Reuters – Selena Gomez wants her fans to donate to charity for her 31st birthday. The ‘Only Murders in the Building’ actress, who hit the landmark on Saturday (22.07.23) took to Instagram to tell her followers to become do-gooders like she has been.
She said: “I am thankful for so much in my life and one of the things I am most thankful for is the work we’ve been able to do with the Rare Impact Fund through @Rarebeauty.
“Because of YOU we’ve been able to raise awareness and increase access to mental health services for young people. This is my true passion in life.”
Selena added that instead of getting gifts she wanted people to “donate to the Rare Impact Fund.”
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She said: “If you have the means, consider donating to help us make a difference. I LOVE YOU ALL!”
Selena created the Rare Impact Fund in 2020 as “part of her commitment to addressing mental health and self-acceptance”, according to the good cause’s website.
The singer – who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2020 – has also used social media to open up about her mental health battles. She’s admitted to suffering a “mental breakdown” during her 2016 ‘Revival’ tour, which she cancelled early.
Her former assistant Theresa Mingus said on Selena’s Apple TV+ documentary ‘My Mind and Me’ about Selena: “At one point she’s like, ‘I don’t want to be alive right now. I don’t want to live.’”
Selena has taken breaks from social media after being bombarded with hate from trolls, and last year hit back at a TikTok video that claimed she was “always skinny” when she was dating Justin Bieber.
The actress left a sad face emoji in reply to the clip that shared a montage of her apparently looking thin during her on-off relationship with the singer, 29, in the 2010s.
It had the caption: “The reason why Selena is always skinny when she dates Justin”.
Selena’s fans criticised the TikTokker who posted the video, saying they had body shamed her.
Others highlighted how Selena was diagnosed with Lupus in 2015, which led her to take medication and undergo a kidney transplant in 2017.
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Selena has said on TikTok: “So I be trying to stay skinny, but I went to Jack in the Box and I got four tacos, three egg rolls, onion rings and a spicy chicken sandwich.
“But honestly, I don’t care about my weight because people b**** about it anyway: ‘You’re too small. You’re too big. That doesn’t fit. Meh meh meh meh’.
“B****, I am perfect the way I am. Moral of the story? Bye.”
In 2019, Selena said her weight often changes due to the “medication I have to take for the rest of my life”.
She added: “So for me, I really noticed when people started attacking me for that. And in reality, that’s just my truth. I fluctuate. It depends what’s happening in my life.” (Reuters)