Selena Gomez made a major reveal in a recent interview with Billboard magazine, finally reasoning what her long time away from the spotlight was all about. “I was diagnosed with [autoimmune disease] lupus, and I’ve been through chemotherapy. That’s what my break was really about. I could’ve had a stroke.” the Revival singer told the magazine for its Oct. 17 issue.
“I was diagnosed with lupus, and I’ve been through chemotherapy,” the Revival singer told the magazine for its Oct. 17 issue. “That’s what my break was really about. I could’ve had a stroke.”
The 23-year-old singer added that though rumors were making rounds as to why she was keeping a low profile over the past few months, she had to bite her tongue.
She fend off rumors that she was suffering from addiction by saying
“I wanted so badly to say, ‘You guys have no idea. I’m in chemotherapy. You’re a–holes,’ But I was angry I even felt the need to say that. It’s awful walking into a restaurant and having the whole room look at you, knowing what they’re saying. I locked myself away until I was confident and comfortable again.I locked myself away until I was confident and comfortable again.”
Gomez, who in June told radio host Elvis Duran that she doesn’t trust anyone, and that she feels like she’s under constant scrutiny no matter what she does.
“I’m so f—king nice to everybody, and everyone is so vile to me,” she said. “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.”
But, she admitted, “The hate motivated me.”
Among the people she does feel she can trust within the entertainment industry, however, is longtime bestie Taylor Swift.
“Taylor makes me feel empowered, like I can trust new people,” she said, adding that Swift’s notorious squad is “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.”
When asked if her own career turnaround is linked to her ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber’s recent pledge to take charge of his life, Gomez quickly said :
“No. This is my time. I’ve deserved this,” she said. “I earned it. This is all me.”
What is LUPUS?
Lupus is short for a condition called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It’s an autoimmune disease that can take years to diagnose because the symptoms can masquerade as other illnesses.
Lupus isn’t rare—around 1.5 million Americans, mostly women, are affected. But lupus can be misdiagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis or another condition. And symptoms that seem like lupus can sometimes be due to a virus.
The American College of Rheumatology says that if a patient has at least 4 of these 11 signs (though not necessarily all at the same time) they can be diagnosed with lupus.
11 symptoms to Diagnose Lupus
Butterfly rash
A persistent rash across the cheeks and nose, in the general shape of a butterfly, is “very characteristic” of lupus
Sunlight-triggered rash
Exposure to sunlight or other sources of ultraviolet light (even artificial) can worsen a lupus patient’s butterfly rash.
Mouth or nasal sores
Mouth ulcers are one of the most common symptoms of lupus. But what makes a lupus mouth ulcer unique, that its nearly painless
Joint swelling
Joints that are red, warm, tender, and swollen may signal lupus. Aching and stiffness alone aren’t enough; the joints have to be affected by arthritis and these other “cardinal signs of inflammation,
Inflammation of the lining of the heart or lung
Inflammation of the lining around the heart (pericarditis) or lungs (pleuritis) can be a sign of lupus.
Urine abnormalities
Microscopic blood cells and proteins that are not normally found in urine can appear in the urine samples of some lupus patients.
Seizures or psychosis
Lupus can trigger a variety of brain and nervous system problems, including nonspecific symptoms like anxiety, headaches, and vision problems.
Anemia
Anemia, or an inadequate number of circulating red blood cells, is very common, especially in lupus’s target population: women. Iron deficiency anemia, for example, is frequently present during menstrual cycles.
Discoid rash
A discoid rash is “fairly classic” in lupus, says Dr. Gilkeson. The disc-shaped patches appear red and raised, and typically develop on the face, scalp, and neck. They often leave scars.
Positive ANA test
The antinuclear antibody (ANA) test is the go-to screening test for lupus. If the result is negative, says Dr. Gilkeson, you can “almost guarantee” that a patient doesn’t have lupus. On the other hand, a positive result is much less clear; 90% to 95% of people who have a positive ANA test don’t have lupus.
