Selena Gomez Opens Up About Her ‘brutal’ Lupus Diagnosis: I’m A Work In Progress

Selena Gomez was diagnosed with lupus during her teenage years, which eventually affected her mental health. Recently, in an interview for the Twilio SIGNAL 2023 conference, the singer-actress opened up about how her personal struggles have shaped the course of her career. She also reflected on how the lupus diagnosis served a greater purpose in her life.

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Selena Gomez terms lupus diagnosis a ‘brutal process’

In the interview, Selena Gomez spoke candidly about how her mental health and lupus diagnosis had a greater purpose. She said, “I don’t know where I adopted the attitude,” the Only Murders In the Building star said. She further talked about her diagnosis and said, “And the following is not a pity party. This is just how I think. So, when I got diagnosed with lupus, I was around 16 or 17.”

(Selena Gomez talks about her lupus diagnosis and how it affected her teenage years | Image: Selena Gomez/Instagram)

“It was a very brutal process, and I didn’t enjoy it at all. But cut to a few years later, I was able to visit a child in the hospital, and they would not look at me until I said I have lupus too. And that’s when I knew that that happened to me because I could do that moment. I’m a work in progress, and it’s just one day at a time,” Selena shared. 

What is Lupus disease?

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune illness in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues and organs. This attack causes inflammation and in some circumstances, lasting tissue damage. The condition can be spread and affect skin, joints, heart, lungs, kidneys, circulating blood cells and brain. There is currently no cure for the condition, only treatments.