Selena Gomez Faces Backlash (Again) with Many Calling for Rare Beauty Boycott — Here’s Why

Selena Gomez makeup brand, Rare Beauty, announced on Monday (November 6) that it would be making donations to relief efforts in Gaza. And it didn’t take long for calls to boycott the brand to come in.

“We are devastated by the images & reports coming from the Middle East,” reads the official Instagram account for Rare Beauty. “Thousands of innocent Palestinian civilians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes & millions of civilians have been displaced & left without access to food, water, medicine, or basic necessities for survival. A large number of these victims are children. Palestinian civilians must be protected, period.”

The charities that Rare Beauty will be donating to include the International Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies, Palestinian Red Crescent Society, Magen David Adom, and UNICEF. The announcement comes a few days after Gomez was criticized for claiming that social media posts wouldn’t make a difference in the war in Gaza. She also threatened to delete her Instagram account.

“I’m sorry if my words will never be enough for everyone or a hashtag,” Gomez wrote. “I just can’t stand by [as] innocent people [are] getting hurt. That’s what makes me sick. I wish I could change the world. But a post won’t.”

However, the internet has pushed back with another wave of backlash because of Magen David Adom. They are Israel’s National Emergency Pre-Hospital Medical and Blood Services Organization. So now many people are accusing Gomez of disguising a post about Palestinians as a “both sides” post that supports Israel as well. 

Others like Stephanie Tleiji on TikTok also called Rare Beauty’s commitment to a “zionist” organization “insulting.” They went on to explain that Magen David Odom posted on X that the UN Secretary-General’s António Guterres speaking up about the bombardment of Gaza will forever be remembered as him aiding “terrorists” and how he “refused to condemn the murder of Israelis.”

Rare Beauty CEO Scott Friedman is also being called out for allegedly following the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Instagram. He is being labeled a “zionist.”

This has led to a call to boycott Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez.

Selena Gomez also recently joined other celebrities in signing a letter to President Biden and the U.S. Congress urging them to call for an “immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Israel before another life is lost.” This comes after the backlash she received about taking a break from Instagram and also threatening to delete her account.