Selena Gomez gives tearful speech thanking friend who saved her life
Francia Rasia gave her kidney earlier this year to aid Gomez in her battle against Lupus
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Selena Gomez broke down in tears while accepting the Woman of the Year award at Billboard's Women in Music 2017 event.
The reason for her emotion was because of who had handed her the award: her best friend, actor Francia Raisa, who had given her a kidney earlier this year to aid Gomez in her battle against Lupus. She added, "To be honest, I think Francia should be getting this award."
After pausing for a moment to gather her thoughts, she continued: "I feel incredibly lucky. Honestly, I couldn't be more grateful for the position I've been given in my career. I want people to know I respect the platform that I have so deeply. Specifically this year, I would like to thank my amazing team and my family because they stuck with me through some really hard times. I got to do a lot this year, even though I had a couple of other things to do."
"When I found out I was a [kidney type] match for Selena, I didn't think twice about it," Raisa said before she handed Gomez the award. "I was honoured, and if I was in the same situation, she wouldn't have thought twice about doing it for me. That's just who she is."
Gomez revealed on Instagram in September that she had received a kidney transplant, explaining she had not been able to promote her music over the summer as, "I found out I needed to get a kidney transplant due to my Lupus and was recovering. It was what I needed to do for my overall health. I honestly look forward to sharing with you, soon my journey through these past several months as I have always wanted to do with you."
The musician was being honoured for her honest, outspoken attitude; in the April edition of Vogue, she shared that she entered rehab for 90 days. explaining that she was "depressed, anxious. I started to have panic attacks right before getting onstage, or right after leaving the stage."
Follow Independent Culture on Facebook for all the latest on Film, TV, Music, and more.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments