Selena Gomez has dismissed claims that she was mocking Taylor Swift after a seemingly harmless Instagram comment triggered a wave of online speculation.
The singer found herself at the centre of a social media frenzy after commenting “lol” on a post featuring Swift celebrating the New York Knicks’ dramatic victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
The images showed Swift enjoying the game alongside sisters Alana and Este Haim and actress Mariska Hargitay. However, some fans quickly interpreted Gomez’s brief response as a dig at her longtime friend.
As rumours spread online, Gomez took to Instagram Stories on Thursday night to clear up the misunderstanding.
“Woke up and was sent so many texts. I would never insult my friends nor was it an insult,” she wrote.
The Only Murders in the Building star explained that her comment was actually directed at one of the photos in the carousel, which captured Hargitay pulling a humorous facial expression while receiving an enthusiastic hug from Swift.
Gomez also revealed there was another reason behind her reaction.
According to the singer, she had made a wager on the basketball game with friends and ended up on the losing side, making the comment a light-hearted joke aimed at them rather than Swift.
“Believe it or not I do have other friends in my life. But quickly forget that most assume otherwise,” Gomez added. “Also … it’s a basketball game.”
The clarification quickly put an end to speculation that there was any tension between the close friends, who have publicly supported one another for years.
Swift was among several celebrities spotted courtside at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday as the Knicks staged a remarkable comeback from a 29-point deficit to defeat the Spurs.
Following the game, the pop superstar reportedly continued the celebrations at exclusive New York hotspot Zero Bond, where several other high-profile guests were also seen.
The incident serves as another reminder of how quickly social media users can draw conclusions from even the briefest celebrity interactions, especially when two of the world’s biggest stars are involved.
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