Honestly, if you’ve been on the internet lately, you’ve probably seen the side-by-side photos. One from a 2013 music video and another from a recent red carpet. The comments are usually a mess. People love to speculate. They ask, "Did Selena Gomez gain weight?" like it’s a national emergency or some kind of moral failure.
But here is the thing.
The conversation around Selena’s body is almost never about the actual reality of her life. It’s usually just a projection of our own weird obsessions with "perfection." Selena has been living her life in front of a camera since she was a kid, and as she’s hit her 30s, her body has changed. Some of that is just growing up. Most of it, however, is a direct result of her being a human being with a very complicated medical chart.
The Lupus Factor: It’s Not Just "Water Weight"
Basically, you can’t talk about why Selena Gomez may look different without talking about lupus. She was diagnosed back in 2014. If you aren't familiar, lupus is an autoimmune disease where your body basically gets confused and starts attacking its own healthy tissues. It’s brutal.
For Selena, this led to kidney failure and a transplant in 2017.
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When she goes through a "flare-up," her body changes. She’s been incredibly open on TikTok and in interviews about how her medication affects her. Specifically, she’s mentioned that the meds she takes to manage the condition cause her to hold a massive amount of water weight.
"When I'm taking it, I tend to hold a lot of water weight, and that happens very normally. When I'm off of it, I tend to lose weight," she shared during a TikTok Live.
It’s not about willpower. It’s about staying alive.
I think we often forget that celebrities aren't just avatars for our entertainment. They have internal organs. They have blood pressure issues. Selena has dealt with SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth), which causes intense bloating and discomfort. When she stepped out at the Emilia Pérez premiere recently, trolls were quick to point out her pose, suggesting she was "hiding" her stomach. Her response? "I have SIBO in my small intestine. It flares up. I don’t care that I don’t look like a stick figure. I don’t have that body."
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Dealing With the "Tad Bitter" Reality of Fame
It’s gotta be exhausting. Imagine waking up, feeling like crap because your immune system is glitching, and then seeing 10,000 comments about your "face shape."
Selena recently admitted on Jay Shetty’s podcast that the constant scrutiny has made her feel a "tad bitter." You can’t really blame her. She’s pointed out a massive double standard: men in Hollywood rarely face the same level of vitriol for aging or gaining ten pounds.
She isn't a victim, though. She’s made that clear. She’s just tired of the narrative that her value as an artist is tied to her dress size.
- The Golden Globes 2023: People went wild over her appearance.
- Her Response: She went on IG Live with her sister and laughed it off, saying she "enjoyed herself during the holidays."
- The Reality: It’s a mix of lifestyle, medication, and the simple fact that no one looks 21 forever.
Why the Speculation Still Matters in 2026
We are living in an era where everyone is looking for a "magic trick." People see a celebrity lose weight and immediately scream "Ozempic!" They see someone gain weight and assume they "let themselves go."
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With Selena, the "did Selena Gomez gain weight" question usually misses the most important part of the story: resilience.
She has survived chemotherapy, a kidney transplant, and public breakups, all while running a billion-dollar beauty brand, Rare Beauty. Her brand’s entire mission is to dismantle the "myth of perfection." It’s kind of poetic, actually. She’s selling makeup while telling people they don’t need to be perfect.
What We Can Actually Learn From This
If you’re struggling with your own body image or health issues, Selena’s journey offers a few real-world takeaways that aren't just "feel-good" fluff:
- Medication is a trade-off. Sometimes the price of being healthy and functional is a change in your physical appearance. That is a trade worth making every single time.
- Health isn't a straight line. Your weight might fluctuate based on stress, hormones, or underlying conditions. That doesn't mean you're failing.
- Set boundaries with social media. Selena famously deletes Instagram from her phone frequently. If looking at "perfect" bodies makes you feel like garbage, hit the unfollow button.
The next time you see a headline about a celebrity's body, maybe just remember that there’s usually a prescription bottle or a health battle you can’t see behind the dress. Selena is doing just fine. She’s healthy, she’s working, and she’s over the noise.
Next Step: Instead of tracking celebrity weight changes, try auditing your own social media feed—unfollow accounts that make you feel "less than" and replace them with creators who focus on functional health and real-life balance.