Selena Gomez is getting candid about going through her health issues in the public eye.
In September 2017, the singer announced on Instagram that she had undergone a kidney transplant due to complications from lupus. Gomez, 27, announced her lupus diagnosis in October 2015.
During a recent interview on her friend Raquelle Stevens’ video podcast Giving Back Generation, Gomez opened up about dealing with “weight fluctuation” after her diagnosis — and the negative comments she received about her body on social media.
“I have lupus and deal with kidney issues and high blood pressure, so I deal with a lot of health issues, and for me that’s when I really started noticing more of the body image stuff,” the “Lose You to Love Me” singer explained.
Gomez clarified that the “combination” of her lupus, the medication that she takes, and various other health factors regularly affects her weight.
“It’s the medication I have to take for the rest of my life — it depends on even the month, to be honest,” she said of her weight fluctuation. “So for me, I really noticed when people started attacking me for that. And in reality, that’s just my truth. I fluctuate. It depends what’s happening in
my life.”
“That got to me big time,” she said of the comments she received about her weight. “That really messed me up for a bit.”
However, Gomez added that she’s now “very happy with living my life” and doesn’t spend much time thinking about social media anymore.
“I don’t care to expose myself to everyone and hear what they have to say about it,” she said.
“My first number 1!! This song is so dear to my heart. I’ve been working so hard to make this album as honest and fun as possible while remaining vulnerable enough to share where I am in life,” Gomez wrote on Instagram in celebration.
“I love you deeply and thank you so much for listening,” she continued. “I want to thank each and every person that was [a part] of this moment that I’ll never forget!”
One day after she dropped the raw ballad in late October, Gomez followed up the song with an upbeat breakup anthem titled “Look at Her Now.”
Opening up recently on Apple Music’s Beats 1’s New Music Daily with Zane Lowe, the star said she’s feeling more creatively fulfilled than ever after overcoming a difficult period in her life.
“I learned a lot from the last album and I wanted to take what I’ve learned and turn it into something even better,” she told Lowe. “I’m glad I did because this year everything kind of just started pouring out of me. I started saying things in a way that I’ve never been able to articulate them
before, so it was actually exactly when it needed to happen.”
