Selena Gomez is done letting strangers on the internet tell her who she is.
In her latest interview with Allure, the Only Murders in the Building star opened up about the reality of living in the spotlight, and how tough it’s been dealing with body-shaming over the years.
Honestly? It feels like she’s talking directly to all of us who’ve ever been dragged for our appearance.
Selena Says She’s ‘Sensitive’ About Her Weight
Sel opened up about body image, lupus, therapy, and learning how to let the BS roll off her back. “I’ve dealt with a lot of weight issues in my life,” she said, adding that it’s something she’s always been super “sensitive” about.
It’s not just random. Selena explained that her autoimmune disease, lupus, plays a huge role in her body’s changes. Diagnosed back in 2013, lupus can cause everything from pain to inflammation—and on top of that, the medications she’s been on have led to noticeable weight fluctuations.
Selena Admits Therapy Helps
Instead of ignoring the hate, Selena’s been facing it head-on with dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). She compared the process to peeling back layers of herself to understand where her emotions are coming from.
She admitted, “I got stung by a person saying I was fat,” which then led her to question, “Why is that [emotion] coming up?”
And then she would connect it to something deeper: “Oh, now I understand, that’s stemming from that one time when I was going through some medical stuff and I had gained weight,” Selena explained.
She admitted, though, that this kind of inner work isn’t easy—“you just definitely have to be willing to do the work, and that part can be tricky,” she said. But for her, it’s been worth it.
Selena Says Lupus Has Caused Arthritis
Selena might be in remission now (after that kidney transplant in 2017), but lupus still affects her everyday life.
“I deal with a lot of dexterity issues myself, and it can get frustrating. Even just popping open a can can hurt. I know what that feels like,” she explained to Allure.
The singer even admitted on the Good Hang with Amy Poehler podcast on Sept. 9 that this is likely caused by arthritis. “I have arthritis in my fingers, and that’s due to my lupus,” Selena shared. “So, I remember before the [Rare Beauty] brand, I was trying to open a water bottle and it hurt really bad before I was on the right medication.”
“And we somehow inherently made the [Rare Beauty] products easy to open, and then we realized, wait — they kind of have to be that way,” she explained. “And then we started to make every product with the intention of [working for] anybody who [has] dexterity problems.”
Selena is Focusing on Growth
Despite all of it—body shaming, health struggles, the spotlight—Selena told Allure she’s committed to growth in every area: “I want to keep evolving and getting better in every area of my life. And I want to experience everything, so it’s important for me to keep myself in check.”
The best part? She says therapy has helped her learn how to face emotions without letting them take over: “I’m so stoked that when an emotion pops up, I’m able to acknowledge it and be a part of it, then let it go.”
Between her Rare Beauty empire, her engagement to Benny Blanco, and this new level of self-awareness, Selena is clearly in her glow-up era—and honestly? I’m here for it.
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