Selena Gomez Admits She Gets ‘a Little Mouthy’ Against Social Media Trolls to ‘Defend the People’ She Loves

Selena Gomez opened up about how she doesn’t mind clapping back at trolls on social media during a conversation at the Time 100 Summit in New York on Wednesday, April 24. While speaking about her Rare Beauty brand, the singer, 31, admitted that she isn’t afraid to speak up to defend her loved ones, when Time senior editor Lucy Feldman asked about what her relationship with social media is.

Selena admitted that she was very happy when she took an extended break from social media. “I took four years off of Instagram, and I let my team post for me for those years. I felt like it was the most rewarding gift I gave myself,” she said at the summit. “You’re sitting there so focused on what looks wonderful, when everything that’s meant to be wonderful to you is not from here. I was more present. I was happier. I would actually get real phone calls about people telling me about their story, and I could actually hear it, instead of going, ‘Oh I already know what you did today.’ It’s more human.”

While Selena showed that she thought that the break was “important,” she said that sometimes she can’t help responding to trolls. “I find it frustrating. Then I get a little mouthy and I want to defend the people I love,” she said.

Despite occasionally getting “a little mouthy,” Selena showed that she does try to keep her mind off social media and only use it every now and then. “I think it’s important to take breaks. I don’t really pay much attention. I’ll just do things here and there,” she said.

Four years ago wasn’t the only time that Selena took a break from social media. The Only Murders in the Building star announced that she’d be stepping away from social media after some drama at the Golden Globes. She shared a photo and announced, “I’m off social media for a while. I’m focusing on what really matters.”