Selena Gomez, a prominent figure who rose to fame through Disney Channel and has since established herself as a successful actress, singer, and businesswoman, has been remarkably open about her health journey. Her willingness to share her experiences, particularly regarding her mental and physical health, resonates deeply with her fans and the public alike. In a May 2024 interview with TODAY’s Hoda Kotb, coinciding with her makeup line Rare Beauty’s Mental Health Summit, Gomez emphasized her ongoing commitment to mental wellness, stating, “I will always be working on my mental health, and I will always evolve. I’m not better or worse than anyone. I’m simply just a person living and surviving every day.” This statement underscores her dedication to transparency and self-improvement in the face of health challenges.
Gomez’s health narrative includes several conditions, with lupus being a significant aspect. This article delves into Selena Gomez’s lupus diagnosis, the subsequent treatments she has undergone, and how these experiences have shaped her advocacy and public persona.
Selena Gomez’s Lupus Diagnosis and Initial Struggles
In a 2015 interview with Billboard, Selena Gomez publicly revealed her lupus diagnosis, stating it occurred two years prior in 2013. This announcement followed an abrupt end to her 2013 tour, during which she entered a rehab center for treatment. Gomez disclosed the severity of her condition at the time, explaining, “I was diagnosed with lupus, and I’ve been through chemotherapy. That’s what my break was really about. I could’ve had a stroke.”
Lupus is defined by the Lupus Foundation of America as a chronic autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues and organs. This can affect various parts of the body, including joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart, and lungs. While there are four types of lupus, Selena Gomez has not specified which type she has. Chemotherapy, as Gomez mentioned, is sometimes used in severe lupus cases to suppress the overactive immune system.
Alt text: Selena Gomez candidly discusses her lupus diagnosis and health journey in an interview.
The symptoms of lupus are wide-ranging and can include debilitating fatigue, joint pain, muscle aches, fever, skin rashes, chest pain, hair loss, and kidney issues. For Selena, dealing with these symptoms while maintaining a public career presented immense challenges. The speculation surrounding her tour cancellation in 2013 added to her stress. “I wanted so badly to say, ‘You guys have no idea. I’m in chemotherapy,’” she admitted to Billboard, highlighting her decision to retreat from the public eye until she felt ready to share her truth.
Furthermore, Selena Gomez has openly discussed the significant impact of lupus on her mental health. “I’ve discovered that anxiety, panic attacks and depression can be side effects of lupus, which can present their own challenges,” she shared with People in 2016. This acknowledgment of the mental health consequences of chronic illness is crucial in destigmatizing these interconnected struggles. In a 2017 TODAY interview, Gomez recounted often pushing through work despite experiencing lupus symptoms like fevers, headaches, and fatigue. “I would get fevers, headaches. I would get fatigue. But I always just kept going,” she told Savannah Guthrie. She reflected on this period with honesty, stating, “I kind of ignored it, to be honest. … I don’t think I made the right decisions because I didn’t accept it. And that’s extremely selfish, and at the same time, really just unnecessary. I’m not really proud of that.” This highlights her journey towards self-awareness and prioritizing her health.
Kidney Transplant Journey
A critical point in Selena Gomez’s lupus treatment was her need for a kidney transplant. In 2017, she announced on Instagram that she had undergone a kidney transplant due to lupus complications. “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 wrote in her post.
Alt text: Selena Gomez expresses gratitude to her friend Francia Raisa for the selfless kidney donation.
The Instagram post also revealed that her close friend, actress Francia Raisa, was her kidney donor. Gomez expressed profound gratitude, saying, “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. I am incredibly blessed. I love you so much sis.” This act of friendship and generosity became a powerful part of Selena’s story, emphasizing the importance of support networks during health crises.
Reflecting on this challenging period in the 2017 TODAY interview, Selena Gomez conveyed a message of resilience and positivity. “I don’t want people to think it’s a sad thing that I went through this with Francia or with anything in my life. I think all of the stuff that I went through made me and defined everything that I am right now. It’s a really beautiful thing and I have to remind myself of that. It’s not a negative experience.” While the transplant helped put her lupus into remission for a period, Gomez shared in her 2022 AppleTV+ documentary “Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me” that she experienced a lupus flare-up in 2020. This revelation underscores the chronic and unpredictable nature of lupus, even after significant treatment. “I was so young. I haven’t felt it since I was younger,” she said in the documentary, describing the painful resurgence of symptoms. “Now it just hurts in the morning. When I wake up, I immediately start crying because it hurts — like everything.” She further explained how the physical pain exacerbated her mental health struggles, highlighting the interconnectedness of physical and mental well-being in chronic conditions.
Mental Health Battles and Treatment Facilities
Selena Gomez’s openness extends beyond her lupus diagnosis to her ongoing battles with mental health. In 2016, she took a break from her Revival World Tour to enter a mental health treatment facility, acknowledging that anxiety, panic attacks, and depression were side effects of her lupus. In a statement to People magazine at the time, she said, “I want to be proactive and focus on maintaining my health and happiness and have decided that the best way forward is to take some time off.”
Alt text: Selena Gomez delivers an emotional speech at the American Music Awards about her mental health journey.
Reflecting on this decision in a subsequent TODAY interview, Gomez stated, “I went away to a facility. I took some time off. I needed to get my mind right, be healthy,” and “I removed myself from everyone in my life.” Her AppleTV+ documentary also captured this challenging phase, revealing the immense pressure she felt and its impact on her desire to perform. Her former assistant, Theresa Marie Mingus, recounted the severity of Gomez’s struggles in the documentary, revealing a moment where Gomez expressed suicidal ideation, emphasizing the depth of her mental health crisis.
Despite these struggles, Selena Gomez returned to the public eye in November 2016, accepting the American Music Award for favorite pop/rock female artist. In an emotional speech, she addressed her hiatus, stating, “I had to stop. I had everything, and I was absolutely broken inside. I kept it all together enough to where I would never let you down, but I kept it too much together to where I let myself down.” This powerful statement resonated with many, highlighting the pressures of fame and the importance of prioritizing mental health over external expectations. Gomez entered treatment again in 2018 to manage anxiety and depression further. Her mother, Mandy Teefey, described this period as a “mental breakdown” in the documentary, underscoring the seriousness of Selena’s ongoing mental health journey. In a 2022 Rolling Stone interview, Gomez revealed she has been to four mental health treatment facilities in total, demonstrating her continuous commitment to managing her mental well-being.
Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis
In April 2020, Selena Gomez publicly shared her diagnosis of bipolar disorder during a conversation with Miley Cyrus on her Instagram show “Bright Minded.” She explained that understanding her diagnosis was empowering, not frightening. “I discussed that after years of going through a lot of different things, I realized that I was bipolar, and so when I got to know more information, it actually helps me,” she said. “It doesn’t scare me once I know it. I think people get scared of that, right?” She emphasized the importance of knowledge in overcoming fear and stigma associated with mental health conditions. “I wanted to know everything about it, and it took the fear away,” she added.
Prior to this public announcement, Gomez had alluded to her mental health struggles in a January 2020 interview with the Wall Street Journal Magazine. She spoke about the relief of understanding her condition and finding effective treatment. “My highs were really high, and my lows would take me out for weeks at a time. I found out I do suffer from mental health issues. And, honestly, that was such a relief. I realized that there was a way to get help and to find people that you trust,” she shared. Gomez credited medication as transformative in managing her bipolar disorder, stating, “I got on the right medication, and my life has been completely changed.” Despite some resistance from her team, Selena Gomez felt it was crucial to share her bipolar diagnosis publicly. Speaking with Hoda Kotb on TODAY, she said, “I’ve been pulled in many different directions to not or to be able to say it. But once I did, there was no taking it back. I was very proud,” and “It allowed me to learn more about myself.” She further elaborated on the relief of understanding her own mind and emotions, stating, “I wasn’t understanding my mind. I wasn’t understanding my reactions and my emotions. And I think that was probably the most painful time in my life.”
Body Image Struggles and Self-Acceptance
Body image has been another significant area of struggle for Selena Gomez, often exacerbated by public scrutiny and online body shaming. She has openly discussed how her weight fluctuations, often due to lupus medications, became a target for criticism. In an episode of the Apple TV+ docuseries “Dear…”, she recounted, “My weight would constantly fluctuate because I would be on certain medications. And obviously, people just ran with it,” and “It was like they couldn’t wait to find a thing to bring me down. I was being shamed for gaining weight because of my lupus.”
Despite the negativity, Gomez has actively challenged these harmful narratives. “I would go online and I would post a picture of myself and I would say, ‘It doesn’t matter. I’m not accepting what you’re saying,’” she said. “All the while, being in the room posting and crying my eyes out because nobody deserves to hear those things.” To manage the intense scrutiny on social media, particularly with her massive Instagram following of over 428 million, Gomez has implemented boundaries. She told Hoda Kotb in May, “I disabled all my comments on my photos on Instagram for only my friends,” explaining, “So I think I’ve created boundaries to help me,” and “People fussed about it. They fuss about everything. I felt empowered by doing that, by saying, ‘This is just for me.'”
Alt text: Selena Gomez reflects on body image and self-acceptance in a swimsuit photo.
In an Instagram post earlier in the year, Gomez further reflected on body image, sharing a throwback picture alongside a recent one in a swimsuit. “Today I realized I will never look like this again…” she wrote, concluding with a message of self-acceptance: “I’m not perfect but I’m proud to be who I am. Sometimes I forget it’s ok to be me.” This ongoing journey towards self-acceptance and body positivity is a powerful message, especially for those facing similar pressures.
SIBO Diagnosis
Most recently, in 2024, Selena Gomez disclosed another health condition – SIBO, or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Responding to social media speculation about her body during red carpet appearances, she commented on TikTok, “I have SEBO in my small intestine. It flares up. I don’t care that I don’t look like a stick figure. I don’t have that body. End of story. No I am NOT a victim. I’m just human.”
SIBO, as defined by the Cleveland Clinic, occurs when there is an imbalance of bacteria in the small intestine, leading to digestive issues such as gas and diarrhea. By sharing this diagnosis, Gomez continues to demystify health struggles and advocate for body acceptance, even when facing ongoing health challenges.
Conclusion
Selena Gomez’s journey with lupus, alongside her mental health and body image battles, is a testament to her resilience and commitment to authenticity. Her openness about her lupus diagnosis, kidney transplant, bipolar disorder, and other health conditions has not only informed the public but also inspired countless individuals facing similar challenges. By sharing her story, Selena Gomez uses her platform to advocate for health awareness, mental health destigmatization, and self-acceptance, making her a powerful voice and role model in today’s world.
