Selena Gomez abruptly ended a satellite interview when questions about Justin Bieber were brought up.
The starlet, who turned 21 just yesterday, took time out from her birthday celebrations to promote her upcoming Stars Dance tour and same name album which drops today.
Interviewed by WGN Entertainment’s showbiz reporter-critic Dean Richards, Gomez looked winded as she was grilled about Bieber.
That’s not so surprising seeing as the Latina recently announced that after an almost three year relationship with the Canadian superstar, they are no longer dating.
Given that it’s widely known Gomez’s publicity team warn interviewers not to ask questions about Bieber — unless prearranged — it’s clear the “Come and Get It” star wasn’t expecting the Chicago station to pull a fast one.
When the main part of the interview ended, Richards went in:
“You’re, you’re, probably as close a friend to Justin Bieber as they come, is there something about him that we don’t get or we don’t understand?”
Alluding to recent incidents such as video footage of Bieber urinating into a janitorial mop bucket in a New York City nightclub, late concerts, multiple allegations of assault, and an ongoing reckless driving allegation, he added :
“I mean there’s one story after another of, you know, pretty outrageous behavior that we’re reading about. What don’t we get about him or what is it that he’s not getting about him?”
During the one-way exchange Gomez looked off-camera to whoever was in the room with her as if she couldn’t quite believe what was happening. Smiling awkwardly, she then looked down for a few seconds.
Almost immediately after that pause, the transmission switched to a promotional screen-saver for Gomez’s tour. For his part, Richards merely laughed when he realized his famous guest had gone.
Conversely, in an E! special with Ryan Seacrest that aired Sunday, July 21, Gomez had no issues with answering questions in the pre-taped interview.
Asked point blank if she was dating Bieber, the Spring Breakers actress replied:
“No, I’m not.” She added . “I think I’m okay with being content right now. I think that’s what I’m happy with. And then, whatever happens happens.”
Gomez also admitted that, at times, she had found it hard to cope with the pressures of being in a high-profile relationship with Bieber.
“Yeah,” she explained to Seacrest . “I’m sure you could actually see those pictures of me being way stressed about it.”
Gomez subsequently spent time with the 19-year-old in Europe for some of his Believe tour dates, and after he returned to the US. Three Instagrams later, the last posted by Bieber on July 5 after the pair met up at a July 4 party in Los Angeles, it’s clear that at the very least they are friends.
While the Chicago TV station may have been hoping Gomez would dish on Bieber as she did with David Letterman back in March, there seems to have been a softening of relations between the two since then.
Tellingly, at a 20’s-themed birthday party for Julianne Hough at Hollywood’s smart Roosevelt Hotel on Saturday, Gomez’s pals added images of Justin to a leopard-icing cake that was presented to the ex-Disney star.
As well as celebrating at the Bagatelle restaurant and bar in L.A. on Monday, Gomez also released a video called Birthday to mark her milestone day.
Take a look at the musical mayhem below.