Actress and pop singer Selena Gomez revealed that she had been diagnosed with lupus, an auto-immune disease, in 2015 via Billboard. Fans had noticed that she had not been very active in the media, and when she was seen entering a rehab facility, rumors started to surface. She explained to Billboard that she had been diagnosed with Lupus and had been getting chemotherapy treatment. She told fans that she had been taking a break from her career to focus on her physical and mental well-being.
Lupus is a chronic illness that can look different for every person who receives a diagnosis. Some people experience muscle and joint pain, and some experience extreme fatigue. Tons of other symptoms are possible in combination with each other. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, women are also at the highest risk for lupus, as it affects more women than men. In Selena’s case, her most apparent lupus symptoms included major kidney problems— which resulted in a kidney transplant in 2017.
As her condition worsened, she got quieter in terms of music promotion and social media activity. She took to Instagram to reveal that she had received a kidney transplant and was in recovery.
Her generous donor happened to also be her best friend, Francia Rasia. Rasia is also an actress in the television industry best known for her roles in Bring It On, Grown-ish and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Gomez makes it clear to fans that she is extremely gracious to her best friend and this life-saving donation. “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. I love you so much sis” she states in her post.
Gomez and Rasia first became friends in 2007, when they met at a charity event at a children’s hospital. They immediately clicked and have been friends ever since. Rasia and Gomez were shown an outpour of love after Selena revealed that she had undergone a kidney transplant and the kidney was from her best friend. They appeared in an emotional joint interview to discuss the transplant, the recovery and their friendship. The pair has been very vocal and open about the transplant and explained that their friendship has naturally gotten stronger. They have made numerous TikToks together and displayed their matching tattoos on Instagram.
When Selena released her documentary My Mind & Me early this month, Rolling Stone published an interview with her to talk about the filming process and discuss topics the documentary brings up. Francia Rasia, Selena’s best friend and kidney donor, is not mentioned once in the film nor the interview, yet Gomez states “I never fit in with a cool group of girls that were celebrities. My only friend in the industry really is Taylor,” referring to Taylor Swift. In an Instagram post restating Selena’s quote by E! News, Rasia commented “Interesting,” but this comment has now been deleted. Fans have also noticed that Rasia is no longer following Gomez. In response to the controversy, Gomez commented “Sorry I didn’t mention every person I know,” on a TikTok discussing the drama.
Selena has been receiving a lot of backlash concerning her failure to mention Francia Rasia in the documentary and interview. What do you think? Was it an honest mistake on Selena’s part, or was it an act of ignorance?
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