Selena Gomez opens up about heartbreak, Lupus diagnosis and career

Selena Gomez gave a rare and raw interview about how her personal struggles have influenced her music.

Selena Gomez isn't one to shout her business from the rooftops, and, deep down, I think that's why she's been so majorly successful in her career. However, in a recent interview, the songstress got very candid about how she found meaning in her breakup with Justin Bieber, her health battles, and her personal struggles During the Twilio SIGNAL 2023 conference, she discussed the course of her career and the roles these played in shaping her work. Selena, 31, attributes some of her best music to her most painful experiences. In fact, the Only Murders in the Building actress' first number-one Billboard Hot 100 song, Lose You To Love Me, was written out of heartbreak following her split from Justin Bieber. Selena and Justin dated under the watchful eye of fans for the better part of eight years, and it was a relationship that gave rise to highly invested 'Jelena' fans. "When I was going through a heartbreak, I immediately wrote my best music and wanted to be there for every woman, or a man, or whoever going through that journey," she confessed. The Calm Down singer has always been known for her selflessness, and a lot of what she does is for others. Speaking on her health battle with Lupus, Selena, in true Selena style, says she didn't give up in the hopes she would serve as inspiration. "I try my hardest to say at least they’re not alone, and if I keep going, hopefully, that means someone else can keep going because I don’t want to always do it, but I want to for them more so than myself at times, but I’m a work in progress, and it’s just one day at a time. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that occurs when your body's immune system attacks your own tissues and organs. The former Disney star's best friend, Francia Raisa, donated one of her kidneys to Selena in 2017 when she was facing complications from the disease.

As well as raising awareness for Lupus, Gomez has often spoken out about her mental health struggles in a bid to make others feel less alone.

Gomez reflected on her mental health journey, saying that having lupus and going through great heartbreak all had a greater purpose.

"I don’t know where I adopted the attitude, but it’s helped me feel better in life. And the following is not a pity party. It’s just how I think.

"So when I got diagnosed with lupus, I was around 16 or 17. It was a very brutal process, and I didn’t enjoy it at all. But cut to a few years later, I was able to visit a child in the hospital, and they would not look at me until I said I had lupus too. And that’s when I knew that that happened to me because I could do that moment," Gomez admitted, clearly emotional.

Just when I think I can't love Selena Gomez anymore, she always seems to prove me wrong.

READ MORE

• Kendall Jenner's makeup artist reveals expert tips and trends to watch this autumn
• Miley Cyrus has dedicated her new single to Sinéad O'Connor
• Zendaya reveals why she keeps her romance with Tom Holland a secret
• The four best books to read if you're obsessed with Anna Wintour