Selena Gomez has come forward with a personal health battle – she has lupus.
The 23-year-old opened up to Billboard about the chronic, autoimmune disease that forced her to cancel a portion of her “Stars Dance” tour in 2013 and 2014.
“I was diagnosed with lupus, and I’ve been through chemotherapy. That’s what my break was really about. I could’ve had a stroke,” the singer told the mag. “I wanted so badly to say, ‘You guys have no idea. I’m in chemotherapy. You’re a**holes.’ I locked myself away until I was confident and comfortable again.”
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The singer, whose next album, “Revival,” drops on Friday, explained that channeling her creativity helped with her frustration.
“I’m so f**king nice to everybody and everyone is so vile to me. I’ve been working since I was 7. I’ve been a UNICEF ambassador since I was 17. It’s so disappointing that I’ve become a tabloid story,” she explained. “The hate motivated me.”
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Another source of help for Selena is her friend Taylor Swift.
“Taylor makes me feel empowered, like I can trust new people,” she told the mag when asked about Taylor’s squad. “All of those girls are so dope. We ran around taking pictures, changing dresses, dancing – super-cliche girly stuff, but it rocked. The way she cares about women is so adamant. It’s pulling me out of my shell.”
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Earlier this week, Selena announced that she’s embarking on a world tour, which will kick off on May 6.
— Jesse Spero
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