'HAPPY JUST TO BE ALIVE'

THE SINGER GETS REAL ABOUT HER MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES AND HOW HONESTY SAVED HER

- Jennie Noonan

Hosting her first annual Rare Impact Fund Benefit at Nya Studios in Hollywood on October 4, Selena Gomez spoke about how she’s navigated some of the darkest days of her life. “I struggled with the world inside my head for a long time and I felt lost and I felt hopeless at times,” she said, alluding to a rough patch that included the cancellation of her 2016 tour before completing a 90-day stint at a treatment facility in Tennessee.

“In 2020, I received my diagnosis of bipolar disorder. And to be honest, everything quickly changed,” she added. “I’m less afraid than I used to be … I’ve been working really hard every day and I’m just so happy just to be alive and to be here with all of you guys today.”

Gomez, 31, who has also had to deal with symptoms from her lupus diagnosis and underwent a kidney transplant in 2017, went even deeper during an interview with Fast Company, sharing how having a large platform – she’s the most-followed woman on Instagram – can often feel like a double-edged sword.