Selena Gomez has recently opened up about her struggles with body shaming, revealing that she experienced it intensely over the past year—a challenge she had never faced before.

Despite usually not caring about such criticisms, Gomez admitted that gaining weight was particularly painful for her.

She expressed frustration over people trying to control her body image, emphasizing that she is now determined to live on her own terms.

As a strong advocate for body positivity, Selena encourages others to reject unrealistic fashion industry standards and love themselves as they are.

The roots of Selena’s body image struggles trace back to her relationship with ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber.

According to recent revelations, Selena once maintained a very slim physique largely because Bieber preferred women who looked like models.

This preference reportedly influenced Selena to try hard to stay in shape during their on-again, off-again relationship, which lasted until 2018.

This dynamic fueled insecurities that lingered long after their breakup, as Selena grappled with societal and personal pressures about her appearance.

In a 2020 interview and her documentary “Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me,” Selena reflected on the emotional turmoil she endured during and after her breakup with Justin Bieber.

She described going through “the worst possible heartbreak” but acknowledged that the experience ultimately led to personal growth and healing.

For years, Selena kept her pain private, but she has since begun to share her journey openly, allowing fans to understand the depth of her struggles and her path toward self-acceptance.

Recently, Selena responded to a viral TikTok video that suggested she was always skinny during her relationship with Justin Bieber because he preferred model-like figures.

The video, which garnered over 4 million views, showcased photos of Selena’s slimmer appearance at the time.

In response, Selena posted a sad face emoji, which sparked widespread discussion.

Some interpreted the emoji as agreement with the video’s claim, while others saw it as Selena expressing sadness that her body image remains a topic of public scrutiny, regardless of the context.

Selena’s body changes are also linked to her health challenges.

Diagnosed with lupus in 2015, she underwent a kidney transplant in 2017, and the medications she took caused significant weight gain.

These medical issues profoundly affected her life beyond just her appearance.

Despite facing ongoing criticism, Selena has remained vocal about body positivity and self-love.

She even humorously addressed negative comments by showing herself enjoying fast food, underscoring that she refuses to let others dictate how she should look.

While Justin Bieber has denied that he only prefers model-like women, many fans point to his relationship with supermodel Hailey Bieber, whom he began dating shortly after breaking up with Selena, as evidence supporting this claim.

Although Selena continues to face insecurities about her weight, she is actively working to overcome them.

She launched a mental fitness platform called Wondermind, offering podcasts, TV shows, films, and daily content to promote mental health.

This initiative reflects Selena’s commitment to focusing on her well-being rather than external judgments, inspiring others to do the same.