Selena Gomez Talked Media Mockery Over Her Mental Health

westwood, california january 11 selena gomez attends the premiere of universal pictures dolittle at regency village theatre on january 11, 2020 in westwood, california photo by axellebauer griffinfilmmagic

(Image credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin)

published 22 June 2021

Selena Gomez spoke about the stigma attached to mental illness and the media bullying she faced when she first sought treatment in her new Vogue Australia cover interview.
"I never understood the stigma until I went to my first treatment centre," Gomez said. "But then there was a photograph that got out, and it’s wild to see how mean they were."
"I’m watching all of that change, slowly but surely, because now, if any media outlet made fun of me, they’re the ones that look like the asshole because we don’t tolerate that anymore," she continued.

In her latest Vogue Australia cover interview, Selena Gomez spoke about the stigma attached to mental illness, and the cruel coverage she received from the media when she first sought treatment. Gomez, who shared her bipolar disorder diagnosis in an Instagram Live with Miley Cyrus last year, also discussed the positive impact of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) in maintaining her mental health.

"I’ve been to four treatment centres. I think in mental health, I never understood the stigma until I went to my first treatment centre, because that was years ago," she said. "But then there was a photograph that got out, and it’s wild to see how mean they were."

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"It was like: 'She’s the next this person, she’s the childhood star,' whatever. And: 'She’s doing drugs.' They’re saying all this stuff about me," Gomez continued. "I’m watching all of that change, slowly but surely, because now, if any media outlet made fun of me, they’re the ones that look like the asshole because we don’t tolerate that anymore."

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Gomez, who recently launched the Mental Health 101 campaign with Rare Beauty to improve mental health services in education, told Vogue Australia, "I have goals. I want to put this as a curriculum into schools." She also spoke about the steps she takes to protect her mental wellbeing. "I feel like I practise [DBT] every day," Gomez said. "And then I also love being in the studio. Because the first hour I’m in a studio, I just talk. It’s like therapy. You just go in and you share your heart."

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Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.