Fact Check: Was Selena Gomez denied entry to Justin Bieber’s Coachella rehearsal?
INDIO, CALIFORNIA: Following Justin Bieber's highly anticipated 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival performance, a rumor began circulating on social media platforms claiming that singer Selena Gomez was denied entry to Bieber’s rehearsal before the show, sparking speculation.
Let us analyze and fact-check the claim’s authenticity.
Claim: Selena Gomez denied entry into Justin Bieber’s rehearsal
As clips of the performance went viral, a rumor claimed Selena Gomez tried to attend Bieber’s rehearsal earlier that day but was allegedly "harassed and denied entry by security," after which she reportedly posted an Instagram Story and was allegedly considering legal action.
The claim stemmed from a widely viewed X post that shared a screenshot styled as a Selena Gomez Instagram Story.
The post stated, “Selena Gomez has spoken out about the Coachella incident yesterday, saying that while she and her team were trying to attend Justin Bieber’s rehearsal, security allegedly refused them entry and harassed them."
"She has now reportedly decided to take legal action against the security team and the event organizers.”
The alleged Story shared in the post read, “Just came out to see Justin Bieber's rehearnal and ended up getting harassed by security @couchella this is unacceptable. I came in peace and got treated like a criminal... I'll be taking this further."
The post quickly went viral, garnering almost five million views as of this writing.
Fact Check: No such incident took place
The claim, however, is false, as Selena Gomez never posted any such Story on her verified Instagram account, and the screenshot is fabricated.
The screenshot also misspells the official Coachella handle as @couchella.
There are no credible reports from reliable media outlets confirming the incident. There are also no statements from Gomez, Justin Bieber’s team, or Coachella organizers.
Justin Bieber's Coachella comeback draws mixed reaction
Justin Bieber headlined Coachella on April 10 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.
The performance marked his return to a major stage after several years, following health issues and a canceled tour.
The 32-year-old Canadian superstar opened with a minimalist, intimate set focused on new material from his 2025 albums Swag and Swag II.
He performed tracks including 'All I Can Take,' 'Speed Demon,' 'First Place,' 'Go Baby,' 'Butterflies,' and 'Walking Away.'
The global pop icon performed everything live, without relying on pre-recorded tracks, and even customized parts of his set based on live fan requests. However, despite the excitement surrounding his performance, social media reactions were mixed, with some users expressing dissatisfaction with the set.
