Selena Gomez decided to take a break from social media after ending her long-standing on-and-off relationship with popstar Justin Bieber in 2018. Their eight-year romance concluded, and shortly after, Justin started dating his now-wife Hailey Baldwin. Selena has shared that her heartbreak played a significant role in her decision to step back from Instagram.
Speaking to Fast Company, Selena - who only returned to the platform over the last year - said: “I had just gotten my heart broken. I didn’t need to see what everyone was doing. Then there were those moments of not feeling positive about how I looked because of what I’d see on Instagram. Wow, I wish my body looked like that.”
The 'Lose You To Love Me' hitmaker also said cruel comments over her figure, because she no longer had a "teenager's body", took a toll at the same time, reports femalefirst.co.uk. She said: "None of the sample sizes were fitting, and that would make me feel embarrassed. Although how unrealistic is it to expect a normal woman’s body not to change?”
Although Selena was diagnosed with bipolar disorder the same year she split from Justin, she only made her condition public two years later and she explained she was "freaked out" at the thought being open would lead to her being judged and losing work.
She said: “I grew up being a people pleaser. I had a responsibility at a very young age - young people were looking up to me. I didn’t know who I was. Having that responsibility would make me walk on eggshells a lot. “I thought maybe it would be damaging to tell people who I am. It started to become a threat that freaked me out. Well, if you’re not right, then you can’t work.”
She was relieved to get her diagnosis because she'd been struggling with her moods. She said: “I went through a really hard season. It was my highs and my lows, and I didn’t know what to do, so I couldn’t control it. “I would want to cancel things. It was just a tormented feeling. That’s why, when I found out my diagnosis, it was just: ‘Oh, okay, I feel a bit relieved, I understand a bit more.’” Selena thinks the key to her popularity is she comes across as a "best friend" to her fans, rather than an unobtainable "goddess".
She said: “I’m not unattainable. I look at someone like a Beyonce, and I am amazed. My jaw drops. Every part of her is just impeccable, and it’s just so beautiful. I went to her show and was blown away. But I’m just not that, and that’s okay. "I’m me, and I’m a little silly, but I also like being sexy and fun, and I also want to do good with the time I have here. We need goddesses like Beyonce and Adele. But I’m just happy to be your best friend.”
(With IANS inputs)
