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Justin Bieber, 25, got a lot of attention when he responded to a fan’s Instagram comment on Mar. 25, and admitted to still loving ex Selena Gomez, 26, while at the same time defending his marriage to Hailey Baldwin, 22. In fact, it turns out that Selena herself took notice of his words and it brought back a lot of memories she had from her romance with the singer.

“Selena is very aware of Justin’s defense of and sweet words about Hailey,” a source close to Selena EXCLUSIVELY told HollywoodLife. “But Selena also appreciates what Justin said about her too, and shares some of the same feelings. Selena will always have love and a place in her heart for Justin too. She is doing her best to give Justin space and respect his marriage to Hailey. Selena did not get too emotional or cry over Justin’s statement, but it did make her think about him and remind her of the good times and love they shared. She hopes that he and Hailey are both happy.”

In Justin’s comment, which was in response to a fan claiming he doesn’t really love Hailey and only married her to get back at Selena, he expressed his frustration and tried to set the record straight about his feelings. “A logical person doesn’t talk or think this way,” part of Justin’s response read. “U should be ashamed of yourself really. I absolutely loved and love Selena. She will always hold a place in my heart, but I am head over heals [sic] in love with my wife and she is absolutely the BEST THING that has ever happened to me period.”

Before Justin and Hailey got hitched last Nov., he had an on-again, off-again relationship with Selena that started in 2010 and lasted until Mar. 2018. Since his marriage, he and Hailey have seemed inseparable and she’s been very supportive of him in the midst of his latest emotional struggles. Hours before his response about Selena and Hailey, Justin took to Instagram to admit he was focusing on his “deep rooted issues” and family before working on a new album.