Selina Gomez, the actress, recording artist, producer and social media queen wants you to meet the new Selena Gomez. She’s switching gears a bit by seeking a more serene lifestyle based on health concerns. That being said, don’t think for a moment that the Mexican-American super star has changed her focus. While she craves more private time with her family and close friends, Gomez knows she wouldn’t be a celebrity and independently wealthy without her adoring fans.
You see, Serena’s early childhood never even closely resembled a plump piñata filled with candy. She was born in Grand Prairie, Texas when her mother was only 16 years old and five years later, the couple divorced.
“I remember being frustrated that my parents weren’t together, and my mom sometimes had two or three jobs just to make a better life for me,” Gomez recalls. “But I never saw any light at the end of the tunnel while we were in Texas.”
Selena had a close relationship with her grandparents, who often took care of her while her mother was working. As she grew older, they would often enter her in pageants which eventually led to acting auditions. Finally when she was 10, Gomez landed a gig on the Disney series “Barney and Friends,” where she co-starred on the set with Demi Lovato. That sprouted to an opportunity to appear as a regular on the popular series “Hannah Montana,” and Selena was on her way.
Since she was barely 13, Gomez has performed in dozens of films with mixed reviews, an equal number of television productions, two solo and three mixed albums, two world tours, and started her own fashion and fragrance lines. During that time, Serena was also involved in a whirlwind romance with Nick Jonas, then later got caught up in a complicated relationship with Justin Bieber that included eight breakups and reconciliations.
Life in the fast lane would eventually catch up with Gomez, both physically and mentally. When only 21, she suffered from Lupus, underwent chemotherapy, and later needed a kidney transplant. During that surgery, a main artery burst and replaced with one from her leg. But due to her age, Gomez recovered quickly and continued to work at a tireless pace until 2017 when she checked into an Arizona substance abuse facility. Although Selena only claimed to be suffering anxiety and depression, her Instagram account blew up with negative comments that only worsened her condition.
“I don’t know what they (fans) thought I was doing…drugs, alcohol, partying, whatever,” complained Gomez, who temporarily shut down her account. “The narrative was so nasty.”
The following year at the same treatment center, Gomez was diagnosed with a bipolar disorder and has been doing much better with the proper medication.
“I felt such a huge weight lifted off me when I found out,” she recalls. “I could take a deep breath because it explained everything about my mental health.”
During her recovery, Gomez trimmed down her schedule, but did purchase a large new home in Los Angeles where she resides with her maternal grandparents and a couple of roommates. During the pandemic, Selena was busier than most of her entertainment colleagues, although careful to pick and choose her projects. Two years ago, Gomez started her own cooking show on the tube called “Selena + Chef,” mainly because she isn’t exactly an expert in the kitchen. Her punchline on the on the program is usually, “what am I going to burn up today?” But part of the skit is when a well known chef appears remotely as a guest and guides Gomez through her creation, although nobody knows what her dish will look like or taste when pulled out of the oven. What counts is that she has fun with it, and the show has generated $350,000 for various non-profit organizations.
In an attempt to get back to her roots, Selena recorded “Revelacion,” her first all Spanish album back in March. It was something she always wanted to do, and the lull during COVID made the timing perfect.
“It was a challenge,” admits Gomez. “Singing in Spanish is a lot different than just speaking it, and I didn’t want to look like a fool.”
Probably Selena’s most impactful accomplishment during the break however, was shooting the exclusive Hulu film, “Only Murders In The Building,” which will be released on August 31st. Gomez, who was an executive producer in the movie, plays the role of a lonely young potty-mouthed woman who lives in a fancy Upper West Side Manhattan apartment building where another resident was murdered. Despite a police investigation, Selena’s character teams up with veteran actors Steve Martin and Martin Short to solve the mystery themselves and create their own podcast. The production gets a bit silly at times, but is highly entertaining. That’s because the threesome bonded on set and enjoyed each other immensely.
“I love working with older actors because they share so much wisdom,” noted Gomez. In return, Short was quick to return the praise.
“We grew very close to Serena,” admitted Martin. “She has an immediate warmth and loveliness about her.”
Perhaps these qualities were enhanced by a sense of fulfillment and confidence Gomez now feels with her life now that she seems in total control. Another side gig she recently set in motion was a makeup line called “Rare Beauty.” Selena’s desire is to have young women and older teens wear makeup because they want to, and not just because they want to look like someone else. Like all her endeavors, Gomez would hope that “Rare Beauty” will be a cash cow for charity, with a goal of $100 million over 10 years to help raise awareness for mental health.
As for social media, Selena is back on full blast, but has an assistant to monitor all the activity, both positive and negative remarks. She glances at posts occasionally, but admits that she has deleted all the popular apps from her phone. Less stress is a good thing.
Now at only 29 years of age, Selena Gomez is obviously focused on her still budding career. But she’s now calling the shots with a new management team. She has matured and is more aware of misinformation, hate speech (which she and her family have personally experienced), human trafficking, the plight of undocumented migrants and LGBTQ rights.
“I don’t (personally) need money,” says Selena. “I need people who want to help me fight.”
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