Selena Gomez didn’t just grow up on screen; she grew up under a microscope. But in April 2022, the global pop sensation and Only Murders in the Building star pulled the curtain back on something far more personal than her discography or red carpet appearances: Bipolar disorder diagnosis. “It was really freeing to have the information [of being diagnosed with bipolar disorder],” Gomez revealed during an emotional sit-down on Good Morning America.
It made me really happy because I started to have a relationship with myself, and I think that’s the best part. Like, I’ve probably been the happiest I’ve ever been.
That rare moment of honesty wasn’t just about catharsis; it was a preview of a broader mission. Gomez, alongside her mother, Mandy Teefey, co-founded Wondermind, a mental fitness company that supports individuals navigating similar mental health challenges. “I really want people to be understood and seen and heard. It’s okay to not be okay,” the recently married singer emphasized.
Selena Gomez Broke Silence on Mental Health: Life With Bipolar Disorder Explained
Selena Gomez doesn’t shy away from hard truths. In her documentary, My Mind & Me, she paints a clear picture of her diagnosis journey. She shared in a clip shared by Vanity Fair via TikTok:
When I first got out, I didn’t know how I’d cope with my diagnosis. What if it happened again? What if the next time, I couldn’t come back?
The documentary reveals how her childhood fear of thunderstorms became a metaphor for understanding bipolar disorder. She recalls how her mom used books to help her understand storms, easing her anxiety. In her YouTube preview clip for the documentary, Gomez said something that hits like a ton of bricks: she is “grateful to be alive.
Did Selena Gomez Experience Emotional Abuse? Closer Look at Her Relationship with Mom
While the world saw Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber’s romance as an on-again-off-again tabloid carousel, what lay beneath was far darker. In a 2020 NPR interview, Gomez shared, “I do feel I was a victim of certain abuse.” When asked to clarify if she meant emotional abuse, she didn’t hesitate:
Yes, and I think that it’s something that — I had to find a way to understand it as an adult.
The aftermath of that relationship reverberated far beyond the tabloids, reportedly even affecting her bond with her mother. In 2014, Gomez’s parents stepped down as her managers, sparking rumors that she had fired her own mother. Mandy Teefey later cleared the air in a 2018 Suggest. interview, saying:
Every mother and daughter has disagreements… We lost family time because the only time we saw her, we talked business.
Their rift was also reportedly fueled by Gomez’s relationship with Bieber. Teefey admitted she was “not happy” when the couple rekindled in 2017 and revealed she didn’t speak to Bieber during Gomez’s lupus battle. Still, she gracefully added:
Selena can live her life however she wants as long as she is happy, safe, and healthy.
Through all of this, Gomez found a new kind of strength. As she told The Hollywood Reporter in 2022, the experience taught her a fundamental lesson: she shouldn’t tolerate mistreatment.
Selena Gomez’s Honest Account of Living with Mania, Psychosis & S*icidal Thoughts
Beneath the sequins and spotlight, Selena Gomez’s mental health journey took a scary turn, one marked by mania, psychosis, and s*icidal ideation. In her Rolling Stone interview, she confessed:
I thought the world would be better if I wasn’t there.
One particularly haunting moment was recounted in My Mind & Me, where her assistant, remembered (via Page Six):
At one point, she’s like, ‘I don’t want to be alive right now. I don’t want to live.’ And I’m like, ‘Wait, what?’ It was one of those moments where you look in her eyes and there’s nothing there. It was just pitch black. It’s so scary.
Even her sanctuary, her bedroom, became a minefield. “The bedroom is a real trigger for me [from] when I was going through psychosis,” Gomez shared in 2023. She described feeling immobilized. To quote her (via Rolling Stone):
It would start with depression, then it would go into isolation… me not being able to move from my bed. I didn’t want anyone to talk to me.
So, what does this mean for her fans and followers or for the millions grappling with similar mental health challenges? Could Selena Gomez’s transparency ignite a broader conversation about bipolar disorder and emotional abuse in celebrity culture? Have they changed how you view her or made you reflect on your own mental well-being? Spill your thoughts in the comment section below!
If you or someone close to your heart is feeling overwhelmed or in crisis, support is just a call or text away, dial 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.
