Selena Gomez on mental health: ‘Society constantly tells us that we’re not enough’

Selena Gomez has opened up about how she deals with ‘impossible’ beauty standards, her mental health and recovery, and what she keeps private.

EXCLUSIVE: She’s a singer, actor, producer, makeup mogul, and one of the most followed celebrities on Instagram.

Selena Gomez discusses “impossible” beauty standards, her mental health and recovery, and what she keeps private.

Stellar: You’ve played roles that have ranged from a reluctant bad girl in Spring Breakers (2012) and the victim of a gruesome zombie attack in The Dead Don’t Die (2019) to the over-100-year-old daughter of Dracula in hit children’s film franchise Hotel Transylvania.

You’ve also recently wrapped filming comedy series Only Murders In The Building, in which you play Mabel, a true-crime fanatic.

Selena Gomez: Filming Only Murders In The Building was such an incredible experience. [Co-stars Steve Martin and Martin Short] are both such comedy legends – I learnt so much from them. The role was so much fun.

‘Society constantly tells us that we’re not enough.’ Selena Gomez is speaking out about impossible beauty standards. Picture: Rare Beauty

S: You launched your make-up brand Rare Beauty in 2020, named after your acclaimed album Rare, which you’d released earlier that year.

SG: Society constantly tells us that we’re not enough, [so] I wanted to start a brand to challenge and eliminate that pressure – to change the conversation. My goal with Rare Beauty is to break down these unrealistic standards of beauty.

I saw from personal experience how these impossible beauty standards were having such an effect on my mental health and I know a lot of people who felt the same way. There’s a strong connection between how we talk about beauty and mental health. And I think we should discuss both.

“I’m having a lot of fun being blonde.” Picture: Instagram

S: On that note, you’ve never shied away from discussing your own mental-health journey, revealing last year you had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. A year on, how are you feeling?

SG: I’m in a good place right now. My mental health is something I work on every day.

S: Now that you’re 28, how has your relationship with your body image and self-confidence changed?

SG: “Rare” has always been a really special word to me. It’s all about accepting and loving the parts of us that make us unique – I think that’s so important.

Selena Gomez is bringing her Rare Beauty brand to Australia via Sephora. Picture: Getty Images

S: You’re known for your chameleon-like style, and recently dyed your hair from brunette to peroxide blonde, causing a break-the-internet moment on Instagram. What made you do it?

SG: I get bored easily and like to switch it up. Going blonde was a long process and it actually took eight hours, [but] I’m having a lot of fun being blonde – I’ve been wearing more pinks and peachy shades.

Selena Gomez features in this Sunday’s Stellar.

S: You’re one of the most followed celebrities on social media, boasting an Instagram audience of 233 million. How do you balance your public and personal personas? 

SG: I’m an open book for the most part, but it’s important for me to have space and time with my friends and family. When I’m with them, I try to be really present and just enjoy the moment.

S: Are there any days when you feel like switching off from it completely?

SG: I think it’s so important to take breaks from scrolling on social media. At Rare Beauty we do social detox weekends often, when we encourage our community to log off for the weekend. It makes a big difference with mental health.

Rare Beauty launches in Australia at Sephora this August.