Taylor Lautner encouraged people to be “nicer” while calling out “cruel” comments about Selena Gomez’s weight.
Lautner, 33, took to Instagram on Wednesday, February 26, to share a post from body positivity influencer Alex Light, who questioned Gomez’s appearance with side-by-side photos of her at the 2025 SAG Awards on Sunday, February 23, and pics taken one year prior.
Light made comments about Gomez’s weight and claimed that the actress “looked better” before. Lautner reacted with a lengthy message of his own.
“It’s a cruel world full of hate out there,” he wrote. “You can never please everyone nor should you have to. In my experience it doesn’t make the words sting less, it just refocuses you onto what matters. And it sure isn’t the shape, color or appearance of your body.”
Lautner asked his followers to set a positive example.
“Daily reminder to all of us to not forget how beautiful you are inside and out,” he added. “And be a little bit nicer.”
The show of support is one of many that Gomez, 32, has received since Sunday’s awards show. The View‘s Sunny Hostin and Whoopi Goldberg also rushed to Gomez’s defense against body-shamers after a recent Glamour op-ed titled “It’s Okay to Feel Hurt When Celebrities Lose Weight—but Let’s Unpack It.”
Selena Gomez and Taylor Lautner speak onstage during the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards Kevin Winter/Getty Images
In response to the article — which alleged Gomez had a “visibly slimmer appearance” that sparked “a wave of reactions from fans” — Hostin said on the Tuesday, February 25, episode of the talk show, “The sort of cult of celebrity is always interesting to me. Like, why look to a complete stranger for inspiration? You don’t know what’s going on in that person’s life.”
Hostin mentioned Gomez’s lupus diagnosis as a reminder to those speculating about other people’s wellbeing, adding, “She may have lost this weight for her health condition.”
Goldberg, 69, agreed that Gomez’s appearance was “nobody’s business” and said many people “don’t realize” celebrities have their own personal struggles. “Listen, everybody makes their choice in life,” Goldberg explained.
Gomez has not addressed the ongoing discussions about her body, but she has previously clapped back at speculation. Over the years, Gomez has been candid about how her health issues such as lupus, kidney problems and high blood pressure caused her weight to fluctuate.
Selena Gomez became a household name at a young age, and she’s continued to push the status quo in the entertainment industry as the years go by. In the middle of her booming career, Gomez suffered a few personal setbacks including a lupus diagnosis, life-changing transplant surgery and a battle with mental health, but has […]
“I will do a red carpet, I will do whatever. I don’t need to see it, I participated,” she said on a 2019 episode of the “Giving Back Generation” podcast. “I felt wonderful and that’s where the extent of it is. I don’t care to expose myself to everyone and hear what they have to say.”
Gomez admitted that the negativity “really messed” her up, adding, “I really noticed when people started attacking me for that. That got to me big time.”
Lautner, for his part, has been equally open about his mental health following his portrayal of Jacob in the Twilight film franchise. During a February 2023 episode of his “The Squeeze” podcast, Lautner recalled how he “started having more normal of a body” after Twilight came to an end and admitted it was “very tough” to see online comments about himself.
“Don’t find happiness in what you want your body to look like,” he shared. “Don’t think just because you lose the 20 pounds or put on the muscle, you’re going to wake up and look in the mirror and all of a sudden be happy. That’s not where you should be finding value.”
