A brief, lighthearted wedding video filmed by Taylor Swift has turned into another round of online controversy for Selena Gomez, after fans spotted what appeared to be a vape pen in the singer's hand - reigniting harsh commentary about her health and appearance.
The clip, posted to Swift's Instagram Stories, showed Gomez laughing during a wedding fitting surrounded by close friends and stylists. Within hours, screenshots began circulating across X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok, as users zoomed in on what they claimed was a vape pen. The image quickly spread beyond fan circles, setting off a wave of judgment and speculation about Gomez's health and lifestyle choices.
"Her vaping at her own wedding - vaping causes several harms and consequences for people with autoimmune diseases like lupus," one user wrote on X. Another added, "This is so serious, she needs to understand this thing."
The timing of the viral moment compounded the backlash. Just days earlier, Gomez faced renewed scrutiny over her appearance in her new music video In the Dark, which featured an 80s-inspired visual theme. While many fans praised the aesthetic, others fixated on her face, with comments such as "She looks frozen" and "What happened to her face?" flooding social media feeds.
By midweek, phrases like "botched surgery" and "filler overdose" were trending, with some users blaming her chronic lupus and the medications used to treat it. Gomez has spoken openly about her lupus diagnosis since 2015, explaining that the autoimmune disease and steroid treatments can cause facial swelling. Despite her transparency, the speculation about her looks has continued to overshadow her work.
Adding to the noise, several parody and fan accounts spread unverified claims about her behavior. One viral post read: "Much is said about how lupus changed Selena Gomez's appearance, but little is said about the negligence she shows toward her own illness, constantly using vapes and other heavy substances since her diagnosis." Another claimed, "She doesn't care, because she can just manipulate someone else into giving her another kidney."
The latter remark drew outrage from fans who viewed it as cruel and disrespectful, particularly given Gomez's life-saving kidney transplant in 2017. Even actress Francia Raisa - Gomez's friend and donor - was pulled into the controversy after online users noted her absence from the wedding. Rumors of tension resurfaced, though Raisa did not address them beyond calling for empathy toward Gomez's health challenges.
Neither Gomez nor Swift has commented publicly on the viral clip. Gomez has instead continued promoting her music and her Rare Impact Fund, which focuses on mental health support for young people. Some fans interpret her silence as a deliberate attempt to avoid inflaming the controversy, while others argue that it allows misinformation to linger.
