Just when it seemed like people might be letting Hailey Bieber and Selena Gomez live, a brand new interview seems to be reigniting the feud between the two beauty brand moguls. In case you missed it, Hailey Bieber’s brand, rhode, was acquired by e.l.f. Cosmetics for $1 billion dollars, and, from there, rhode finally made its way into Sephora’s across the United States and Canada.
Up until this point, rhode was sold almost exclusively online, factoring shipping prices into any purchase of a Peptide Lip, Pocket Blush, or Glazing Mist. Now, Rhode is accessible to millions in the same cosmetic shop where Rare Beauty — Selena Gomez’s makeup brand — is exclusively sold, as well. Talk about high stakes!
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Bieber was asked if she feels competitive now that her products are being sold at Sephora. She replied, “I think there is space for everybody,” adding, “I don’t feel competitive with people that I’m not inspired by.” While she may not have named Gomez or Rare Beauty, specifically, many online have called out her comment as perceived shade.
When asked directly by the interviewer if she felt nervous that Sephora shoppers would compare the two brands, rhode and Rare Beauty, Bieber’s publicist interjected and instructed her not to answer. However, Bieber responded, saying, “It’s always annoying being pitted against other people. I didn’t ask for that.” She continued, “When people want to see you a certain way and they’ve made up a story about you in their minds, it’s not up to you to change that.” Bieber’s representatives later clarified in a statement to Page Six that “none” of her comments were “about Selena Gomez.”
Fans (and those who just love a bit of drama) had noticed back in June that Bieber and Gomez were no longer following each other on Instagram after doing so in 2023. Some thought this following on social media signaled the end of the feud, but them re-unfollowing each other raises some eyebrows. And earlier this year, back in March, Hailey Bieber was called out for allegedly liking a mean video clip about Selena Gomez’s now-husband, Benny Blanco. When facing criticism for the video, TikToker @courtneypresto posted a follow-up video about a month later with an apparent screenshot of the notification from Hailey Bieber’s verified account that she liked the post. However, that video has since been taken down. Of course, Bieber herself never commented about this publicly, so it’s probably just people pitting the two successful women against each other again. (And who knows if that original “like” was real in the first place.)
At the end of the day, it seems like another quote being taken out of context from Bieber in relation to Gomez. Let the two beauty moguls do their thing, people.