Selena Gomez – singer, actress and blessed member of pop empress Taylor Swift’s gilded inner circle – found herself in the firing line this week after attempting to defend Taylor on Twitter during the latest outbreak of hostilities between Team Swift and Team Kardashian/West.

Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift at the Gramy Awards earlier this year

Taylor became the subject of intense discussion on social media after Kim Kardashian posted a video online of a phone conversation taking place between Ms Swift and Kim’s husband Kanye West.

The clip shows Taylor apparently giving her blessing to certain lyrics to Kanye’s song Famous – which includes the line: “For all my Southside n*ggas that know me best / I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex.” Taylor subsequently denied having given her approval to the song.

As thousands of people cheered on the news on social media, gleefully celebrating Kim having “exposed” Taylor, Selena Gomez tweeted: “There are more important things to talk about… Why can’t people use their voice for something that f**king matters?

“Truth is last thing we need right now is hate, in any form. This industry is so disappointing yet the most influential smh.”

While her comments presumably intended to pour oil on troubled waters, Ms Gomez instead found herself being criticised for her “hypocrisy,” with followers attacking her for her perceived inaction over issues including the “Black Lives Matter” movement.

@selenagomez kim constantly talks about gun control and black lives matter, two topics you conveniently ignore.

— Milo (@milomilomil0) July 18, 2016

Ms Gomez responded to one accuser saying: “So that means if I hashtag something I save lives? No, I could give two f**s about ‘sides.’ You don’t know what I do.” Her tweet was subsequently deleted.

Taylor Swift has hit back after the video of phone call was released, saying she was never told the lyrics included her being called a “b****” and didn’t know the call was being recorded.

“Taylor’s team believe that Kanye and Kim have quite clearly broken the law,” a US source told The Sun.

“They are on a mission to destroy Taylor but there could be serious consequences because they made the phone call from California where it is illegal to tape calls without permission.