Selena Gomez has opened up on social media about how her body has changed over the years but stands firm that she is "proud" of who she is.
In 2020, Gomez revealed a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, sharing the challenges of managing the highs and lows.
Addressing her health further, Gomez, 31, acknowledged the ongoing impact of her kidney transplant, a procedure prompted by lupus, an autoimmune disease.
On a TikTok Live, she emphasized the importance of prioritizing her well-being and medication regimen.
The Rare Beauty founder also discussed reclaiming decision-making power and embracing lessons from past experiences. "If it ends up being a mistake, it’s your mistake to learn from. Take a lesson from that. Does it make you feel good? Does it not? Evaluate and get to know yourself as much as you can," Gomez advised.
Drawing from her personal growth, she concluded: "I can relate to a whole sea of beautiful human beings because I’ve walked through some really tough moments, and now I’m on the other side."
Gomez is now using social media to shed light on her personal life once again and to use her platform to share that it's important to be proud of yourself.
Taking to her Instagram story, the star posted two images, the first being from 2013 when she was 21 years old.
In the image, Gomez is in a zebra bikini and she wrote in the post: "Today I realized I will never look like this again..."
The follow-up photo was from last year where she was wearing a bikini once again, as she wrote: "I’m not perfect, but I am proud to be who I am… Sometimes I forget it’s ok to be me."
In October, the 31-year-old candidly shared the emotional toll she endured following the release of paparazzi pictures in 2018.
In an interview with Fast Company, Gomez revealed the impact of the intrusive images captured during her downtime on a yacht in Australia.
The pictures, showing Gomez in a striking black and orange bikini proudly displaying scars from a kidney transplant, became a catalyst for online trolls to unleash a barrage of body-shaming comments.
Gomez had opted for a social media hiatus at the time. However, compelled by the overwhelming negativity, she broke her silence to address the hate. In an Instagram post, she highlighted the societal pressure of the "beauty myth" and its impact on women's self-esteem.
"The beauty myth — an obsession with physical perfection that traps modern woman in an endless cycle of hopelessness, self-consciousness, and self-hatred as she tries to fulfill society’s impossible definition of flawless beauty," she stated.
The artist admitted to already grappling with body image concerns as she transitioned away from a "teenager’s body." In the interview, she remarked on the unrealistic expectations placed on women and the embarrassment she felt when standard sample sizes no longer fit.
