Selena Gomez's kidney donor has spoken out about her relationship with the singer after rumors that she was not invited to the wedding.
Weeks after the 'Who Says' songstress tied the knot with music producer Benny Blanco, attention shifted to a noticeable absence: Francia Raisa, who famously donated her kidney to the 33-year-old in 2017 during the singer’s lupus battle.
The How I Met Your Father star, 37, recently spoke out in a resurfaced bookstore interview filmed before the wedding, offering a candid response to ongoing speculation about her relationship with Gomez.
Speaking in Spanish, Raisa made it clear there’s no bad blood and emphasized that her life-saving gesture came with no strings attached.
“I know she's getting married, and I'm very happy for her. And look... she has a life and she is already a billionaire and I am grateful that I could do that for her,” she said, according to Yahoo.
‘It’s a donation’
Raisa compared her organ donation to a charitable act. “From the beginning, the doctors told me, it's a donation,” she explained.
“If you are going to donate a dollar to St. Jude or somewhere else, you're not going to call to say, 'Hey, what are you doing with my dollar?'"
"It's a donation, and it's something nice that I was able to do,” she continued, adding: “I am grateful that I am alive, and I can say that I have saved a life."
Rumors of a falling out between the two intensified in recent years, especially after reports that Raisa was upset with the 'Love You Like A Love Song' musician for smoking post-transplant - claims Raisa dismissed outright.
"Well, right now what you are asking me is nonsense that has been in the media, and there are too many rumors," she said.
"I've never said anything." As for the speculation over Gomez’s lifestyle choices, Raisa clarified: “I wasn't aware of those rumors.”
When asked about the current status of their friendship, Raisa said their connection remains private. “No one knows what's going on, and neither she nor I are talking about it,” she said. “One day, maybe we will address it.”
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Bieber family posts spark speculation during wedding
While Raisa chose to keep her commentary measured, other reactions to Gomez’s wedding drew attention for a different reason - notably from the family of her ex-boyfriend, Justin Bieber.
On the day the couple shared official photos from their wedding, Bieber’s mother Pattie Mallette posted a spiritual message on Instagram featuring her son wearing a shirt that read “pray for me.”
The caption read in part: “I declare freedom, strength, clarity, and healing over you Justin... Heal every wound in his heart, mind, and body... Say amen if you agree.”
Though the Only Murders In The Building star wasn’t mentioned, fans quickly drew connections.
“Nothing, it’s just Selena’s wedding,” one commenter wrote, while others accused Mallette of poor timing.
Adding to the buzz, Bieber himself posted footage from a basketball game that weekend, accompanied by his song 'I Do', a romantic ballad about his marriage to Hailey Bieber. Fans flooded the comments with thinly veiled jabs: “Benny: I Do! Justin: I do too.”
Inside Selena’s ‘fairytale’ ceremony
Despite the social media noise, Gomez and Blanco's wedding was a joyous celebration.
The actress’s mom, Mandy Teefey, called it “a perfect celebration,” writing on Instagram: “All my love to my beautiful daughter @selenagomez and to the greatest son-in-law @itsbennyblanco!!!”
“It was a fairytale come true, and it was beyond heartwarming watching my father walk her down the aisle!!! XO,” she added.