Unless she gives us the heads-up that she'll be taking a break, Selena Gomez can usually be counted on to provide fans and followers with regular social media updates. But this time, it felt like the Only Murders actor had fallen off the map without warning.
After three weeks away, Gomez addressed her absence in a message posted to her IG Stories on October 30. She went dark, she explained, because she hasn't known what to say.
“I've been taking a break from social media because my heart breaks to see all of the horror, hate, violence, and terror that's going on in the world,” Gomez's note began. “We need to protect ALL people, especially children, and stop the violence for good. I'm sorry if my words will never be enough for everyone or a hashtag. I just can't stand by innocent people getting hurt. That's what makes me sick. I wish I could change the world. But a post won't.”
While Gomez doesn't mention it explicitly, we can presume that she's referring to the crisis in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Selena Gomez has been called out for not using her platform to comment on current events before. In 2016, a Twitter user asked her why she hadn't said anything about Black Lives Matter or police brutality; however, she has a long history of participating in get-out-the-vote campaigns, and she publicly called out social media CEOs after January 6.
