Selena Gomez, 33 Poses in Underwear for Flirty NYC Hotel Room Photo

Another day, another celebrity posts a picture on the internet. This time, it’s Selena Gomez, who decided to grace Instagram with a carousel of photos from her recent New York trip. The internet, in its infinite wisdom, immediately latched onto one specific image: Gomez lounging in her underwear, taking a mirror selfie in what looks like a hotel room. Groundbreaking stuff, right?

Selena Gomez Posts “Flirty” Underwear Pic on Social Media

The photo dump, captioned on Instagram, “Hello and goodbye NY ❤️ , grateful for a great trip with my guys!“, was a wrap-up of her press tour for Season 5 of Only Murders in the Building. Tucked between snaps with comedy legends Steve Martin and Martin Short, artsy cocktail pics, and other mirror selfies was the photo that sent gossip sites into a tizzy. In it, she’s sporting a cropped t-shirt with a sandwich on it (a woman of taste, clearly), panties, and cat-eye glasses.

A thigh tattoo is partially visible, adding to the scandal. It is not surprising that this is news, considering that Selena Gomez is a well-known public figure. The reaction feels less about the photo itself and more about our collective obsession with celebrity bodies, especially Selena Gomez’s. It’s a photo that screams confidence, a casual moment of “I feel good, might delete later.” Yet, the narrative often gets twisted into something it’s not.

While the internet fixates on a single photo, Selena Gomez is busy living a life full of significant milestones. The fifth season of her critically acclaimed show just premiered on Hulu and Disney+, proving she’s at the top of her game professionally. On a more personal note, she’s reportedly set to marry her fiancé, music producer Benny Blanco, at the end of the month. After a bachelorette party in Cabo

More Than Just a Selfie

What makes this seemingly simple underwear selfie more interesting is the context surrounding it. Just a day before this Instagram post, Selena Gomez opened up in a candid interview with Allure about her long and public struggle with body-shaming. It’s a battle she’s been fighting for years, often under the harsh glare of a spotlight that has scrutinized her every fluctuation in weight.

She told the magazine: “I’ve dealt with a lot of weight issues in my life, and that’s something I’m very sensitive to.” It’s a raw admission from someone who has grown up in an industry that demands an impossible standard of perfection. Gomez explained how she uses dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to process the sting of cruel comments. She deconstructs her own emotional responses, asking herself, “I got stung by a person saying I was fat. Why is that [emotion] coming up?”

So, when you see that underwear selfie again, it’s not just a “flirty photo.” It’s an act of defiance. It’s a woman reclaiming her body and her narrative. It’s a visual representation of the confidence she’s painstakingly rebuilt. It’s her looking in the mirror and, instead of seeing the flaws others point out, seeing a person who is grateful, happy, and comfortable.

Final Thoughts

All in all, this is really about a 33-year-old woman who is comfortable in her own skin and posts a picture. Selena Gomez is thriving. That casual hotel room selfie isn’t just a thirst trap; it’s a victory lap. It’s a snapshot of a woman who has been through the wringer and come out the other side, sandwich t-shirt and all, ready to take on the world. And for that, we have no choice but to stan.