Very candid. Selena Gomez got real about her weight to her fans. The Only Murders in the Building star went on TikTok to talk about her Lupus diagnosis and how it affects her body.
Around 2012 to early 2014. Selena was diagnosed with Lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease. The autoimmune disease affected her kidney, and she needed a new one. “Instead of the immune system fighting off things like infection and cancer, it turns against the individual and starts acting on their own organs,” Dr. Gary Gilkeson, professor of medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina told the Lupus Foundation of America. In 2017, she received a kidney donation from one of her close friends Francia Raisa. The Wizards of Waverly Place alum has been very open about her diagnosis and her mental health over the past decade and this instance was no different.
So, how did Selena Gomez respond to weight comments? Read more to find out.
How did Selena Gomez respond to weight comments?
How did Selena Gomez respond to weight comments? The “My Mind and Me” star went on TikTok live on February 16, 2023, to talk about her body and her Lupus medications. “[When I’m taking the medications, I] tend to hold a lot of water weight, and that happens very normally. When I’m off of it, I tend to lose weight,” said Gomez on the app. “I just wanted to say and encourage anyone out there who feels any sort of shame for exactly what they’re going through, and no one knows the real story.” She continued, “I just want people to know that you’re beautiful, and you’re wonderful. Yeah, we have days where maybe we feel like shit, but I would rather be healthy and take care of myself. My medications are important, and I believe that they’re what helps me.”
She then said, “Not a model, never will be. And I think they’re awesome, mind you. I’m just definitely not that,” she added. “I just wanted to tell you I love you guys, and thanks for supporting me and understanding. And if not, go away, ’cause honestly I don’t believe in shaming people for [their bodies] or anything.”
According to the Lupus Foundation of America, Selena needed to be on special medications after her kidney transplant so that she could return to a normal life. “Like most people who receive transplants, Selena will be on medicine that suppresses her immune system. The most common side effect of these immunosuppressant medications is increased risk of infection. Many lupus patients already take these medications to suppress their overactive immune systems, even without transplant. So avoiding infections and protecting themselves from exposure to common viruses and colds is something people with lupus should already know how to deal with,” the site reported.
In a TikTok video in April 2022, Selena talked about how she didn’t care about the public’s perception of her body. “I try to stay skinny, but I went to Jack in the Box and I got four tacos, three egg rolls, onion rings and a spicy chicken sandwich,” she said. “But honestly, I don’t care about my weight because people bitch about it anyway. ‘You’re too small,’ ‘you’re too big,’ ‘that doesn’t fit.’ ‘Meh meh meh meh.’” She concluded, “Bitch, I am perfect the way I am. Moral of the story? Bye.”
The “Who Says” artist has also opened up about how the only social media app she has on her phone is TikTok. she Srefers to go on the video app to talk directly to fans “I find it to be a little less hostile,” she told Vanity Fair in an interview published February 15, 2023. “There are wonderful things about social media—connecting with fans, seeing how happy and excited they are and their stories. But usually that’s filtered through [for me now]. Everything I do I send to my assistant who posts them. As far as comments, my team will put together a few things that are encouraging.”
Image: Apple TV+ / Courtesy Everett Collection.
Selena recently released her documentary My Mind and Me in December 2022 about her health journey when she was diagnosed with Lupus and received a kidney transplant. In response to comments on her weight, she said on the Giving Back Generation podcast in 2019. “For me, I really noticed when people started attacking me for that. It got to me big time. It really messed me up for a bit.”
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight in November 2022, she talked about how the documentary affected her body image. “In a weird way, I feel like it is a time capsule of things—a period of my life where I look back, and I actually feel bad for that version of myself,” Gomez explained. “I think that it was good for me to see how I was responding to my body, the way that I was acting and the way it was so irrational in moments, and I think it was really healing for me to see that and get it out.”
She also told the outlet about what advice she would give to her younger self. “I think my advice is to not be afraid. I never actually was afraid to tell people that I wanna take time for myself. I never thought that was a bad thing,” Selena explained. “So, to be sharing something honest and say, ‘Hey, I’m taking a break because I need it?’ I’m being honest, and I think that’s just who I am.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, help is available. Call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free and confidential counseling.
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