by In 2017, actress Francia Raisa donated her kidney to her close friend of 10 years, Selena Gomez.
Selena had been diagnosed with lupus six years earlier, an autoimmune disease that causes the body to attack healthy parts of itself.
Prior to the transplant, the star said her own kidneys “just got done” due to organ damage related to lupus.
Speaking on the Today’s show after the operation, Francia recalled: “[Selena] goes: “I don’t know what to do, the [donor wait] the list is seven to 10 years long,” and it just made me vomit. I was like, ‘Sure, I’m going to get tested.’
“I didn’t want to ask a single person in my life,” Selena said at the time. “The idea of asking someone to do it was really difficult for me. She volunteered and did it.
The singer also said it was “incredible” that Francia turned out to be a match.
Selena revealed she had undergone a kidney transplant in September 2017, when she shared a sweet photo of herself and Francia holding hands in their hospital bed as they prepared for the ‘operation.
“There are no words to describe how I can possibly thank my beautiful friend Francia Raisa,” Selena wrote at the time. “She gave me the ultimate gift and sacrifice by donating her kidney to me. I am incredibly blessed. I love you so much sis.”
The following year, Francia opened up about her experience donating a kidney, where she revealed she had a much harder time recovering from the operation than Selena.
“It’s harder as a donor because we lose something our body didn’t need to lose, so try to get over it and she gains something her body needed,” she said. said on the Harry Connick Jr. Harry. “So she’s on her feet and immediately and I struggled.”
“I couldn’t get up without someone helping me. It was very humiliating. I couldn’t take a shower by myself, I had to have someone help me because I couldn’t move” , continued Francia.
But despite the grueling aftermath of the operation, Francia expressed no regrets about volunteering as she said it made her and Selena “like family”.
“It was a big operation. She felt bad even making me do that because we’re just friends. I’m not her family or anything. Well, I am now. She has my blood,” she said at the time.
“She felt bad. We just wanted our families to be there and that was cool because now I have a big family. I lost my grandparents when I was younger…His grandparents are my grandparents now and so I have this extension of a family and it’s really amazing,” Francia added in the post. interview from 2018.
So when Selena’s new Apple TV+ documentary my mind and me came out on Friday, people were taken aback by the star’s commentary on her friendships in the industry.
“I’ve never been in a cool group of girls who were celebrities,” Selena said in one scene. “My only friend in the industry is really Taylor [Swift].”
Francia was not mentioned at all in the 95 minute film.
E ! News posted Selena’s quote to her Instagram page on Saturday, and Francia responded, commenting, “Interesting.”
She quickly deleted the comment, but ditched Selena on social media.
At the time, some rushed to Selena’s defense by pointing out that Francia is an actress and speculated that she specifically talked about the music industry in her documentary.
“Selena Gomez said her only friend in the music industry was Taylor Swift. Francia Raisa apparently isn’t in the music industry, so why get upset like that? Selena has said many times that ‘she considered Francia her sister,’ one person tweeted.
Selena Gomez says her only friend in the music industry is Taylor Swift. Francia Raisa is apparently not in the music industry, so why get upset? Selena has repeatedly said that she considers Francia her sister.
Another agreed: “Selena considers Francia her own sister so why would she say Francia is her only industry friend?? I also believe Selena was talking about the music industry and not Hollywood in general.
selena sees francia as her own sister so why would she say francia is her only industry friend?? also i believe selena was talking about the music industry and not hollywood in general😭
But when someone made a TikTok video of Francia’s apparent snub on Sunday, Selena fueled the backlash by commenting, “Sorry I didn’t mention everyone I know.”
This response drew huge criticism online, with one person writing on a Reddit forum: “‘Everyone I know’ uh, how about the ONE person who gave you a literal body part ? Do you think that name could be on the tip of your tongue? »
“I was supporting Selena but she comes across here as a real snot,” another replied. Someone else added: “I gave her the benefit of the doubt but that comment is not a good look for her.”
“It’s the ‘I know’ part that appeals to me. No ‘I’m close’ or ‘I’m friends with’ like the person who donated their kidney to you was a random acquaintance,” someone else wrote. To which another user replied: “Exactly! This is such a shocking thing to say, I would have thought it was wrong.
“Annnnnnd you lost me Selena. This girl risked her life to save yours. Fuck text her and talk about it like an adult instead of doing a quick reply on TikTok,” another comment read. .
“’Everyone I know.’ Bitch, she gave you one of her ORGANS,” someone else said.
“Selena this is not the boss time you think it is😂😂😂😂,” another concluded.
Selena has previously been accused of ambushing Francia into donating her kidney after doctors told her they were compatible before telling Francia.
“When I found out I was compatible, it wasn’t like I expected,” Francia told Self in 2018.
“One day, I got a phone call from Selena, on FaceTime, and she was like, ‘We’re compatible!’ and I’m like… ‘Yeah, how do you know that?’ Francia continued. “I had a way I wanted to tell him, when I made the decision.”
Francia admitted she was “angry” when she called her social worker about the news, and people slammed doctors for telling Selena first and inadvertently pressuring Francia to she accepts the operation.
“She wanted to take the time to really think about the decision that was going to change her life and that was taken away from her. she definitely felt compelled to do it afterwards :(,” one person commented on an excerpt from Francia’s interview.
“This is honestly extremely sad……how can you say no after this time,” wrote another. Someone else said: “1) Francis was guilty of stumbling through the proceedings (doc is an idiot) 2) Selena should have allowed him to make the decision instead of celebrating.”
Just over a year after the 2017 transplant, Radar Online reported that Francia was unhappy with Selena’s ‘unhealthy choices’ after she was spotted drinking alcohol before heading to a facility. mental health in October 2018.
And in 2019, a source told the same publication that Selena was sick of feeling indebted to her friend.
“The truth is, Selena was sick of feeling like she owed him because she gave him a kidney,” the insider said at the time. “It was Francia’s choice; Selena didn’t steal her kidney.”
In December that year, Selena sparked a backlash when she called Francia “the girl who gave me her kidney”.
But the pair appeared to rekindle their friendship in the years that followed and often posted about each other on social media – even making a TikTok video together just four months ago.
BuzzFeed News has reached out to reps for Selena and Francia for comment.
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