Selena Gomez deletes video after filming herself bursting into tears while speaking out on Donald Trump
Selena Gomez sparked controversy after posting and quickly deleting an emotional Instagram video reacting to President Donald Trump’s mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.
The 32-year-old actress and singer broke down in tears whilst addressing her 422 million followers on Monday.
The emotional outburst came as Trump’s administration ramped up deportation efforts following his return to the presidency last week.
ICE reported arresting 956 people on Sunday alone, marking the highest daily total since Trump took office on January 20.
Gomez’s connection to immigration issues stems from her own family history. Her aunt crossed the border from Mexico to the United States hidden in a truck during the 1970s.
Her paternal grandparents followed shortly after, with her father later being born in Texas.
During her outburst, she sobbed: “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.”
The American-born star also promised through tears: “I don’t know what to do. I’ll try everything, I promise.”
Gomez captioned the video with “I’m sorry” alongside a Mexican flag emoji but after facing swift criticism, she shared a follow-up post on Instagram Stories that read: “Apparently it’s not ok to show empathy for people.” Both posts were subsequently deleted.
The Disney star previously produced a 2019 Netflix documentary titled “Living Undocumented,” which followed eight immigrant families in the US.
JUST IN: Border Czar Tom Homan reacts to Selena Gomez’s viral breakdown, says he has “no apologies” and he is going to keep moving forward.
The reaction we’ve all been waiting for.
“If they don’t like it, then go to Congress and change the law.”
“We’re going to do this… pic.twitter.com/OQv9Vdhj4V
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 27, 2025
In a Time magazine op-ed that year, she wrote: “Undocumented immigration is an issue I think about every day, and I never forget how blessed I am to have been born in this country thanks to my family.”
Conservative commentators and political figures swiftly condemned Gomez’s emotional display.
TV host Tomi Lahren branded her a “certified moron,” writing: “This is why we don’t take our political advice from Disney child stars.”
Political commentator Savanah Hernandez criticised the “out-of-touch celebrity with zero understanding of how dangerous our country has become”.
The controversy escalated when US Senate candidate Sam Parker called for Gomez herself to be deported, despite her American citizenship.
Gomez responded to Parker’s threats on Instagram, writing: “Oh Mr. Parker, Mr. Parker. Thanks for the laugh and the threat.”
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Megyn Kelly also weighed in, calling Gomez “unwell” and criticising her decision to post the tearful video.
Border czar Tom Homan issued a stern response to Gomez’s video on Fox News and said: “If they don’t like it, then go to Congress and change the law. We’re going to do this operation without apology.”
He denied that families were being targeted, stating: “We’ve arrested public safety threats and national security threats, bottom-line.”