Credit: @kyliejenner/Instagram

Kylie Jenner Lost Nearly One Million Followers After Sharing Controversial Instagram Photo

Kylie Jenner lost nearly a million Instagram followers after sharing one controversial photo.

For most people, losing nearly a million followers would be catastrophic.

For Jenner, it was just another day in the complex world of celebrity social media drama.

The reality TV star and business mogul, who boasts one of the most impressive follower counts on Instagram with over 393 million fans, experienced a significant exodus from her platform in February 2023.

The mass unfollowing wasn’t due to a scandal or controversial product launch – instead, it stemmed from what many perceived as old-school mean girl behavior.

The drama began when Jenner found herself unexpectedly pulled into an alleged feud between her close friend Hailey Bieber and pop star Selena Gomez.

The tension between Bieber and Gomez has long been speculated to stem from their respective relationships with Justin Bieber, with Gomez having an on-and-off relationship with the singer from 2010 until their final split in early 2018, just months before he married Hailey.

The incident that sparked the follower revolt started innocuously enough.

Gomez had shared a lighthearted TikTok video where she poked fun at herself, explaining that she had ‘accidentally laminated [her] brows too much.’

The Disney star was simply having a laugh at her own expense, showing off a makeup look inspired by supermodel Bella Hadid while joking about her eyebrow mishap.

What happened next turned a harmless beauty blunder into a social media firestorm.

Just three hours after Gomez’s self-deprecating video, Jenner posted what many fans interpreted as a direct response.

The Kylie Cosmetics founder shared a screenshot of herself on FaceTime with Hailey, with both women zooming in on their perfectly groomed eyebrows.

The timing seemed too coincidental for many fans, who quickly branded Jenner and Hailey as social media ‘mean girls’ for what appeared to be a coordinated dig at Gomez. The backlash was swift and severe.

Within just one week of the controversial post, Jenner’s follower count plummeted dramatically.

Data from Social Blade revealed that she initially lost over 124,000 followers in the first day alone, followed by another 38,000 the next day.

By the end of the week, the beauty mogul had shed approximately 750,000 followers, while Hailey wasn’t spared either, reportedly losing 922,000 followers during the same period.

The mass exodus was significant enough to cost Jenner her title as Instagram’s most-followed woman, a position that was subsequently claimed by Gomez herself, who saw her follower count rise to 389 million as fans rallied to show their support.

Jenner didn’t remain silent about the allegations.

Addressing the controversy directly, she commented on a TikTok video that was analyzing the supposed feud: “This is reaching. No shade towards Selena ever and I didn’t see her eyebrow posts! U guys are making something out of nothing. This is silly.”

In a show of unity that helped calm the storm, Gomez responded supportively to Jenner’s statement: “Agreed @kyliejenner. It’s all unnecessary. I’m a fan of Kylie!”

Despite both celebrities attempting to downplay the situation, the damage to their follower counts had already been done.

Gomez, seemingly overwhelmed by the entire ordeal, announced she would be taking a break from social media.

“I’m going to be taking a second from social media, because this is a little silly,” she explained. “I’m 30 and am too old for this.”

The controversy eventually died down, with both parties moving on from the drama.

Gomez has since returned to social media and recently announced her engagement to producer Benny Blanco on Instagram.

Meanwhile, Jenner continues to maintain her position as one of the world’s most-followed celebrities.

The controversial photo that started it all? A simple FaceTime screenshot showing two friends and their eyebrows.

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