Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber were photographed together at a Los Angeles gala on Saturday night, marking the first time that the pair have been snapped together in public and a show of solidarity in the face of controversy.
Ever since the second annual Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles, photographs have been shared widely of the pair snuggling up close and hugging while posing for the camera, proving that the sisterhood is alive and well, even when the 'sisters' share an ex-boyfriend (or current husband in Bieber's case).
The photos, taken by Tyrell Hampton, show the two mirroring each other's smiles while donning glamorous looks, with Gomez in a satin-trimmed black suit with flared trousers, which she accessorised with open-toe sandals and chandelier earrings.
Read Next
Bieber, meanwhile, wore a strapless ruched gown from Saint Laurent's spring/summer 2023 collection, cut with a sweetheart neckline and spliced at the torso to reveal a hint of midriff. The model styled the brown number with a vintage Tiffany & Co. necklace.
Coincidentally, they both wore their shoulder-length hair down and sported a classic middle parting.
This public show of solidarity comes after years of fanbase rivalry, based on the fact that both Gomez and Bieber have a love story with Justin Bieber in common, with some insinuating that Hailey 'stole' Justin from Selena.
Following Hailey and Justin's fourth wedding anniversary, Bieber felt compelled to reclarify on the Call Her Daddy podcast that Justin, 28, had not cheated on Gomez with her.
'No, not once,' she stated, elaborating that they only started 'hooking up' when he had split from his on-and-off ex girlfriend Gomez in 2018.
She continued: 'When he and I started hooking up, or anything of that sort, he was not in any relationship. It's not my character to mess with someone's relationship. I was raised better than that.
'I understand how it looks from the outside, but that was a situation where I know for a fact that it was the right thing for [Justin and Selena] to close that door, but of course, there's a very long history there and I respect that a lot.
'I don't want to talk on either one of their behalves.'
She also referred to the online backlash she has faced due to her relationship, which has largely come from Selena and Justin 'stans.' The former couple dated for almost a decade and were even dubbed 'Jelena' by their fans.
'A lot of the hate comes from like "oh you stole him" and the fact that he wished he ended up with someone else. And that's fine, you can wish that all you want, but it's not the case,' Bieber added.
'There's a certain numbness that you get,' she said referring to hate comments from those devoted to her partner and his ex.
She continued: 'It still happens to this day, if I was to go live right now, it would still be happening. You reach a point where you have to ignore it.
'If we have moved on, why can't you?'
In the podcast, Bieber also addressed her 2021 Met Gala appearance, after which videos surfaced of Justin seemingly consoling his wife, while crowds chanted 'Selena' at them.
'So, yes, I could hear everyone screaming. And, again, I think there’s a certain part of you that has a numbness. I was, like, really surprised,' she said.
She added: 'It was disrespectful. To me, to my relationship. It just was. Period. The end.'
Fashion Week SS23: Hailey Bieber's All Time Best Fashion Week Runway Appearances
