Selena Gomez reached out to Demi Lovato 'personally' after apparent overdose: 'I didn't do a public thing'
Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato rose to stardom together — both going through their own “stuff.” Needless to say, Lovato’s recent apparent overdose left her old pal rattled.
Gomez broke her silence in an interview with Elle, which was conducted six days after Lovato was rushed to the hospital after reportedly overdosing on fentanyl-laced oxycodone and the “Sober” singer was still hospitalized with complications. According to the magazine, Gomez started to talk about it but then got choked up.
“All I’m saying is, I reached out personally,” she finally said. “I didn’t do a public thing. I didn’t want to. I … I love her. I’ve known her since I was 7. So … it’s … that’s what I’ll say.”
Gomez and Lovato became quick pals on the set of Barney & Friends in 2002 and endured ups and downs — as friends do — as they transitioned to adult stars. In October, their bond was still apparent as they hit the InStyle Awards together. Lovato is currently in a long-term treatment program to get sober again.
Gomez’s interview with Elle is the October cover story — and she comes off as guarded on a number of topics. Asked again to comment on her decision to work with Woody Allen in A Rainy Day in New York (the director was accused of molesting his 7-year-old daughter, Dylan Farrow, in 1992, which he has denied), Gomez said, “I think it’s best not to.” The magazine pointed out that Gomez’s Allen collaboration is especially brow-raising because she has been volunteering five days a week at A21, a global anti–human-trafficking nonprofit. (As for the internship, she said, “I just wanted to serve.”)
Gomez wouldn’t comment on her ex Justin Bieber’s quickie engagement to Hailey Baldwin either — especially so soon after Gomez and Bieber had split (again) — with the magazine noting that all three are associated with Hillsong Church. Hillsong is a running theme in the interview: Someone from Hillsong set her up with the interview, and her new roommate, referred to only as Raquelle (likely Raquelle Stevens, one of her BFFs), is also in Hillsong. Though Gomez did share a snippet of some new music, including a song about cutting a man out of her life after “1,460 days” and “cleaning my slate.”
A second track is about a man who doesn’t respect her — which leads to speculation it’s about another ex, the Weeknd. The lyrics include: “Were my ambitions too high?” and “Baby, you’re so distant. Why don’t you recognize I’m so rare?” Another song, “Flawless,” is about shining despite imperfections. (“Even when you’re imperfect, even when you’re feeling worthless, you are flawless. It’s a song I’m going to sing for the rest of my life.”)
A post shared by Elle Magazine (@elleusa) on Sep 4, 2018 at 6:07am PDT
Gomez also talked about selling off many of her properties (“I think everything in my life is being majorly downsized, in a very good way”), moving with Raquelle out of Los Angeles to Orange County, Calif. The move has been “such a release,” she said, noting L.A. got “really claustrophobic.”
And while Gomez, who had a kidney transplant in 2017 after complications from the autoimmune disease lupus, continues to be the most followed celeb on Instagram with 142 million followers, she has ditched the app and lost her password. So when you see her posting — mostly promoting work stuff (Coach, Puma) — know that she is doing it via the phone of a friend who has access to her account. “I haven’t been on the internet in months,” she said.
The break has been good, she insists to Elle. “Right now, I feel very sure of where I am,” said Gomez, who has been in treatment herself multiple times for depression and anxiety. “I don’t feel erratic or emotionally unstable. Or like I can’t handle my emotions, like I used to. It’s kind of understanding myself a little more. By all means I don’t have myself figured out. But it feels good.”
After the interview came out, Gomez didn’t seem fully onboard with the end result, describing herself as “a bit bummed but rarely surprised.” She was vague about what bothered her, referencing her personal life (“there will always be interest”) as well as Hillsong (“rarely do I mention church — and I didn’t”). We’d venture to guess that she didn’t feel there was enough attention on her work with A21, leading her to share a series of photos from her volunteering efforts with the non-profit.
A post shared by Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) on Sep 4, 2018 at 9:10am PDT
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