Selena Gomez Faces Backlash After 'Degrading' Rare Beauty Comment

Selena Gomez might be the queen of soft glam and self-love, but this week, her words didn’t exactly land with grace. The Only Murders in the Building star—and founder of Rare Beauty—is facing serious backlash from within her own beauty empire after making comments that some of her brand’s own models found, well, deeply hurtful.

For a company that built its identity around empowerment, inclusivity, and mental health, it’s a moment that has fans and insiders side-eyeing Selena’s sincerity. And now, one Rare Beauty model is speaking out, saying she was left in tears after hearing the singer’s remarks.

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“We Don’t Use Real Models”—The Comment That Sparked It All

The drama started innocently enough. Selena, 33, was speaking at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit last week, where she was being praised for how Rare Beauty has disrupted the beauty industry with its focus on authenticity and emotional well-being.

All was going smoothly until she made one offhand comment that sent the modeling world into a collective gasp.

“We don’t use real models,” she said proudly. “We want something more real—people who I have felt could be your best friend.”

The intention, it seems, was to emphasize accessibility. Rare Beauty has long positioned itself as the anti-filter, pro-feelings brand, the girl-next-door alternative to the influencer-glam aesthetic. But for the professional models who have literally lent their faces to Rare Beauty’s campaigns, the words stung.

“I’m not even a real model?” one insider quipped online. Others weren’t laughing.

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The Model Who Spoke Out — “I Actually Cried” 😭

In an exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun, a Rare Beauty model, who chose to remain anonymous, shared how devastated she felt hearing Selena’s comment. She’s reportedly worked with the brand since 2024, posing for product launches and promotional campaigns.

“I actually cried when I heard Selena’s comments,” she confessed. “I was already having a bad day and was feeling really sensitive and emotional.”

The timing made things worse. The model explained that she was already feeling anxious about her career and direction in the competitive beauty world. Hearing the founder of a company she admired so much dismiss her profession so casually sent her into a tailspin.

“I was feeling nervous about some career stuff, and then I saw that video of her saying I’m not even a real model. It hit me at the worst time because now I’m like… ‘What am I even doing?’”

Her heartbreak was palpable and relatable. Imagine putting your energy, passion, and time into representing a brand built on empowerment, only to be told your work doesn’t count as “real.”

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“Degrading and Embarrassing”

As she continued, the model’s words painted a picture of someone not just upset, but humiliated.

“I thought this would be a big break for me,” she explained, “and to be told by the founder of the company that I look up to that I am not ‘real’ at my job? It’s degrading and embarrassing.”

Even worse, friends and family began sending her clips of Selena’s comments, amplifying her discomfort.

“The number of people who sent me that video was mortifying,” she added. “It was like everyone saw it before I did. I just felt…small.”

In the modeling world, where image and reputation are everything, this kind of public slight can feel brutal, especially when it comes from someone with Selena’s global influence.

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“At This Point, I’m Good”—A Polite Shade Moment 😬

The model also revealed she’s never met Selena in person, and after this incident, she doesn’t really want to.

“At this point, I’m good,” she said. “I don’t need to meet her. I just hope in the future she chooses her words more wisely and remembers how much influence she has.”

That’s some Grade A polite shade right there. And honestly? Fair. When you’re one of the most-followed women on the planet, words matter, especially when they come across as dismissive toward the very people helping you build your empire.

When asked if she’d ever work for Rare Beauty again, the model’s response was cautious but honest:

“If it’s a huge campaign, I’m not in a position to say no,” she admitted. “But would I want to work for a company again that discards what I do for a living? Ideally not. I’d like to work for brands that see me and believe in me. I thought Rare was the epitome of that, you know? But I was wrong.”

Ouch. That’s a reality check Selena probably didn’t expect to hear from inside her own glam squad.

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Rare Beauty’s Message Vs. The Moment 💄

Since launching in 2020, Rare Beauty has earned praise for being one of the few celebrity beauty brands that felt authentic. Its messaging around mental health, self-acceptance, and “breaking beauty standards” resonated with fans and critics alike.

Selena herself has often said that Rare was created to celebrate “what makes people unique.”

But this latest controversy highlights the tension between image and execution. What happens when the brand that claims to see you makes you feel invisible?

In trying to distance herself from traditional beauty industry norms, Selena may have accidentally reinforced another hierarchy, one that pits “real people” against professionals who make their living embodying beauty in diverse ways.

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The Internet Reacts—Fans Divided

The comments under Rare Beauty’s latest Instagram post are a mix of confusion, disappointment, and fierce defense of the founder.

Some fans are giving Selena grace, insisting she was taken out of context:

“She meant they’re not like runway models—she’s talking about relatable faces,” one fan wrote.

Others weren’t buying it.

“You can empower ‘real people’ without insulting actual working models. That was unnecessary,” another user commented.

On X, the discourse has been even sharper. “Selena Gomez saying her brand doesn’t use real models while working with actual models is giving irony fatigue,” one viral post read.

And another: “It’s wild that a brand built on kindness keeps finding ways to fumble the messaging.”

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Will Selena Respond? 👀

So far, Selena has stayed silent on the backlash, no clarifying statement, no Instagram story, no “sorry if I misspoke” moment (yet).

But the calls for a response are getting louder. Even supporters are urging her to address the hurt feelings and clarify what she really meant. After all, Rare Beauty’s audience isn’t just buying blush; they’re buying into a message. And that message, about being “seen” and “valued”, rings hollow if the people behind the campaigns feel disrespected.

If Selena does respond, it’ll need to hit the right balance of accountability and compassion, two things she’s historically been good at.

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A Teachable Moment Or a PR Nightmare?

Whether Selena intended it or not, this incident has sparked a larger conversation about what “real” beauty means in 2025.

Models (yes, real models) come in all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds. Many are already breaking stereotypes by representing diversity, inclusion, and emotion in ways that challenge outdated industry norms. Dismissing their work as “not real” undermines the progress Selena’s brand was supposed to champion.

Maybe this can be a turning point, a chance for Rare Beauty to show that “authenticity” doesn’t mean excluding anyone. Because if we’ve learned anything from today’s beauty consumers, it’s that sincerity matters more than spin.

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TL;DR: The Rare Reality

• Selena Gomez said Rare Beauty “doesn’t use real models,” preferring more “relatable” faces.
• One longtime Rare Beauty model says the comments were “degrading” and made her cry.
• She called the moment “embarrassing” and says she may not work with the brand again.
• Fans are split, some defending Selena’s intent, others demanding an apology.
• Rare Beauty’s message of inclusivity is now under the microscope.

Bottom line: Selena Gomez built Rare Beauty on the idea that everyone deserves to feel seen. Now, the people who helped her spread that message are wondering if that applies to them, too.

And until she clears the air, it seems the glow-up brand’s reputation might be dimming, one comment at a time. 💔✨