How did Wizards of Waverly place spell the end of Selena Gomez’s innocence?
From oppressive contracts to a social media purge, it’s been a difficult road to the top.
Selena Gomez shocked fans when she took to Instagram in September 2017 to reveal she
had undergone a kidney transplant due to complications from lupus.
According to the National Research Center on Lupus, it is an autoimmune disease that
can cause inflammation anywhere in the body, including the kidneys.
Gomez shared details about her experience with the disease and her surgery in the caption
of the post.
In part, she wrote:
"So I found out I needed to get a kidney transplant due to my Lupus and was recovering [...] It
was what I needed to do for my overall health."
She also revealed that her close friend, Francia Raisa, was her organ donor.
Selena said,
"... There aren't words to describe how I can possibly thank my beautiful friend Francia
Raisa [...] She gave me the ultimate gift and sacrifice by donating her kidney to me."
Since receiving her lupus diagnosis, Selena has become a voice for those dealing with
the disease.
That November, she attended the Lupus Research Alliance's Breaking Through Gala and gave
a speech in which she spoke out in support of those facing a similar situation.
She said,
"I'd like to see the day when all young women can realize their dreams of life without a
Lupus [...] This is why I am committed to the Lupus Research Alliance.
So that none of us are alone, especially the young women that I have grown up with and
heard many, many stories."
During a 2021 interview with Elle, Selena Gomez revealed her reaction to her 2018 bipolar diagnosis.
It turns out that Selena, who also has anxiety and depression, went years undiagnosed and
suffered as a result.
The actor shared that she was relieved to find out there was an explanation for what
she had been experiencing for so many years, per Elle.
Selena's bipolar disorder had led to multiple hospitalizations throughout her career.
In 2014, ET reported that the star had checked into a rehab facility to aid her mental health recovery.
The actor later checked into a facility in 2016 after canceling her "Revival Tour" due
to lupus complications and mental health concerns, which she discussed in an interview with GQ
that same year.
Selena opened up about one of her hospital stays when speaking with fellow Disney Channel
alum Miley Cyrus on the latter's 2020 Instagram Live show, "Bright Minded."
As she revealed to Miley,
"Recently, I went to one of the best mental hospitals in America, McLean Hospital, and
I discussed that, after years of going through a lot of different things, I realized that
I was bipolar [...] And so when I go to know more information, it actually helps me.
It doesn't scare me once I know it.
[...] I wanted to know everything about it, and it took the fear away."
"The more that you educate yourself on this, the more that you're not gonna be afraid."
Selena Gomez's on-again-off-again relationship with Justin Bieber didn't exactly seem like
a fairytale romance.
You might remember the duo's frequent social media spats, which gave the public a glimpse
into their apparent toxicity.
It turns out that this relationship was allegedly even more harmful than you may have guessed.
During a 2020 interview with NPR, Gomez revealed shocking details that likely changed many
fans' perception of the former couple.
In the interview, Selena said of her split from Justin:
"I've found the strength in it.
It's dangerous to stay in a victim mentality [...] And I'm not being disrespectful.
I do feel I was a victim to certain abuse."
She was then asked to confirm whether she was referencing "emotional abuse," to which
she responded:
"Yes, and I think that it's something that — I had to find a way to understand it as an adult."
In 2019, Justin had taken to Instagram to share a lengthy public apology for his past
behaviors, including his faults in previous relationships.
In part, Justin said in the post:
"I started doing pretty heavy drugs at 19 and abused all of my relationships [...] I
became resentful, disrespectful to women, and angry."
Although he did not name Selena in the apology, many assumed that she was on the receiving
end of much of this disrespect.
It seems that Selena grew from the experience, though, because she later told The Hollywood
Reporter's "Awards Chatter" podcast in June 2022 that the relationship taught her that
she shouldn't tolerate mistreatment.
Many celebrities face scrutiny on social media, but Selena Gomez has been dealing with this
online hate for years.
The star's highly publicized relationship with Justin Bieber often didn't go over well
with fans who didn't want to see the two together, for example.
According to Daily Mail, the actor even received death threats from angry fans after she was
spotted kissing Justin during a romantic Hawaii vacation back in 2011.
This was in the early days of the couple's on-and-off romance, and Selena would sadly
go on to receive more hate over the years.
Social media became such an unsafe place for Selena that she eventually decided to take
was likely a much-needed break.
The star spoke about her decision to distance herself from the internet during a January
2022 interview with InStyle.
She revealed,
"Taking a break from social media was the best decision that I've ever made for my mental
health [...] I created a system where I still don't have my passwords.
And the unnecessary hate and comparisons went away once I put my phone down."
Selena went on to explain that she instead shifted her focus to things that would improve
her mental health, like therapy.
"It has changed my life completely.
I am happier.
I am more present."
Since returning to social media, Selena has been rather active on TikTok, so it seems
that she's able to enjoy herself on the internet once again.
Although Selena Gomez and her mom, Mandy Teefey, seem to be on good terms these days, the mother-daughter
duo have had their fair share of family troubles.
When Selena's parents stepped down from their roles as her managers in 2014, rumors circulated
that she had fired her mother.
Mandy later ended this speculation when she spoke about the ordeal during an interview
with Gossip Cop in 2018.
On her decision to stop managing Selena, she said:
"Every mother and daughter has disagreements [...] We lost family time because the only
time we saw her, we talked business."
Although Mandy may not have been fired, it seems that her role as her famous daughter's
manager put a rift in their relationship.
She continued,
"It was no longer fun for any of us, like it was when she was younger and we had to
be with her because she was a minor."
Selena's on-and-off relationship with Justin Bieber was also reportedly to blame for much
of the tension between the star and her mother, and during the Gossip Cop interview, Mandy
seemingly confirmed that she wasn't a Bieber fan.
Explaining that she didn't communicate with him at all while Selena was dealing with lupus
complications, Mandy also admitted that she was "not happy" about Justin and Selena rekindling
their romance in 2017 after one of their many breakups.
However, she ultimately decided:
"Selena can live her life however she wants as long as she is happy, safe, and healthy."
Selena Gomez found it difficult to shed her Disney image when pursuing more mature acting roles.
This is a common complaint among former child stars who risk forever being associated with
their kid-friendly acting gigs.
Fellow Disney Channel alumni like Demi Lovato and Miley Cyrus ended up taking on more risqué
personas after transitioning into their adult careers.
Who could forget Miley's controversial "Bangerz" era, or the more adult image Demi debuted
after releasing their 2015 single, "Cool for the Summer"?
For her part, Gomez seemed to follow this trend when she appeared in the raunchy 2012
crime thriller, Spring Breakers.
The star later admitted in an interview on the Hollywood Reporter's "Awards Chatter"
podcast that earning a reputation as a mature actor wasn't easy.
She said:
"I felt like it was very difficult for people to take me seriously [...] I have slowly pushed
through that, and I'm really glad, but it was very frustrating.
I felt like a joke, you know?"
Outside of her career in entertainment, the singer-actor explained that she's also done
a lot of maturing in her personal life.
Of all the tragedy she's experienced in more recent years, she said:
"It was necessary for me to walk through those things [...] I had a lot of soul-searching to do.
By all means I don't have life figured out, but I do know that during that time I was
learning so much about myself."
After years away from the small screen, Selena Gomez returned to TV in Hulu's Only Murders
in the Building, alongside comedy legends Steve Martin and Martin Short.
It turns out that the actor may have stepped away from television due to her seemingly
unpleasant experience with the Disney Channel.
In 2021, Selena revealed to the Television Critics Association that she didn't have much
freedom while working with the company.
On her decision to join Only Murders in the Building, she said:
"I signed my life away to Disney at a very young age and I didn't know what I was doing.
What I'd say is the level of sophistication of the material is the first reason why I
wanted to do this [...] But when I was a kid, I didn't know what I was doing.
I was just running around on set and now I just feel like a sponge and I soak up all
the wisdom that I can."
During an interview with Radio Times, however, Selena later clarified that she was proud
of the work she did with Disney despite the challenges she faced.
Along with the musician's seemingly restricting contract, Selena also struggled with being
in the spotlight at such a young age.
The star's privacy wasn't respected, so she found herself in uncomfortable situations
as a teenager.
As she told Business of Fashion in 2017,
"I remember just feeling really violated when I was younger, even just being on the beach
[...] I was maybe 15 or 16 and people were taking pictures — photographers."
"Oh my God.
Do we have fans?"
"Oh thank God we have fans!"