In a heartbreakingly honest moment, Selena Gomez has revealed what she was really up to during her brief stint in ‘rehab’ last year. It turns out, she was undergoing chemotherapy.
‘I was diagnosed with lupus, and I’ve been through chemotherapy. That’s what my break was really about. I could’ve had a stroke,’ she told Billboard for their October cover story.
Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease where your immune system attacks healthy cells and tissues which can damage any part of the body (skin, joints, and/or organs).
Related: New Study Says Fat-Shaming May Be Deadly
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So while the media thrived by reporting on her ‘drug addiction’, Selena was actually battling a life-threatening disease.
The 23-year-old singer held nothing back in the interview, explaining why she chose not to comment at the time, ‘I wanted so badly to say, “You guys have no idea. I’m in chemotherapy. You’re assholes.” I locked myself away until I was confident and comfortable again.’
She went on, ‘I’m so f—ing nice to everybody, and everyone is so vile to me. I’ve been working since I was 7. I’ve been a UNICEF ambassador since I was 17. It’s so disappointing that I’ve become a tabloid story.’
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It’s no secret that Gomez has become somewhat of a positive body role model. Earlier this year she hit back against people who called her ‘fat’ with the above Instagram. Despite the positive caption, she admitted that fat-shaming drove her to therapy, adding, ‘I’d land at the airport and people would yell out, “You’re fat!” It was awful.’
Selena isn’t letting it get her down, though. She’s using the negative energy as motivation to take control of her life and make her new album, Revival, the best it can be and says, ‘The hate motivated me.’
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