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Writer's pictureSusan Geist

Is it “rude” to talk about money, or is this a tactic to silence women? 🤫

Superstar Selena Gomez recently made headlines when the Bloomberg Billionaires Index announced that she’s worth a cool $1.3 billion—mostly thanks to her smash-hit cosmetics brand, Rare Beauty. But when asked about her new billionaire status on the red carpet, Selena said, “I personally think it’s distasteful to talk about money.”

Now, don’t get us wrong, we get it. Talking about money can feel awkward, like bringing up politics at Thanksgiving or admitting that you still haven’t watched Only Murders in the Building. But Selena, we need to talk.


Sure, it’s easy to understand why someone as humble as Gomez might feel uncomfortable openly discussing her bank balance. But in a world where women are still making 82 cents for every dollar a man earns, it’s time to get real about money talk.

Telling women that talking about money is “distasteful” is like telling them that asking for a raise is rude, or that negotiating a salary makes them look pushy. Spoiler alert: that kind of thinking keeps women underpaid and in the dark about what they’re truly worth.


By encouraging a culture of silence, we’re giving away one of our most powerful tools—information. When we don’t talk about how much we’re making, we miss out on opportunities to negotiate better salaries, learn from each other’s financial wins (and mistakes), and, let’s be honest, dismantle the patriarchy one paycheck at a time.


Selena’s success story is one to be celebrated. She’s a self-made woman who turned her brand into a billion-dollar empire, all while using her brand to promote inclusivity and mental health awareness. That’s amazing, and young women should absolutely look up to her for that. But if we stop at “I think it’s distasteful to talk about money,” we miss out on a much-needed conversation about what it means to own your financial power—and why more women should be striving for their own financial independence.


Imagine if instead of seeing money talk as tacky, we saw it as a radical act of empowerment. When women talk about money—whether it’s how they invested, negotiated a better salary, or saved enough to buy that dream house—they open doors for other women to do the same. And when Selena Gomez, with her billion-dollar status, talks about her financial journey, she gives other women the permission (and inspiration) to start their own.


Selena, if you’re reading this (we can dream, right?), we love your humility and your gratitude. But let's not shy away from the money talk. After all, what’s more empowering than showing young women that financial success is within their reach—and it’s okay to talk about it?


So let’s not stay quiet about our paychecks, investments, or that side hustle that’s helping you stash away cash. Let’s keep the conversation going, because the more we talk, the more we learn—and the more we earn. And who knows? Maybe one day we’ll all be on our way to billionaire status. Or at the very least, owning our financial freedom.




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