Earlier this month Selena Gomez used her birthday as an opportunity to open up about feeling overwhelmed. In an Instagram post marking her 24th year, she said, “I need to rethink some areas of my life creatively and personally.” A few weeks later and she’s elaborated again on her relationship with anxiety and depression. In a statement to People the singer explained how her battle with Lupus has impacted her mental, as well as physical, health. Now in an effort to get better, she’s decided to take some time off to “focus on maintaining my health and happiness.” She will cancel the remaining dates of her Revival World Tour.
She thanked her fans for their support and continued, “I need to face this head on to ensure I am doing everything possible to be my best. I know I am not alone by sharing this, I hope others will be encouraged to address their own issues.”
Speaking about mental health across any platform is commendable: Selena’s choice to make a very personal battle very public, and offer a possible sense of solidarity to millions of fans and observers, is especially powerful. She joins other young stars like Justin Bieber and Zayn Malik who have also recently spoken about the ongoing experiences with depression and anxiety.
Together they appear to mark a shift in the way these issues are dealt with by the public sphere. If the outpouring of love she has received on social media is anything to go by, her fans will be right here when she’s ready to get back to work.
Credits
Text Wendy Syfret
Photography Scott Trindle