Through the years, Selena Gomez has been open about her mental health as well as how living with lupus affects her body. Her chronic health condition has caused a number of physical changes in recent years. However, the multi-hyphenate recently took to social media to reflect on her outward appearance and express love for her present-day self.
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Selena has practically grown up in the spotlight. From her beginnings on Barney & Friends to starring in Disney’s Wizards of Waverly Place, to launching successful music and acting careers, starting a makeup brand and her own production company, and more, it’s been quite the journey. And she’s accomplished it all while coping with an often debilitating autoimmune disorder.
Selena revealed her lupus diagnosis in 2015.
During a 2015 cover story for Billboard, the Only Murders in the Building actress revealed she had been diagnosed with lupus. The autoimmune disease was why she took a step back from the spotlight. “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,” she told the publication before referencing rumors surrounding her absence. “I wanted so badly to say, ‘You guys have no idea. I’m in chemotherapy. You’re a–holes.’ I locked myself away until I was confident and comfortable again.”
In January 2024, Selena posted a 'before' bikini photo of herself.
On January 22, the “Single Soon” singer posted a couple of “before and after” photos to her Instagram Story. The first picture showed a younger Selena wearing a zebra-print string bikini. “Today I realized I will never look like this again…" she wrote.
The 'after' bikini photo showed a more recent shot of the actress.
Selena next posted a more current image of herself wearing a swimsuit. In the photo, she rocks black high-waisted bikini bottoms with a white bandeau top. “I’m not perfect, but I am proud to be who I am… Sometimes I forget it’s ok to be me,” she captioned the picture.
Previously, Selena spoke about weight gain caused by her lupus medication.
The medication Selena takes to manage her autoimmune disease causes her to put on more weight than she typically would. "[When I'm taking it, 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," she explained during a TikTok livestream, per People. "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."
Selena had a kidney transplant in 2017, thanks to her close friend Francia Raisa.
Due to complications from lupus, Selena underwent a kidney transplant during summer 2017. She revealed the news via Instagram with a photo of herself and her kidney donor/close friend, Francia Raisa lying side-by-side in hospital beds. "I want to publicly thank my family and incredible team of doctors for everything they have done for me prior to and post-surgery," Selena wrote. "And finally, 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."
She opened up about struggling with lupus and bipolar disorder in a 2022 documentary.
In her 2022 Apple TV+ documentary, Selena Gomez: My Mind And Me, Selena offered a behind-the-scenes look at how lupus affects her, both physically and mentally. "I was so young. I haven't felt it since I was younger," she said reported the Independent, referencing a lupus flare-up during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Now it just hurts in the morning. When I wake up, [I] immediately start crying because it hurts—like everything."
Selena continued: “I’ve been having really bad dreams about my past and stuff. I think my past and my mistakes—that’s what drives me into depression. It’s like, my whole life since I was a kid, I’ve been working. The only thing I want is [to be] a mom. I don’t want to be super famous. I just feel stuck, and I just wanna move forward.”
