Selena Gomez does not appear to be fan of Chris Brown, and she isn’t apologizing for it.
The “Calm Down” singer attended the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards on Tuesday night and later made the rounds on social media for making a sour face as the nominees for best R&B were announced.
In the category, Chloe Bailey and Brown’s “How Does It Feel” — from the Chloe x Halle singer’s debut solo album In Pieces — made the cut, and as a clip of the duo’s video rolled and Brown’s name was called, Gomez was spotted scrunching up her face at his name and then smiling and clapping for the other artists in the category.
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iHeartRadio Australia grabbed video of the moment and shared it on Instagram with the caption: “@selenagomez reacts to @chrisbrownofficial being nominated.”
The Rare Beauty founder flippantly responded in the comments, “Who cares lol.”
Gomez also seemingly addressed the moment going viral via her Instagram Story, writing in simple text, “I will never be a meme again. I’d rather sit still than be dragged for being myself. Much love.”
Gomez’s on-camera reaction to Brown’s name likely stems from the R&B singer’s 2009 assault of then-girlfriend Rihanna ahead of that year’s Grammy Awards. Brown pleaded guilty to a felony and was sentenced to five years’ probation and domestic violence counseling.
For his part, not long after the show aired, Brown wrote on his Instagram Story: “Let me mind my business.”
In addition to reuniting with her bestie Taylor Swift at Tuesday’s show, Gomez also took home best Afrobeats for her featured spot on Rema’s “Calm Down,” which recently hit 1 billion streams on Spotify.
See Gomez’s response in the Instagram post below.