Selena Gomez made a shockingly candid announcement on Instagram Thursday morning: the 25-year-old star revealed that she had a kidney transplant earlier this year and has been recovering away from the public eye.
Gomez shared a picture of herself in a hospital bed, holding hands with long-time friend Francia Raisa. The caption says that she knows fans noticed she was laying low for the summer, and might be questioning why she wasn’t promoting her new music. She admits in the caption to needing a kidney transplant due to her lupus, Vogue writes. The Instagram post also shows pictures of her scars, and she thanked her family and the “incredible team of doctors” for everything they have done.
The young star also acknowledged that she received the kidney transplant from Raisa, and wrote “there aren’t words to describe how I can possibly thank my beautiful friend Francia Raisa. She gave me the ultimate gift and sacrifice by donating her kidney to me. I am incredibly blessed,” Vogue reports.
Raisa shared a picture of the two of them back in July for Gomez’s birthday.
Gomez has struggled with the autoimmune disease for years. She had to cancel her worldwide concert tour after suffering major side effects from lupus, such as depression, panic attacks and anxiety.
This article was featured in the InsideHook newsletter. Sign up now.
