'I felt watched over': Selena Gomez says she's in 'debt' to 'best friend' Francia Raisa for donating her kidney amid feud rumors
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Selena Gomez and Francia Raisa have apparently resolved their differences after previously shading each other online. During an interview for Apple TV+'s 'Dear...', the founder of Rare Beauty praised Francia for selflessly donating her kidney to her in 2017 during her battle with lupus. "My best friend. Her name is Francia. She said 'No I am absolutely getting tested'," Selena recalled after finding out she needed a transplant.
"Within three days, she went to [get tested], and she was a match. And it was one of those moments where I felt watched over. I know I was so so so lucky," she continued. "I will never, ever, ever be more in debt to a person than Francia. The idea of someone not even second-guessing to be a donor was unbelievably overwhelming." While the duo seems to be on good terms now, they had a disagreement back in November after Selena referred to Taylor Swift as her "only friend in the industry."
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What happened between Selena and Francia?
According to rumors, Selena and Francia had a falling out over Selena's "unhealthy choices." However, the situation changed after Selena checked herself into a treatment center in October 2018. After the release of her Apple TV+ documentary 'My Mind & Me', which covers six years of her life, 30-year-old Selena opened up about her friendship circle in a profile for Rolling Stone. However, things again took a dramatic turn when she divulged that Taylor Swift was her only industry friend, and Francia was not mentioned at all. Selena confessed, "I never fit in with a cool group of girls that were celebrities. My only friend in the industry really is Taylor [Swift], so I remember feeling like I didn't belong."
Francia, who has also appeared in 'Bring It On: All or Nothing' and 'The Secret Life of the American Teenager', did not take kindly to being excluded from Selena's list of friends. She commented "interesting" in the comments section of an E! News post that shared the exact quote from Selena and unfollowed her on Instagram. Selena, who still follows Francia on social media, left a comment under a TikTok video discussing how Francia had unfollowed her, saying, "Sorry I didn't mention every person I know."
Supporting each other through the years
Selena and Francia's friendship began in 2007 at a charity event, as they were both starting out in their careers. Francia revealed to Latina in 2013 that they "clicked" immediately, saying "Selena and I were in the same group and we just clicked." Over the years, they supported each other's work and referred to each other as sisters. Their friendship deepened in 2017 when Francia donated her kidney to Selena, who was suffering from lupus. Francia didn't hesitate to help her friend, as she explained on the 'Today show'. Selena publicly thanked Francia for her lifesaving gift and dedicated her Billboard Woman of the Year award to her. In late 2018, Selena and Francia had a falling out after Francia reportedly called out Selena for making unhealthy choices post-kidney transplant. However, in March 2021, Selena posted a heartfelt message on World Kidney Day, expressing her gratitude and indicating that the drama was behind them. Now, the feud rumors can rest for a while as Selena called Francia her "best friend" in the Apple TV+ interview.
