Selena Gomez is no stranger to the struggles of fame, but she finds that life in the spotlight is “worth it” if it means she can help people.
In her cover story interview for Interview magazine’s April issue, Selena opened up to Amy Schumer about the perils of living in the spotlight.
“My intention was never to become a tabloid. So when things kind of happened that way, it got out of control,” Selena said. “And then I was like, ‘Wait, none of this is true.'”
“The way the media has sometimes tried to explain things has made it sound really bad, when in reality there’s nothing wrong with the fact that I needed to go away or that I fell in love,” she continued.
Selena says she “doesn’t remember a time” when she wasn’t living her life publicly – and she’s had aspects of her life, including her high-profile relationships with Justin Bieber and The Weeknd, and even her mental health treatments, splashed all over the news.
“I had to start opening up because people were taking away my narrative and it was killing me,” she said. “I’m so young and I’m going to keep changing, and no one has the right to tell me how my life’s going.”
But she doesn’t want people to worry about her. “I’ve gone through some really difficult stuff, and because of those moments, whether I liked it or not, a picture was painted of my life,” she shared.
“It got out of control when I was super young. I think it showed people that I was weak in certain moments, and that I had troubles,” she added, remarking, “Some people just get off on building people up and then trying to bring them down.”
She points out that the media attention has even thrown some curveballs to her career.
“That was scary because I didn’t want it to affect my career,” she says. “Sometimes it’s been bad for my career, but other times it’s like, ‘Now I can talk about things like my depression and anxiety, things that I’ve struggled with and which I’m totally open about, because I believe in seeking help.’ But other than that, what keeps me grounded is that I do my best to avoid it. It’s not like I don’t live my life.”
She wants to assure fans – particularly those who “worry about me because I’ve had some trouble in the past” – that “I’m okay” and that “I’m very, very happy,” despite admitting “it’s sometimes hard for me to be happy for myself.”
Selena has opened up about undergoing a kidney transplant and as well as her mental health struggles, and she wants to use her platform to help people going through “similarly scary things.”
“I love people. I care, a lot. I’ve gone through a lot of medical issues, and I know that I can reach people who are going through similarly scary things — an organ transplant, or being on dialysis, or going away for treatment,” she said.
“A huge part of why I have a platform is to help people. That’s why I think I’m OK with the magnitude,” she added, clarifying, “I mean, I’m not really OK with it — but I’m going to say that I am because it’s worth it.”
“I know that I’m making someone somewhere feel good, or feel understood or heard, and that’s worth it for me,” she said.
