Earlier this month, Selena Gomez released her own documentary that she filmed for the past six years. It explores the raw challenges Selena faces on a daily basis with her mental health and also focuses on the struggles of being one of the most famous pop sensations in the world. I am going to highlight the top three eye-opening moments for myself as the viewer I felt while watching. I recommend this documentary to anyone who is a fan of Selena or interested in exploring mental health. If you are like me and you do not have Apple Tv+, you can enroll into a weekly free trial – just remember to cancel it! Watch Selena’s documentary on Apple TV+.
Personally, Selena Gomez is my favorite celebrity and has been since 2007. Ironically enough, Selena Gomez opens the documentary with a behind-the-scenes clip of one of her concerts where she is looking at herself in the mirror and is upset over her “non-womanly” body. She is so upset with her appearance, she begins spiraling in front of her team. This tour date was the first show of her Revival tour and actually a concert I attended. After this weekend in 2016 being one of the best times of my life, I now have a personal insight into how Selena was feeling during the show. It is a heartbreaking feeling to have attended this exact concert and now learn how much mental pain she was in while performing.
In the documentary, Selena is shown attending three different press interviews. The first one shows Selena being asked to describe the DJ Marshmello using one word. She says “fluffy.” The next interview she is asked to describe a song that reminds her of being in love, to which she responds “I don’t know if I have one.” Then, it cuts to the last interview where the interviewer asks her favorite color and she responds “red.” After these series of interviews are shown, Selena is sitting with her team on a couch and breaks down. She says she is so tired of feeling like a product during these interviews. She thinks the interviewers are not listening to what she has to say and it reminds her of her Disney days. She says you will never catch her doing interviews like these.
Selena and her best friend Raquel, who you might recognize from Selena + Chef, embark to do philanthropy in Kenya. While in Kenya, they meet young women from the schools Selena has created through her charities. All of these women have faced extreme hardships and sadness in their lives yet still have a positive and grateful attitude to keep going. Selena is inspired by these women, yet feels guilty when she returns home. She mentions how Kenya is not her reality as her lifestyle is very different here in California. Raquel tries to comfort Selena by reminding her that they can try to visit Kenya quarterly to minimize the disconnected feeling she is having.
Selena Gomez is one of my biggest role-models and I did not know she faced this many struggles in what seems to be a desirable lifestyle. I tried to not spoil too much in this article for you to still go watch the documentary. I hope she continues to be in the spotlight for however long she can because fans like me truly adore her!