Slay, Selena. Slay.
Since announcing her diagnosis of lupus last autumn, Selena Gomez decided to cancel the remainder of her Revival World Tour, announcing, 'As many of you know, around a year ago I revealed that I have lupus, an illness that can affect people in different ways. I've discovered that anxiety, panic attacks and depression can be side effects of lupus, which can present their own challenges. I want to be proactive and focus on maintaining my health and happiness and have decided that the best way forward is to take some time off. Thank you to all my fans for your support. You know how special you are to me, but I need to face this head on to ensure I am doing everything possible to be my best. I know I am not alone by sharing this, I hope others will be encouraged to address their own issues.'
This weekend, Selena Gomez made her first public appearance since her hiatus and the world welcomed her honesty and heartfelt realness more than ever. Dressed in a red Prada dress, Cartier jewellery and Giuseppe Zanotti heels, the star looked suitably stunning while delivering a powerful message. Going up to receive her favourite pop/rock female artist award, she said:
'Thank you guys so much. In 2014, this stage was actually the first time that I was authentically 100 percent honest with all of you. I think it's safe to say most of you know my life whether I liked it or not. And I had to stop. Because I had everything. And I was absolutely broken inside. I kept it all together enough to where I would never let you down, but I kept it too much together to where I let myself down.'
(Her 2014 reference was about the year she got teary while performing at the AMAs - the same year her relationship to Justin Bieber deteriorated.)
'I don't want to see your bodies on Instagram. I want to see what's in here. I'm not trying to get validation, nor do I need it anymore. All I can say is I'm so grateful that I have the opportunity to be able to share what I love every day with people that I love. I have to say thank you so much to my fans, because you guys are so damn loyal, and I don't know what I did to deserve you. But if you are broken, you do not have to stay broken. That's one thing you should know about me: I care about people. And this is for you.'
Cue crying from the crowd, including an emotional Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande. Watch the speech for yourself here…
It's not the first time celebrities have spoken out about mental illness, and we hope it won't be the last.
