashion in the future. Meanwhile, all five of Bieber’s debut products have sold out.
So, if both brands appear to be successful, what’s the problem?
The key to understanding this lawsuit is the fact that Hailey’s team was seemingly aware of the potential confusion the two brands would generate among consumers.
In less than a month, Bieber’s Rhode has amassed 473K Instagram followers (@rhode) compared to the fashion house’s 201K (@shoprhode). A simple Google search for “rhode” also places rhodeskin.com as the number one result.
According to The Fashion Law, RHODE argues that in November 2018 Bieber’s team “offered to buy Rhode’s trademark registration” after filing a trademark application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a “stylized depiction of the word “Rhode” for use on apparel.”
However, they abandoned this trademark request in 2019. After which, Bieber’s team filed three intent-to-use applications: one for “Hailey Rhode” for use on clothing in 2019, one for a plain RHODE word mark in February 2020, and one for a stylized depiction of “Rhode” in December 2020 for use on skincare products, fragrances, etc. RHODE did not oppose any of these three applications, but did decline to sell their trademark registration in 2018.
Now, RHODE emphasizes that the attempted purchase demonstrates Bieber’s team clearly recognized “Rhode’s prior rights to the use of RHODE.”
In case you were wondering, Rhode is Hailey’s middle name. But, “the law on this is clear: you can’t create this kind of brand confusion just because you want to use your name,” said Lisa Simpson, an attorney for RHODE.
Bieber and her team have not publicly responded to the lawsuit, meaning only time will tell if she’ll have a change of heart.
SKKN by Kim Kardashian
We all know Kim Kardashian is no stranger to controversy.
This time, she’s being sued by Beauty Concepts, a small Black-owned business based in Brooklyn, which provides salon services under the name SKKN+.
Kardashian’s corporation, Kimsaprincess (I wish I made this up), “locked down” SKKN.com and @skkn social media handles in December 2020 and filed trademark applications for SKKN by Kim and SKKN on March 30, 2021 and July 9, 2021, respectively.
These actions prompted Beauty Concepts’ founder, Cyndie Lunsford, to send Kardashian a cease and desist letter.
In a release shared with US Weekly, Lunsford said, “I have painstakingly built my successful small business with my own sweat equity, hard work and research. It’s clear that I established my brand first. As a young black woman, my mission with SKKN+ is to provide quality skincare and curated full body experiences to enhance each client’s self-care regimen.”
Lunsford’s esthetician business has operated with the name SKKN+ since 2018, and she filed a trademark application on March 28, 2021—just two days before Kardashian applied for “SKKN by Kim.”
At the time the letter was sent, Kim’s lawyer, Michael G. Rhodes, told TMZ, “the question at hand is one of trademark law and we’ve not done anything deserving of legal action by her.”
Now, an official lawsuit has been filed alleging trademark infringement over the name.
According to TMZ’s review of the lawsuit, Lunsford is arguing that the brand SKKN is confusing to customers and Kardashian’s team ignored the requests made in the original cease and desist.
Rhodes (we know, *another* Rhode) responded to the lawsuit in a lengthy statement to TMZ, calling the lawsuit a “shakedown effort” and said it’s “less about the law of trademarks and more about trying to leverage a settlement by threatening to harm Ms. Kardashian’s name and reputation.”
One could argue her name and reputation have already been deservedly called into question time and time again, but we’ll return to that later.
Rhodes further defended his client, explaining that when they received the cease and desist letter, Beauty Concepts “was a one-person shop offering facials from a single Brooklyn location. The salon had no signage and was by appointment only. To our knowledge, Beauty Concepts sold no products under the SKKN+ name.”
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office also rejected Lunsford’s attempt to challenge Kardashian’s trademark application.
“Undaunted, Beauty Concepts then tried to make its business seem more than it was – it leased a new storefront, changed its website, etc,” said Rhodes. “Several times we reached out to Beauty Concepts, trying to find a sensible path to coexistence. We pointed out that running a small esthetician business in Brooklyn does not give it the right to shut down a global skin care line.”
SKKN+ unveiled its brand new storefront on May 3, 2022, with Lunsford writing on Instagram, “SKKN+ has truly evolved more than I ever envisioned… I want to express my gratitude towards my clients who have supported me from the very beginning, those that have been patrons of the business over the years, and all of our future clients. We cannot wait to serve you and I would not be in this position without you all!”
At this time, it still appears that no products are sold by Lunsford under the SKKN+ name.
Meanwhile, Kardashian’s SKKN by Kim has amassed a staggering 5.5 million Instagram followers, demonstrating the power she continues to hold over the masses, undeterred by her years-long run of cultural appropriation. It was only three years ago that Kardashian had to change the name of her shapewear brand from Kimono to SKIMS, and she’s repeatedly been called out for Blackfishing.
This time, Kardashian appears prepared to stand her ground, with Rhodes telling ET their team is looking forward to presenting their case in court.
For now, both lawsuits remain in the hands of the court, and we’ll be patiently waiting to hear the outcome.
Images: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic via Getty Images (2)
Sorry if this is a spoiler for you, but a lot of people have had plastic surgery. From the girl in high school who just had to fix her deviated septum, to pretty much every Real Housewife, it’s not that uncommon. But even though it’s safe to assume that most famous people have had some little (or not so little) tweaks done, there’s still a stigma around acknowledging your plastic surgery. Case in point: Justin and Hailey Bieber are threatening to sue a plastic surgeon over a TikTok video claiming that Hailey had a nose job. Yes, really.
Dr. Daniel Barrett is a plastic surgeon based in Beverly Hills, and he’s built a large following on TikTok with his “Plastic Surgery Secrets” video series. His videos of patient before and afters, jiggling breast implants, and other behind the scenes doctor things are quite entertaining, and I can understand why he has over 300 thousand followers. But my favorite thing he does are celebrity plastic surgery breakdowns. Using TikTok’s green screen feature, he gives his expert opinion on what various celebs have done to their faces over the years. As you can probably guess, his latest celeb video was about Mrs. Hailey Bieber.
@barrettplasticsurgeryIs it too late now to say sorry…👀##greenscreen ##plasticsurgeon ##inyourface ##beautyhacks ##fyp ##secrets ##haileybieber ##foryou ##spillthetea♬ original sound – barrettplasticsurgery
In the video, he responds to a recent Instagram comment, where Hailey said she’s had absolutely no work done on her face. Using unedited photos from 2011 and 2016, Dr. Barrett mostly focuses on her alleged nose job, saying that the change in shape isn’t caused by puberty or weight loss. He also guesses that she’s had other procedures, including lip and cheek fillers, jawline contouring, and a chin implant.
Let me just start by saying that (shocker) I’m not a plastic surgeon, so I’m not here to offer my medical opinion on any of this. But as a person with functioning eyes, Hailey’s nose looks pretty f*cking different in these two pictures. I don’t know about the jawline stuff or the chin implant, but a nose job does not seem that far-fetched here. But Hailey is sticking to her story, in the form of legal action.
On Tuesday, E! News obtained a cease and desist letter sent from the Biebers to Dr. Barrett, in which they accuse him of using Hailey’s “name, image, and likeness” to “commercially advertise your plastic surgery practice and to spread false, uncorroborated claims that Mrs. Bieber has undergone plastic surgery.” They claim that Dr. Barrett’s TikTok constitutes a number of violations, including (get ready for this): “misappropriation of name, likeness, image and persona for commercial purposes, misrepresentation, defamation, slander, false light, violation of rights of publicity, copyright infringement, trademark and service mark infringement, unfair competition, dilution, and interference with our Clients’ contractual obligations to third parties.” Much like I’m not a plastic surgeon, I’m not a legal expert, but I feel like the Biebers’ attorneys are just throwing a bunch of things to the wall to see what sticks and gets him to take down the video.
On top of the whole plastic surgery thing, Justin Bieber & Co. found one other way to come for Dr. Barrett. The cease and desist letter claims that Barrett’s video caption (“Is it too late now to say sorry”) uses “copyrighted protected lyrics”, which is technically true, but like… really? Is Justin also going to send a cease and desist letter to every single girl who used this as an Instagram caption in 2015? Because that seems impractical.
When push comes to shove, I really don’t think this is going to go much further. Most likely, the Biebers want Dr. Barrett to take the video down, which he hasn’t done so far. He told E! News in a statement, “The purpose of my TikTok account is to increase the transparency of plastic surgery and to educate people about plastic surgery. The purpose of the video was not to disparage Hailey Bieber in any way, the purpose of my video was to share my opinion about the procedures that I believed she may have had done based on photos alone. This is at the request of many of my viewers who follow me for this type of information and for my opinion.”
I’m not saying that I think Hailey is lying about not having any plastic surgery (please don’t sue me), but methinks the lady doth protest a bit too much, no? Like, who cares if you had a nose job in 2015, so many people did. If she doesn’t want to talk about it, she could, you know, just not talk about it?
Images: DFree / Shutterstock.com; barrettplasticsurgery / TikTok
We’re now entering week five of social distancing—or is it week four? Week six? Honestly, I have no idea, and I stopped counting on day eight after it just got too depressing. Now, many of us have more or less settled into this new normal, which means exercising less than we should, eating more than we should, and rolling our eyes at celebrities. I mean, that never really stopped, but in the past week or so, it feels like celebs are more determined than ever to put their feet in their mouths. Last week, Ellen DeGeneres compared her mansion to jail, and over the weekend, Justin Bieber made a similar misstep on Instagram Live.
On Saturday, Justin and Hailey Bieber went on Instagram Live together, and were joined (virtually, of course) by their pal Kendall Jenner. Name three less interesting personalities, I’ll wait. Anyway, while on Live together, Justin decided to share some wisdom about how fortunate he is. And surprising no one, things didn’t go great.
After asking Kendall about her year-long renovation on her mansion, Justin said “How blessed are we? A lot of people obviously in this time have a crappy situation. They look at us and obviously we worked hard for where we’re at so we can’t feel bad for the things that we have but I think us taking that time to acknowledge that there are people who are crippling is important. We send our love and support to them.”
Here’s a video of what Justin said, with a sound effect of a guillotine blade being sharpened added for good measure:
justin bieber, hailey, and kendall jenner being out of touch with reality but now there’s the sound of a guillotine blade being sharpened pic.twitter.com/DbOH0WJ7h9
— 𝘫𝘢𝘺 𖤐 (@reptlila) April 11, 2020
I’m trying to think of a more creative way to say yikes, but like, YIKES. While it’s great for people like Justin and Kendall to acknowledge their privilege, this is absolutely not the way to do it. Sure, Justin is a hard worker, but so are the millions of people who have lost their jobs in the past month. Like, if hard work was all it took to become famous (and not hard work in addition to a healthy dose of luck, privilege, connections, etc.), we would all be celebrities. No one is really asking famous people to “feel bad” for the things they have, but Justin’s acknowledgement of “people who are crippling” would be a lot more compelling if it came with a big check. Also, what does “people who are crippling” even mean? Please advise.
As you could probably guess, the folks over on Twitter weren’t too thrilled with what Justin had to say.
i’m sure all the newly unemployed are grateful to know justin bieber thought about them being poor
— donky🌹☭ (@phattdonk) April 6, 2020
Specifically, I’m curious what Justin thought he was accomplishing by “acknowledging” all the people struggling right now. Like, thanks?
5am and I keep thinking about that video with Justin and Kendall and how they were trying so hard to acknowledge poor ppl
— tan (@madashmallowsan) April 13, 2020
Kendall and Hailey, to their credit, didn’t really get involved in this part of the conversation. Kendall said she thinks about how fortunate she is “all the time,” but didn’t spout any bullsh*t about how hard she’s worked for her money. Good for her—it looks like the Kris Jenner media training is paying off. The three of them are all getting low-key dragged for being part of the conversation, but Justin Bieber is definitely the one who really showed his ass here.
So while people wait for their stimulus checks to arrive, hopefully they’ll be able to buy groceries with Justin Bieber’s “love and support.” I have a feeling my local supermarket doesn’t accept payment in the form of tone-deaf celebrity comments. This video was definitely painful to watch, but I sincerely hope that Justin’s “support” is taking the form of some big charitable donations, or else I don’t really want to hear it.
Images: Steve Granitz / Contributor/Getty Images; reptlila, phattdonk, madashmallowsan / Twitter
As the decade draws to a close, it’s interesting to stop and take a look at which celebrities we’ve spent the last 10 years talking sh*t about. While some stars have maintained their A-list status since 2010, and others have faded into the background (Leona Lewis, if you’re reading this, I still want the world for you), a whole new crop of celebs have risen to the top, and it’s time that we take a minute to give them some recognition. Considering all I’ve done this decade has been move out of my parents’ house and stopped thinking side bangs looked good, these celebs’ rise to fame is truly impressive. Whether their status has changed because of music, marriage, or a lot of fillers lip kits, not everyone makes it like these people, so here are the biggest celebrity glowups of the decade. You’re doing amazing, sweeties.
Meghan Markle
Every time I see a photo of Meghan Markle as a briefcase model on Deal Or No Deal, it leaves me just a little bit speechless. Without a doubt, she pulled off one of the most impressive glowups in human history, going from nameless hot girl on a game show, to leading actress on a basic cable show that only your mom watched, to bagging one of the world’s most eligible bachelors. In 2019, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex is without a doubt one of the most famous people in the world, a fate that no one could have predicted at the beginning of the decade. She’s also brought her fair share of drama to the royal family, from her clown of a father, to endless tabloid rumors that she and Kate hate each other. But amidst all the chaos, she’s somehow managed to be more open than ever about the struggles that come with her public position. I know she’s not like, a literal queen, but she’s pretty much a queen. Honestly, the only thing keeping me going these days is the knowledge that Meghan got engaged to Prince Harry at 36 years old.
Kylie Jenner
To be honest, I could have included any of the Kardashian-Jenners on this list, because they’ve all had massive decades. But really, Kylie has had the most remarkable transformation, both physically and fame-wise. When the decade began, she was just 12 years old, and her main claim to fame was annoying her older sisters on KUWTK. Since then, she’s launched a cosmetics empire, become a literal billionaire, had a baby, and low-key gotten an entirely new face and body. Her accomplishments never fail to make me feel like I’m doing nothing with my life. Also, she gave us the Rise and Shine meme, and for that I’m forever grateful.
Lizzo
There have been a lot of impressive glowups in the last decade, but there’s no arguing that Lizzo has had THE glowup of the decade, and that’s because she was not super well known until like, 2018. After spending most of the decade hustling to get her music heard, Lizzo blew the f*ck up this year, and now she’s basically impossible to escape. She shuts down every award show, dating app bios are littered with references to her songs, and even your mom loves her. Just ask her! Funny enough, her two biggest songs this year—”Truth Hurts” and “Good As Hell”—were actually released in 2017 and 2016, respectively, but people finally found them, and the rest is history.
Chrissy Teigen
Chrissy Teigen wasn’t always the relatable social media icon she is now. Back in 2010, she made her first appearance in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, and was named Rookie of the Year. The Swimsuit Issue was her biggest claim to fame for a long time, and she eventually made it on the cover in 2014. But more importantly, she married John Legend in 2013, and since then, they’ve become one of the most perfect celebrity couples. She’s also built an impressive career as a TV host, author, and social media personality. I’m mostly just mad because she’s living proof that you actually can be hot, funny, and nice, which honestly isn’t fair and is a major issue I’m tackling with my therapist. But whatever.
Ed Sheeran
Back in 2013, my friend and I went to Taylor Swift’s Red Tour, just barely making it to our seats before the opener started. That opener was none other than Ed Sheeran, who serenaded the half-empty arena with his early songs like “The A Team” and “Lego House.” Suffice it to say, Ed Sheeran no longer plays to half-empty arenas before someone else’s show. Whether you love him or not, he’s become one of the biggest stars in music, racking up an impressive list of hits and collaborators. His career achievements now include number-one songs, albums, and the highest-grossing concert tour in history. Though he’s currently on an 18-month hiatus from music, he’s got millions of fans who will be waiting when he gets back, which is more than any of us can say of our dramatic social media breaks.
Hailey Bieber
Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin meeting for the first time in 2009 😍 pic.twitter.com/NwwEcndDSY
— 234Star.com (@234star_) July 8, 2018
I get bored easily, but I will never, ever get tired of watching this video of Hailey Baldwin’s dad introducing her to Justin Bieber in 2009. It just does not get old. Of course, Hailey grew up in the years that followed, becoming a successful model in her own right. But her whole world (and career) got turned upside down when she and Justin Bieber got married last year after a whirlwind romance, which has given me the motivation I need to continue making burner Instagram accounts in order to slide into Noah Centineo’s DMs. This year, Hailey and Justin celebrated with a true A-list wedding, which I’m still angry that I wasn’t invited to. Safe to say that Hailey Bieber has finally broken out of being known as Alec Baldwin’s brother’s daughter, and honestly, good for her.
Cardi B
Until like, two years ago, you probably didn’t know about Cardi B at all, and if you did, she was that girl from Love & Hip Hop: New York who was funny on Twitter.With the success of her song “Bodak Yellow” in 2017, her profile skyrocketed, and she quickly became one of the most successful female rappers ever. She followed up her breakout hit with a massively successful album, a marriage to fellow hip-hop royalty Offset, and a baby. With her unfiltered personality and her steady stream of bangers, it’s no shock that Cardi has become one of the biggest stars in the world. Sure, she can be messy sometimes, but there’s no denying she’s an icon.
Who was the biggest glowup of the decade for you? And have you got any early predictions on who’s going to be huge in 2020? Let me know in the comments!
Images: Giphy (4); 234star_ / Twitter; thirdwheeldpodcast, lizzobeeating / Instagram
If there is one adjective I’d use to describe all of us, as a collective species, in 2019, it would be tired. No matter if you’re rich, poor, conservative, liberal, male, female, we can all agree that we are just exhausted—physically, emotionally, spiritually. Show me someone who can’t relate to one of those “I haven’t had a good night’s sleep since 2008 memes” and I’ll show you either a speed addict or a liar. Even celebrities are tired, apparently! That’s evidenced by the fact that Hailey Baldwin Bieber (gotta get used to that), who just turned 23 today, revealed in an interview with Highsnobiety that she would have thrown a blowout birthday party, but she’s simply “too tired”. Now, as much as I want to come for her, I’ve got to say, the girl has a point.
Upon the interviewer remarking that today is, in fact, Hailey’s birthday, Hailey says, “It’s my Jordan year. I’m turning 23 (today, November 22), and I had this idea where I was going to throw a Jordan party and everyone would have to wear Jordan.” Sounds both literal and expensive. E! News reported on Mrs. Bieber’s initial party plans in an article called “Hailey Bieber Is ‘Too Tired’ to Throw a Party For Her 23rd Birthday”, remarking, “‘Jordan year’ is in reference to famous basketball player Michael Jordan whose number was 23 throughout his career. Who knew Hailey was such a sports aficionado!” To which I have got to say: no, she is not a “sports aficionado”—that’s like me saying that knowing Derek Jeter used to play for the Yankees makes me a baseball connoisseur, or having a “22” themed birthday makes me a Taylor Swift superfan—she is simply a person who was alive when Miley Cyrus, Juicy J, and Mike Will released their hit song “23”. To which I have to add, having a “Jordan” party is very 2013.
In any case, outdated reference or not, the Jordan party will not happen because, as Bieber tells Highsnobiety, “I’m just too tired, I don’t want to entertain people.” I wanted to inquire if she would even be responsible for planning or coordinating her own party, but it didn’t even seem worth the effort. Whether she is actually organizing the minutiae of the event or not (almost surely not), she would still have to get her makeup done, show up to the party, pose for photos, socialize, and just generally be around people—feats that I think we can all agree sound thoroughly exhausting. Not to mention, Hailey has had not one, but two weddings this year, and her big blowout wedding happened just two months ago. That was basically her huge birthday party, no theme necessary.
I’ll admit, I was ready and eager to do a full roast of Hailey Bieber for these comments. Too tired to throw a party?! How will we, as a collective society, survive without what would have surely been the cultural touchstone of the century? Not to mention, doing a “Jordan” themed party where your guests are all required to wear sneakers that cost upwards of $100 is not exactly the most socially conscious or aware decision. But then again, neither is turning your baby daddy’s album cover into a theme park or having not one, not two, not three, but FOUR designer dresses at your wedding in the first place. And, I am pretty confident nobody on Hailey Bieber’s guest list would have been unable to afford a pair of Jordans, anyway. So, even though this never-realized party is not exactly groundbreaking in either theme or cultural relevance, it’s not even outlandish enough to be worth a roast.
After all was said and done (and I actually read the initial Highsnobiety interview), I wondered if E! News was giving Hailey a bit of the Emma Watson treatment. The questions about Hailey’s birthday are ordered first in the interview, but the initial interview does not position those comments—which are clearly meant as a joke, since after remarking she’s too tired to entertain people, Hailey laughs—as front and center or the focus of the piece. The title of the interview is actually, “Hailey Bieber on Calvin Klein, Her Beauty Empire Dreams & Why She Thinks Kylie Jenner Is ‘a Genius”. This stays true to what is discussed in the interview. I’m not saying that Hailey Bieber is the next Gloria Steinem or anybody, or that E! News did her a huge wrong, but the interview is not completely vapid, either. She lauds Rihanna and Kylie Jenner for creating products and brands they genuinely believe in, and expressing similar aspirations while being aware of the danger of copying existing celebrities’ brands. In other words, it’s pretty standard stuff.
Then again, when asked what matters to her, things get a little murky. She expresses the desire to use her platform for “talking to young women”, which seems like a good idea in theory, but is left extremely vague. What does that mean exactly, answering DMs? Bieber does not really expand upon this idea; she simply says, “Women supporting women has become such a big conversation but theres still so much we can do. There’s no reason there needs to be this girl against girl drama, and social media makes it way worse. There’s no reason why we cant be kind to each other.” That is all fine and good, but she offers no further ideas about what actually we can do. I’m all for celebrities taking up a pet cause, but just pointing out a (pretty mild in the grand scheme of things) problem is not actually the same as doing anything about it. I feel like, if anything, this is just another callback to Selena Gomez and her new-ish song about Justin Bieber—so, essentially, Hailey’s answer for “what matters to you” is kind of, “that people stop talking sh*t about me”. A relatable sentiment, for sure, but more of a personal problem than a noble cause.
So when all is said and done, who am I really mad at? E! News, for putting a somewhat funny and relatable spin on an otherwise meh fluff piece? Highsnobiety for asking a bunch of softball questions and then publishing that in a Q&A format, without even an attempt to synthesize all these comments into some sort of narrative? Or myself, for getting all excited to do a complete take-down, only to actually read all the background information and be sorely disappointed, and then playing right back into that with my own headline? Myself. Definitely myself.
Images: Shutterstock.com
If yesterday was like Christmas, then Selena Gomez really is the gift that keeps on giving. On Tuesday night, she released her big comeback single “Lose You To Love Me,” and we spent most of yesterday processing the lyrics and the ensuing shade between Selena and Hailey Bieber. If I was Selena Gomez, I would be taking a f*cking nap right now, but no. Selena wasn’t done. She dropped another surprise song last night, and she also addressed the ~negativity~ that’s been going around. Basically, we have a lot to talk about.
Last night, Selena went on Instagram Live to talk with her fans, and share the surprise of her even newer new song, “Look At Her Now.” On the Live, Selena called the new song “my special gift to all of my ride or dies,” and shared that the new video was filmed on an iPhone. Idk what magical iPhone Selena Gomez has, because all of my videos still look pretty tragic compared to hers.
On Instagram Live, Selena also gave a message that some people took as being directed at the Hailey drama: “I will never stand for women tearing other women down, so please be kind to each other.” To be honest, I think it’s kind of a reach to assume this is about Hailey, but you never know. Selena Gomez has like, 150 million Instagram followers, so I’m sure she sees plenty of people being nasty in the comments. I doubt Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber are going to be getting brunch together anytime soon, but I’m going to assume we won’t be seeing any more of this feud play out publicly. We’ll have to stay tuned for when Justin starts releasing new music, and then maybe the claws will come out again, if we’re lucky.
But let’s get back to the new song. “Look At Her Now” is more of an uptempo EDM vibe, and it’s a far cry from the dreary piano ballad that Selena gave us yesterday. That being said, it’s definitely still about Justin. While the lyrics are a little less emo, they still deal with young love, and growing apart, and finding yourself.
“It was her first real lover
His too ’til he had another
Oh, God, when she found out
Trust levels went way down”
She also repeatedly says that she “dodged a bullet,” and sings about the women she’s grown into now. With the “dodged a bullet” line, I’m sure Hailey is currently writing in her burn book about how Selena Gomez is a fugly slut, but she hasn’t posted anything about it yet. Sad!
When you think about it, “Look At Her Now” is more or less the same song as “Lose You To Love Me,” just with more of a peppy beat and a chorus that’s made up of “mm-mm-mm” instead of actual words. A lyrical masterpiece if I’ve ever seen one. It’s what the kids would call a banger, and I can see this one being a big hit. Actually, I’m a big fan of this song, for the same reason I’m a big fan of most of Selena Gomez’s music. It’s catchy, fun to dance to, and it makes the most of Selena’s limited vocal talent. I mean, no one likes Selena Gomez music because they think Selena is a great singer, right? Right??
Now that Selena Gomez has cemented her comeback with back-to-back songs about Justin, I’m really curious to see where she goes from here. She said on Wednesday that she wrote “Lose You To Love Me” more than a year ago, and that she’s come a long way since then. Okay so…does she have anything else going on in her life besides ruminating on her relationship with Justin? I’m glad she’s getting all the Justin-based clout she can, but it’s not going to last forever. Stay tuned, I guess?
Here’s the full video for “Look At Her Now.” Have fun watching and pondering how the f*ck you get an iPhone video to look like that.
Images: Shutterstock; Selena Gomez / YouTube
Last night, I eagerly stayed up til midnight, like a kid on Christmas Eve hoping to catch a glimpse of Santa. But I wasn’t waiting for Santa, no, it was something even better: the long-awaited return of Selena Gomez. She hasn’t released an album since 2015, only a few one-off singles, none of which have really tackled her personal life. Since announcing her new song “Lose You To Love Me” last week, Selena has recently teased the drop with black and white photos and childhood pics, all with angsty captions about giving your all and being let down. In particular, the childhood photos feel pretty dark, and I was starting to wonder if Selena is like, okay?
Obviously, we all assumed the song was about Justin Bieber, and I was ready to write an article breaking down the most emo lyrics. Well, the song is definitely about Justin, and it has plenty of emo lyrics, like “rose-colored glasses all distorted,” but somehow, that’s not even the most interesting thing that’s happening here. The song is actually pretty good, but the real story here is Hailey Bieber vs. Selena Gomez, because the girls have officially gone wild.
The whole world knew that Selena’s song was coming out last night, and Hailey and Justin don’t live under a rock. They probably knew the song was coming out even before it was announced, and just from the title, I’m sure Justin knew it was going to be about him. I mean, it really didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out. While Justin has kept quiet around the release of the song, Hailey posted an Instagram story less than an hour before the song’s release last night, and it’s hard not to draw a connection.
As you can see, Hailey just happened to be listening to “I’ll Kill You” by Summer Walker. Hmmm. It’s nothing unusual to post a screenshot of a song to Instagram, but the exact song and timing doesn’t feel like an accident. I love Summer Walker too, but I wouldn’t just accidentally post a song called “I’ll Kill You” to my Insta story 30 minutes before my husband’s ex released a song about him. I don’t know if Hailey is the smartest person in the world, but I don’t think she’s that clueless.
Given that the song came out in the middle of the night, I kind of assumed that would be the end of it for the day, but Selena Gomez wasn’t done. I guess it was only 9pm in LA when the song came out, so there was still ample time for shade. Over an hour after the song dropped, Selena hopped on Twitter and Instagram with a Notes app message (my favorite form of communication) that’s mostly about God but also definitely about Hailey.
To be honest, my eyes kind of glazed over during the parts about falling in love with Him and needing His love and falling to her knees—I’m happy she’s spiritually fulfilled, but the God talk isn’t my thing. But I perked back up just in time for the end of the note, which almost made me fall out of my f*cking chair.
“See the enemy keeps trying to tear me down and it’s just not gonna happen. Not today. Not the next..”
Ohhhhh my goodness. (I tried really hard not to take the Lord’s name in vain there.) I need a detailed description of exactly who Selena Gomez considers to be “the enemy” ASAP, but I have a few theories (that, again, are not rocket science). She could be straight-up referring to the devil, which would make sense with the Jesus-y vibes, but I have a feeling she’s either talking about the world in general and her “haters,” or more specifically to Justin and Hailey. THE ENEMY.
In her new song, one particularly telling lyric is “in two months, you replaced us like it was easy.” Now, some of the specific dates are a little fuzzy, but this part is crystal clear. Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez broke up for the last time in March 2018, and Justin and Hailey were seen hanging out together in—you guessed it—MAY 2018. TWO F*CKING MONTHS. Aside from the general sad tone of the song, this specific lyric suggests that Selena has still not forgiven Justin, and that she sees Hailey as the one who swooped in and took her man.
Selena Gomez is famously private, and I have a feeling she’s never going to talk about this publicly, so this Notes app message about Jesus is probably the closest we’re going to get to her throwing shade. I’ll take it. Really, I hope that Justin takes this as the perfect opportunity to drop his big comeback single, which will probably not be about Selena, but I want it anyway. Hailey, I could really give or take in this situation, but I will obviously analyze any future shady Instagram stories she posts.
Why do I care so much about these people? I won’t ever truly know, but damn, I care so much. Now, I’m going to go listen to “Lose You To Love Me” for any clues I missed the first 50 times, so please excuse me.
Images: Shutterstock.com; selenagomez (2), haileybieber / Instagram
Well, it’s official! Actually, it’s been official for like, 11 months, but now Justin and Hailey Bieber have finally marked their love with an extravagant wedding. So it’s like, official official. Mazel tov! These two crazy kids had their wedding on Monday night, probably because they got a discount none of these people have real jobs, and many of their closest friends made the journey from Hollywood to South Carolina just for the occasion. Let’s take a look at who made the cut, what they wore, and who was left off the list (or just at Paris Fashion Week).
Kylie & Stormi
To be honest, Kylie really shut it down with this look. Sure, it’s a little Hunger Games opening ceremony, but this wedding was obviously supposed to be over the top. Stormi was also there, and she looked f*cking adorable. Unclear if Travis Scott was also there, but he stayed out of the photos if he was. Kylie left South Carolina on a private jet at like 7am this morning, and I have a feeling she didn’t get too much sleep.
Kendall Jenner
Kendall Jenner was one of the few famous faces that was visible in the paparazzi pics from Sunday night’s rehearsal dinner, so we knew that she was going to be at the actual wedding. Her dress honestly looks a little like a skeleton costume, which would have been perfect if this wedding was a month later. Whatever, she still looks hot. She also made sure to clarify that she’s not dating the guy in the photo, even though he’s super f*cking hot.
Kris Jenner
For the Jenners, it really was a family affair, as Kris and Corey Gamble accompanied Kendall and Kylie to the wedding. Kris posted this picture, where she’s looking especially like Liza Minnelli. They look like they were having fun, but I’m dying that Kris posted the grainiest f*cking photo from this A-list wedding. Like, all the other photo booth pictures look like they could be in Vogue, and Kris’ eyes are just two pixels. Do better!
Jaden Smith
It’s no big surprise that Will Smith’s son Jaden was at the wedding, as he’s always run with a similar crew to Justin and Hailey. This selfie that Kendall’s date put on his story is wonderfully messy, but it made me think. If this wedding had happened a year ago, I’m willing to bet money that Jordyn Woods would’ve been smack dab in the middle of this photo. Ah, how the turn tables have…
Joan Smalls
Joan Smalls is one of the biggest models in the world, and it looks like she had a blast at the wedding. I mean, this is a pretty stunning group of women, so it’s probably for the best that I wasn’t invited, because I would’ve looked like an actual toad compared to them. These ladies would absolutely bully me, and I would let them.
Justine Skye
Justine Skye is a singer/actress/model with over two million followers on Instagram, but I mostly wanted to include her in this list because of her caption. Like, does everyone at the wedding know that Justin & Hailey have been married for a whole year? Like, it’s not groundbreaking that Hailey is a wife, babe. And better yet, she’s a WHOLE wife. Wow!!
Not There
Sadly, the wedding fell right in the middle of Paris Fashion Week, so the Hadid sisters were not in attendance. In particular, Gigi was a little busy at the Chanel show, where she single-handedly got rid of a catwalk crasher during the finale. If Gigi’s not careful, she’s gonna end up on the security team instead of the runway next season.
And while the Jenners were in attendance, the actual Kardashians were nowhere to be found. I guess it makes sense that Kendall and Kylie are in the same age group as Justin and Hailey, but I still kind of expected the whole fam to be invited. I guess they had to cut some corners on the guest list!
Images: kyliejenner, kendalljenner, yourboyfai, joansmalls, justineskai, zaddyzlut / Instagram
