Credit: Getty
Celebrity
Why is the world so invested in women who supposedly hate one another?
By Amy Beecham
7 days ago
4 min read
From Hailey and Selena to Meghan and Gwyneth, when will the world stop stoking the flames of so-called ‘feuds’ between women for good? asks Stylist’s senior writer, Amy Beecham.
Ever since the release of her Netflix show With Love, Meghan, Meghan Markle’s every move has once again become the world’s favourite topic of conversation. From how she prepares fruit platters for her kids to whether she actually shops at Zara, if you were to believe every salacious headline, you’d think the entire human race was ‘divided’ and ‘outraged’ by her love of homemade jam and her beautiful home in Montecito, California.
But of course, there is nothing the internet loves more than to dwell on Meghan’s so-called enemies. Over the years, she’s been accused of “shading”, “disrespecting” and “alienating” everyone from the actors she’s worked with to members of the royal family, including the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Her most recent ‘feud’ was said to be with Gwyneth Paltrow, after social media went into overdrive with speculation that the Goop founder was mocking the Duchess of Sussex’s lifestyle show when she posted a cooking video of her “cleaner take on a classic breakfast”, which viewers said resembled Meghan’s own tutorials. “Love this. No fake house, fake kitchen, fake hair extensions, fake friends – just your beautiful true self. Such a breath of fresh air to see,” one commenter wrote on the post. “With shade, Gwyneth… I see what you did there,” added another.
However, Paltrow soon set the record straight about their ‘beef’ in a video on her Instagram story during an ‘Ask me a question’ segment. After being asked, “Are you comprehending the Meghan Markle beef that social media says you two have?” Paltrow replied, “I genuinely do not understand this at all whatsoever; I don’t know her at all,” before panning her phone to reveal Meghan sitting at her kitchen table.
Pitting women against one another is nothing new
Pitting women against one another in this tired and toxic way is nothing new. We’ve seen it all before with Jennifer Aniston v Angelina Jolie, J-Lo v Jennifer Garner and even as far back as Bette Davis v Joan Crawford. Taylor Swift is another famous face who’s often accused of feuding with just about everyone, whether it’s fellow musician Olivia Rodrigo or her supposed snubbing of Celine Dion at the Grammy Awards when accepting an award for album of the year.
But even in 2025, the gleeful way that so many people were ready and willing to believe that two successful women were at odds with one another is saddening, even if not at all surprising.
Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber are yet another example of ‘bad blood’ that the media just won’t let die, despite the fact that both women have come out publicly on multiple occasions to insist that there is no ‘war’ between them. But, of course, a track on Gomez’s newest album is an ‘obvious dig’ at Bieber. Naturally, Bieber is constantly accused of stalking and stealing Gomez’s ex-boyfriend (Justin Bieber), as well as imitating her appearance and copying her social media posts.
The insidious undertone behind all of this? Misogyny, of course. The warped idea that women are double-crossing and back-stabbing one another is, sadly, one that sells.
The insidious undertone behind all of this? Misogyny
However, it’s not just the media that’s to blame. Our parasocial relationships with celebrities have fundamentally gotten out of hand, taking an increasingly negative turn away from true fandom. TikTok accounts with millions of followers are dedicated to ‘lip reading’ private conversations between stars and analysing ‘body language’ to uncover hidden meanings and speculate whether an A-list couple is on the rocks.
Despite being chastised for it, singer Chappell Roan was right to call out this rise in invasive behaviour, saying: “I don’t care that abuse and harassment, stalking, whatever, is a normal thing to do to people who are famous or a little famous. It’s weird how people think that you know a person because you see them online and you listen to the art they make … I’m allowed to say no to creepy behavior, OK?”
The idea that these kinds of attacks will ever fully stop feels like wishful thinking. But at a time when we need solidarity and community more than ever, let’s hope we can start to take a more positive approach towards women both in and out of the spotlight. Or, quite frankly, we could just leave them – Meghan, Gwyneth, Selena and Hailey included – the fuck alone for a while.
Images: Getty
Sign up for the latest news and must-read features from Stylist, so you don’t miss out on the conversation.
By signing up you agree to occasionally receive offers and promotions from Stylist. Newsletters may contain online ads and content funded by carefully selected partners. Don’t worry, we’ll never share or sell your data. You can opt-out at any time. For more information read Stylist’s Privacy Policy
Thank you!
You’re now subscribed to all our newsletters. You can manage your subscriptions at any time from an email or from a MyStylist account.