This year’s MTV Video Music Awards proved to be an eventful night full of viral moments. But one celeb in particular wasn’t a fan of all the extra attention.
Selena Gomez went viral on two separate occasions Tuesday (Sept. 12) evening when the cameras caught her reactions while she was sitting in the audience. She shared a brief statement to her Instagram story after the event declaring she will “never be a meme again.”
“I’d rather sit still than be dragged for being myself,” she wrote. “Much love.”
The first viral moment happened during Olivia Rodrigo‘s performance of “Vampire,” a new single off her album Guts, that started off without a hitch until the set began to literally collapse around her. The camera cut to Gomez during the performance, who looked to be confused or even distressed as the set fell apart. To some, the video looked like she was “covering her ears.”
But it turns out the “collapse” was all part of the performance. The set was meant to fall apart to mimic Rodrigo’s “Vampire” music video. After Rodrigo appeared to be rushed from the crumbling set by a stagehand, she returned with back-up dancers to perform “Get Him Back!”
Gomez caught the camera’s eye again during the announcement of nominees for best R&B video. Gomez, who could be seen clapping as the other nominees’ names were read aloud, appeared to stop applauding and scrunched up her nose when Chris Brown‘s name was announced.
Brown has been accused multiple times over the years of violence, harassment and sexual assault, beginning in 2009 when he was charged for violently assaulting his then-girlfriend, Rihanna.
Gomez’s spirits lifted when SZA was announced as the category winner. Another video from that evening showed throwing her hands up and saying, “Yes!” She then appeared to look around for her before asking, “Where is she?”
When it was announced that SZA was not present at the VMAs to collect her award, Gomez theatrically slouched and appeared disappointed.
The VMAs came shortly after another buzzy internet moment for the singer and Only Murders in the Building actress, who recently went viral for a photo of her wrapped in a blanket.
While the internet had plenty of fun with the image, it sounds like Gomez has had enough.