Hailey Bieber's latest interview hints at renewed tension with Selena Gomez

Hailey Bieber finds herself navigating stormy waters again after recent remarks in a WSJ Magazine profile drew renewed attention to her long-running public rivalry with Selena Gomez.

While she denies explicitly targeting Gomez, her comments about competition and inspiration have many fans reading between the lines.

In the interview promoting her skincare brand Rhode's arrival at Sephora, Hailey was asked whether she feels pressure or competition from beauty lines like Gomez's Rare Beauty.

Her response: "I don't feel competitive with people that I'm not inspired by." When pressed further on comparisons, her publicist quickly intervened and steered the conversation away

Hailey later expressed frustration with how the narrative of a feud keeps resurfacing. "It's always annoying being pitted against other people. I didn't ask for that," she said.

"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."

Her comment about competition, though not naming Gomez directly, is seen by many observers as a subtle dig, especially given the timing of the interview, which coincided with Rhode's Sephora launch, where Rare Beauty also has shelf space.

Still, Hailey denied any direct conflict. She emphasized her unwillingness to be boxed into a rivalry she never asked for.

Some close to her say she views the comparisons as unfair and driven more by media narratives than actual drama.

Social media has reacted fast. Fans noted that the two women recently unfollowed each other on Instagram, a move that many read as a symbolic escalation of the tension.

Behind the scenes, sources say Hailey's team maintains the remark about inspiration was not intended to target Gomez.

Business and personal dynamics

The history between Hailey and Selena stretches back years, tangled in their shared association with Justin Bieber.

Selena dated Justin on and off until 2017; in 2018, he married Hailey. That connection has fueled speculation, comparisons, and fan-driven rivalries ever since.

Outside this public drama, Hailey has had a major year for her brand Rhode. In August 2025, her company was acquired by e.l.f. Beauty for about $1 billion, positioning her solidly in the beauty-mogul ranks.

Despite such success, she seems unwilling to let her professional gains get tangled up in social media comparisons.

Selena, meanwhile, has largely stayed quiet on the recent remark but has offered gestures of goodwill in the past. For example, she liked a Rhode launch post on Instagram earlier in 2025, a move many took as a subtle olive branch.

In prior years, both women have attempted to publicly dispel the feud narrative, including posing for photos together and issuing statements.