Did Selena Gomez witness drop in Instagram followers amid uproar over tearful deportation video?

Selena Gomez recently reacted to Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) crackdown on illegal immigrants in the US, resulting in 956 arrests.

Published on: Feb 2, 2025, 18:54:38 IST

By Shweta Kukreti

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Selena Gomez, who faced intense flak for sharing a tearful video of herself in response to President Donald Trump's mass deportations plans, has lost over 700,000 social media followers in the past month.

Selena Gomez's following on Instagram witnessed a drop of 715,000 in the past 30 days, according to Social Blade, (REUTERS)

Earlier this week, Gomez reacted to Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) crackdown on illegal immigrants in the US, resulting in 956 arrests, according to the BBC.

According to Social Blade, Gomez's following on Instagram witnessed a drop of 715,000 in the past 30 days.

Gomez bashed for now-deleted video

In her video, Gomez said: “I’m so sorry. All my people are getting attacked. The children. I don’t understand. I’m so sorry. I wish I could do something but I can’t. I don’t know what to do. I’ll try everything, I promise,” along with an emoji of the Mexican flag.

She later deleted her video, saying: “Apparently it’s not ok to show empathy for people.”

Also Read: ‘Oh Mr. Parker’; Selena Gomez deletes tearful video, claps back at US Senate candidate for calls to ‘deport’ her

Reacting to Gomez's video, one of her critics reminded her that she has the tools and platform to assist.

“Girl You have the resources to do a lot. You could fund legal services, translation services, permanently fund mutual aid programs, direct action that disrupts raids, immigration assistance programs that facilitate these folks’ on their way in etc,” one person wrote.

“This is so pathetic. How about helping them come in the right way,” another wrote.

“Is Selena Gomez Mexican ??” asked third user.

White House, Megyn Kelly too react to Gomez's emotional video

Meanwhile, the White House released a video titled “Moms of Victims of Illegal Aliens SLAM Selena Gomez: You Didn't Cry for Our Daughters”.

Former Fox News host Megyn Kelly called Gomez a “sick and unwell” person. “And by the way, anybody who takes their phone, works up in tears and posts a video of themselves crying into their phone is sick. That’s a sick person.”

Despite the drop in her following, Gomez still maintains a sizable fan base on the social media site, with 422 million followers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shweta Kukreti
Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More

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