Selena Gomez broke the internet in the best way possible when she announced her engagement to music producer Benny Blanco on December 11.
Fans couldn’t stop talking about the happy news, flooding social media with heartfelt congratulations and excitement for the actress-singer.
But amid the buzzing chatter, one particular social media post comparing her shiny ring with the engagement ring her ex-boyfriend, Justin Bieber, gave to his wife Hailey Bieber garnered widespread attention.
Selena Gomez announced her engagement to music producer Benny Blanco on December 11, breaking the internet with the joyful news
In a heartfelt Instagram post, the Love On singer revealed the big news with a series of pictures, including a close-up of her sparkling engagement ring.
“Forever begins now…” she wrote, to which Benny humorously commented, “Hey wait… that’s my wife.”
The engagement marks a significant milestone for the couple, who have been together since June 2023 and made their relationship public in December of the same year.
The singer shared a heartfelt Instagram post featuring a close-up of her diamond ring, captioned: “Forever begins now…”
While many were thrilled by the news, others discussed the engagement ring and felt the need to compare it with Hailey’s.
On X (formerly known as Twitter), a user shared side-by-side images of Selena’s and Hailey’s engagement rings, outrageously (and erroneously) claiming that Hailey’s cost $265,000, while Selena’s was valued at $70,000.
The post quickly went viral, drawing sharp criticism for focusing on material worth rather than personal happiness.
“We don’t care lol Benny did in 1 year of relationship what Justin couldn’t do in almost 10 years,” said one fan.
Fans flooded social media with congratulations, but the internet couldn’t resist comparing Selena’s engagement ring to Hailey Bieber’s
Another fan who rushed to Selena’s defense asked, “Why the f— does that matter? She’s happy that’s all that matters.”
“Some people marry for genuine love,” another wrote.
“This is very insulting to compare the prices of the rings. I bet Justin is not even half of the man Benny is,” wrote another. “How a man treats his wife is what counts. The cost of the ring means nothing to Selena. She is rich herself.”
Despite the internet constantly pitting Selena and Hailey against each other, the latter recently made a subtle sign of support by liking Selena’s post announcing the engagement.
Following the announcement, experts reportedly estimated Selena’s sparkling diamond ring to be worth between a wide $200,000 to $1 million
As the engagement fever continued online, reports shared the estimated value of Selena’s engagement ring.
Diamond experts from British retailer Steven Stone said the ring costs roughly $200,000, according to WWD.
On the other hand, VP of Merchandising at Jared Jewelers, Ann Grimmett, shared a different but similar estimate with Cosmopolitan, saying: “Considering the large center in an eternity setting, we estimate this to be about 6 carats and the value would be around $225,000.”
But Laura Taylor, a jeweler who specializes in engagement and wedding rings at Lorel Diamonds, shared another staggeringly higher value.
Hailey and Justin got engaged shortly after the Baby singer and Selena officially ended their on-and-off romance
“I would estimate the ring to be worth upwards of £800,000 ($1 million), depending on the precise diamond specifications,” Laura told the Daily Mail.
Meanwhile, Hailey’s original 2018 engagement ring was “worth an estimated £480,000 ($600,000), though that price tag seems small in comparison to her new 18-carat replacement ring, which is worth upwards of £800,000 ($1 million) thanks to its excellent clarity and rarity,” Laura told Harper’s Bazaar earlier this year.
Hailey and the Baby singer got engaged in July 2018, just months after Justin and Selena officially ended their off-and-on romance, which lasted several years.
Social media users slammed a social media post for unnecessarily pitting the two stars’ engagement rings against each other
Today, Selena and Hailey seem happy in their respective relationships, but that hasn’t stopped fans from stirring up rumors and fanning the flames of widespread speculation.
The rumors once bubbled up so much that Hailey received death threats online in 2023, prompting the Wolves singer to share a public message about it.
“Hailey Bieber reached out to me and let me know that she has been receiving death threats and such hateful negativity,” she wrote in an Instagram Story in March 2023.
Later, Hailey expressed her gratitude to the songstress for standing up for her. “I want to thank Selena for speaking out, as her and I have been discussing the last few weeks how to move past this ongoing narrative between her and I,” she said.