Selena Gomez reveals health diagnosis in response to body shamers: ‘This makes me sick’
Selena Gomez has shut down social media body shamers once again — and she revealed another health condition while doing so.
The “Only Murders in the Building” star and Rare Beauty cosmetics founder slammed speculation about her weight on TikTok, revealing that she lives with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. She shared her revelation days after hitting the red carpet last week for the premiere of her film “Emilia Pérez” at the American French Film Festival in Hollywood.
At the Oct. 29 event, the Emmy-nominated “Wizards of Waverly Place” alum posed in a black, body-hugging gown. In a since-deleted post, TikTok users reportedly observed that Gomez posed with her hands across her stomach, alleging she was hiding her body, according to TMZ. Gomez, who has previously addressed body shamers on social media, replied to the video: “This makes me sick.”
Gomez, 32, responded with the revelation that she has SIBO, according to multiple screenshots shared on social media. “It flares up. I don’t care that I don’t look like a sick [sic] figure. I don’t have that body. End of story.”
She added: “No I am NOT a victim. I’m just human.”
The Mayo Clinic says SIBO occurs when the small intestine experiences an “abnormal increase in the overall bacterial population,” particularly bacteria types that aren’t commonly found in that part of the body. SIBO, also known as blind loop syndrome, commonly occurs “when a circumstance — such as surgery or disease — slows the passage of food and waste products in the digestive tract.” The former Disney Channel child star revealed in 2017 that she had undergone a kidney transplant due to lupus nephritis, where the autoimmune disease lupus causes a person’s kidneys to fail.
Symptoms of SIBO include bloating, abdominal pain and nausea.
Gomez has long been public about her physical and mental health conditions, including her battle with lupus and her experiences with bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression. In September, Gomez revealed she can’t carry a child because of her numerous health conditions and will likely turn to surrogacy or adoption when she decides to start a family.
“That was something I had to grieve for a while,” she told Vanity Fair in an interview published two months ago.
In February 2023, Gomez also publicly addressed her weight and body shamers. She said during a TikTok live that the medication she takes to manage her lupus makes her retain water. “Not a model. Never gonna be,” she said at the time before reminding followers of their own beauty.
“I just want people to know that you’re beautiful and you’re wonderful and yeah, we have days where maybe we feel like s—, but I would much rather be healthy and take care of myself,” Gomez said at the time, adding “my medications are important and I believe they help me.”
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
