Selena Gomez's past controversies resurface amid mass deportation meltdown

Express Tribune

28-01-2025

As Selena Gomez voices her support for immigrants affected by mass deportations, critics are resurfacing her past controversies, questioning her track record on social issues. While the singer and actress recently expressed empathy for immigrant families, some point to her history of contentious decisions, including working with Woody Allen, a social media silence on the Palestine conflict, and her involvement in the widely criticized
Emilia Pérez
.
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In 2017, Selena Gomez faced backlash for starring in Woody Allen's film
A Rainy Day in New York
. At the time, critics slammed her for collaborating with Allen, who has faced longstanding allegations of sexual abuse, despite Gomez's role as an executive producer on
13 Reasons Why
, a show addressing sexual assault. Fans took to social media, calling her actions hypocritical.
Selena Gomez went out of her way to work with Woody Allen, who has been accused of being a pedophile and m*lesting his 7-year-old daughter.
Selena Gomez ignored her own mother's warning not to work with Woody Allen and chose to collaborate with him anyway.
Selena Gomez does not…
— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra)
Despite calls to donate her salary from the project to abuse survivors, Gomez refrained from addressing the controversy publicly.
Gomez also sparked criticism in 2023 for announcing a social media break amid escalating violence in Gaza. In her statement, she expressed heartbreak over the violence but chose not to align with any specific cause. 'A post won't change the world,' she wrote, adding that she wished she could do more for innocent lives.
I can't take her fake activism seriously anymore.
— JONETI (@jarianaoutdid)
Most recently, Selena's portrayal of Jessi Del Monte in the Netflix musical
Emilia Pérez
has reignited debates over poor representation of Mexican culture. Critics have called the film, which centers on a Mexican drug lord undergoing gender-affirming surgery, 'regressive' and harmful.
If you are a billionaire who participated in a movie that is pure racist propaganda towards Mexicans, you have no right to cry or call us "my people" we are not your people.
— ᴠɪᴋᴀ 合 (@YourDelicateP0V)
The movie faced backlash for perpetuating stereotypes about Mexican culture and the drug trade, while GLAAD condemned its representation of trans identity as 'exploitative.'
While Gomez's recent advocacy for immigrant rights has garnered praise, some view her actions as inconsistent. Critics argue her past decisions, from working with controversial figures to staying silent on pressing global issues, undermine her credibility.