Selena Gomez Says Disney Forbid Her From Saying This Common Phrase

The actress famously played the role of Alex Russo on Disney channel's 'Wizards of Waverly Place.'

Selena Gomez is getting candid about what it was like to work for Disney, including the pristine image she was pressured to keep up during her time at the family-friendly network.

The actress and former child star famously played troublemaker Alex Russo on Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place, but behind the scenes, she had some very specific rules to follow.

Gomez, now 30, revealed in an interview published on Wednesday, Feb. 15, that she wasn't allowed to use the common phrase, "What the hell?" while working for Disney, which is known for promoting its actors as role models.

"I wasn't a wild child by any means, but I was on Disney, so I had to make sure not to say 'What the hell?' in front of anyone," the "Same Old Love" singer told Vanity Fair for their 2023 Hollywood issue. "It's stuff that I was that I was also putting on myself to be the best role model I could be."

But Gomez's philosophy has definitely changed as she's gotten older, telling the publication, "Now I think being the best role model is being honest, even with the ugly and complicated parts of yourself."

As we know, the Rare Beauty founder released a documentary, My Mind & Me, back in November, where she spoke very openly about her battle with bipolar disorder.

Related: Selena Gomez Addresses Body Shaming Comments After Golden Globes Appearance

"I think [the documentary] finally allowed me to start being open about everything. It’s not that I was kind of sad—I actually have things that are chemically imbalanced in my brain, and I need to understand what that is, take care of it, and nurture it," she stated in the new interview. "I’m not ashamed of it. I don’t ever feel, even for five seconds, that I’m crazy. My thoughts tend to ruminate, but it’s up to me to be proud of who I am and to take care of myself."

"I don’t want people to ever have anybody tell them, 'Don’t say that because it’ll seem bad. You won’t get this job or that boy or that girl or whatever.' I guess I was rebelling," she added.

Gomez—who got her start in the industry as an actor on Barney & Friends—worked on Wizards from 2007 to 2012. While she once said she was worried she would always be linked with Disney, she told VF that she now feels "free" of that association.

"Sometimes I get triggered," she stated while clarifying, "It’s not that I’m ashamed of my past, it’s just that I’ve worked so hard to find my own way. I don’t want to be who I was. I want to be who I am."

In recent years, Gomez has taken on a more mature role in Hulu's Emmy-nominated series Only Murders in the Building, starring alongside Steve Martin and Martin Short as the character Mabel Mora—who definitely is allowed to curse.

You can watch the first two seasons of Only Murders now on Hulu, but the cast is still filming for the highly-anticipated third season.

Here's everything we know so far about Season 3 of Only Murders in the Building.