The latest activity of pop sensation Justin Bieber on social media has created a buzz online as fans noticed his interaction with a throwback picture of his ex-girlfriend, Selena Gomez. This incident, closely linked with the current trend of nostalgia for 2016, has brought an old page of pop culture back into focus.
A 2016 throwback draws attention
The post in question is dated March 20, 2016, and features a picture of Justin Bieber kissing Selena Gomez during their on-and-off relationship. The picture went viral years later as part of a viral trend that revisited memories of 2016. Fans picked up on the fact that Justin Bieber had liked a comment on the picture.
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????BREAKING NEWS: Justin Bieber, who has been married for eight years and is a father, liked a recent comment on an Instagram post he did in 2016 featuring a kissing photo with his ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez. pic.twitter.com/Vd5JFWxSPT
— CHECK PINNED (@espressoriana) January 18, 2026
The post, written by user Aurora (@auro_lv2l), read, “Vivan los noviosss”, which can be translated to “Long live the couple”. Screenshots soon began to circulate, with the fan posting a picture of a notification that indicated the ‘like’ was from Justin Bieber’s verified Instagram account, @lilbieber.
Responding to sceptics, Aurora wrote, “Those who say it’s fake can cry somewhere else.” The claim only added fuel to the discussion, with fans debating the timing and intent behind the interaction.
Social media reacts to Bieber’s ‘like’
Despite the fact that Justin and Selena broke up several years ago, any form of online interaction that has something to do with their past is still widely noticed. This particular incident became popular not only because of the picture, but also because of its coincidence with the overall throwback trend of 2016.
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Fans were quick to take to social media to analyse the ‘like’ and were divided over whether it was unexpected or simply a nod to a memory.
Justin Bieber really has no shame he respects neither his wife or his son if it was Selena who did such a thing she would have been bullied https://t.co/epIgRsvfkT pic.twitter.com/aNqZsGT0Ja
— anya (@IbarahimeAnya) January 18, 2026
Hailey Bieber’s post adds context
The timing of this event raised even more eyebrows, as it occurred only a few days after Hailey Bieber, Justin’s wife, posted her own set of photos from 2016 on Instagram. This included a photo of her kissing Justin. She wrote in the caption, “You just had to be there.” The coincidence between the two events became a point of discussion among fans who were following the couple.
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Where their lives stand now
For fans, 2016 is a year that will always be remembered. It was the year that marked the end of Justin and Selena’s rocky relationship and the beginning of Justin’s new relationship with Hailey, which eventually led to an engagement and a wedding.
Justin and Hailey welcomed their first child, a son named Jack Blues Bieber, on August 22, 2024. Selena, on the other hand, went on to marry Benny Blanco in 2025 after being in a relationship for two years.
