Selena Gomez took to her Instagram to spread some body positivity on Monday. The 31-year-old actress shared a comparison of herself in a tiny zebra bikini from 2013 to a more recent photo, embracing her fuller figure in high-waisted bikini bottoms and a white tube top.
In the post, Selena opened up about accepting her body, acknowledging that she may never look the same as she did in the past. She shared her struggles with body shaming comments and expressed her pride in herself, despite not being perfect. This message of self-acceptance is not new for Selena, as she has addressed body positivity in the past, particularly in regards to her weight gain due to her lupus medication.
Selena’s candid post serves as a reminder that it’s okay to embrace who you are, imperfections and all.
Selena Gomez, aged 31, took to her Instagram Stories on Monday to share comparison photos of herself in a bikini; one taken in Miami in 2013 and the other in Mexico in 2023.
Earlier that day, Gomez was seen without makeup wearing cozy grey sweats and fuzzy beige slides as she headed to the skincare salon Face Place in West Hollywood for a pampering session. The 52-year-old facility offers various medical aesthetic procedures like Botox, Radiofrequency Microneedling, Kybella, and Plasma Fibroblast Skin Tightening.
Last February, the pop star spoke out against online trolls who had body-shamed her, stating that she will “never be a model.” Gomez explained that due to the medications she takes, she tends to retain water weight but urged her fans to practice self-love even in moments of insecurity.
Despite the weight fluctuations as a side effect of her medications, Gomez emphasized the importance of her health, stating, “My medications are important, and I believe they are what helps me.” She also made it clear that she does not condone body shaming and encouraged the haters to “go away,” as she will never conform to societal beauty standards.
In conclusion, Gomez reiterated that she is not striving to be a model and that her health will always be a top priority over body image concerns.
“Today it hit me that I’ll never see myself like this again…” she captioned the photo, where she flaunted her fit body in a small zebra bikini.
In her caption, she expressed gratitude for embracing her imperfections and being proud of her true self. She shared a photo of herself rocking high-waisted bikini bottoms, showcasing her fuller figure.
Earlier that day, Gomez rocked a fresh-faced look, opting to go without makeup. She wore cozy grey sweatpants resembling cashmere material and paired them with comfortable beige fuzzy slides while treating herself to a pampering session at the renowned skincare salon, Face Place, located in bustling West Hollywood.
In February, she clapped back at critics who were body shaming her, and opened up about how her weight gain was due to the medication she takes for lupus.
In the past, Gomez admitted that she portrayed herself differently online, appearing unfazed by criticism when the truth was she was actually upset and crying. This was highlighted when she was spotted at the Golden Globes in January.
She mentioned: ‘I really admire them – but just to clarify, I don’t see myself like that at all.’ The talented artist then went on to urge her fans to embrace self-love and self-acceptance. ‘I just want to tell anyone out there feeling any shame about their situation that nobody really knows the whole story,’ she expressed. ‘I just want everyone to realize that they are beautiful and incredible.’ The former Wizards of Waverly Place star also emphasized the significance of prioritizing her health rather than her appearance. ‘Sure, there are days when we may not feel great, but I would always choose to be healthy and look after myself,’ she explained. The previous month, the creator of Rare Beauty stood firm against further criticisms about her body after her appearance at the 2023 Golden Globes. During an Instagram Live session, Selena questioned her nine-year-old half-sister Gracie, ‘I may have put on a few pounds recently because I enjoyed the holidays, right?’ Gracie seemed to agree, to which Selena responded, ‘But that doesn’t bother us.’ She also spoke out against body-shamers in 2022 in a TikTok Stories post. ‘To be honest, I don’t pay attention to my weight since people always have something negative to say about it. You’re too thin, you’re too big, that outfit doesn’t suit you, blah blah blah.’
During last year’s Golden Globes, the founder of Rare Beauty faced body shaming comments but gracefully shut them down. (Pictured above)
In September 2017, the singer revealed that she had received a kidney transplant due to complications from lupus, with her friend Francia Raisa as the donor. She defiantly stated, “I am perfect just the way I am. Moral of the story? Bye.”
Despite her earlier claims of not being affected by body shamers, the star later admitted in an episode of the Apple TV+ docuseries, Dear…, that she had struggled more than she let on. Gomez confessed that she portrayed herself online as unaffected by criticism, but in reality, she was often in tears over hurtful comments.
“I would pretend not to care about what was being said, but deep down, I was posting pictures of myself while crying my eyes out because nobody should have to endure such cruelty,” she revealed.
At 24, the Lose You To Love Me singer faced organ damage due to lupus, leading to the life-saving kidney transplant operation in 2017, graciously donated by her close friend Francia Raisa.
