Selena Gomez’s documentary, Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me, comes out on Apple TV+ today. Selena attended its premiere at AFI Festival earlier this week. Although Selena has said she won’t be watching the documentary, she did do interviews and walk the carpet wearing a lovely purple Rodarte dress and some enviably colorful earrings. Selena spoke to Variety on the red carpet, reflecting a bit on her past experiences and emphasizing that the documentary will honestly and transparently show who she is.
Selena Gomez is preparing to give the world a closer look at her time in the spotlight with her documentary “Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me.” The film follows the singer, actress and producer on a six-year journey as she navigates the pressures of fame while facing struggles with lupus, depression and anxiety.
Gomez got candid during the documentary’s premiere at AFI Festival Wednesday evening, sharing that she isn’t deterred by the idea that the film will open her up to more scrutiny.
“By being fully honest and transparent about what I walked through, there’s nothing that they can say that honestly will effect me,” Gomez told Variety’s Marc Malkin on the red carpet. “I am who I am and everyone’s about to see it. That’s all I got.”
Gomez also shared the difficult feelings she had looking back at footage of her as a child star in the documentary.
“Being able to see that version of myself and watching it back broke my heart, knowing I was ever that girl,” Gomez said. “I wish I could hug that version of myself. But I feel like it was important to share it because I did want people to start talking about this.”
Finally, Gomez offered a teaser for her fans, saying that new music will be coming “hopefully next year.” And a tour? “Maybe! I know. I should, right?”
The documentary covers a six year period; they started filming it when Selena was 24. She’d first approached the filmmaker about a music video and after that was done she wanted to do a concert documentary, which ultimately became broader and more personal. Selena’s ups and downs over the past six years have been chronicled in the press: her lupus diagnosis and kidney transplant, her relationships with Justin Bieber and The Weeknd, her bipolar diagnosis, her many career moves, and more. Through it all, there’s always been a sense that she’s very insulated and protected by her team, as she should be, but it sounds like this documentary is going to be really open and honest and break down a lot of those walls. From what I’ve read, Selena gave the filmmaker full access and didn’t shy away from filming tough and unflattering moments. It seems like Selena is really prepared to share herself honestly with her fans and the world, acknowledging the difficult times and feelings, and moving forward. I’m looking forward to watching the doc this weekend and learning more.
Photos credit: PAPIXS/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images, Jeffrey Mayer/Avalon and Getty Images
I love Selena so much. This type of transparency is so brave. She is lucky to be surrounded with good people because based on what she said about how heavily medicated she was after her initial bipolar diagnosis and hospitalization, this could have gone the way of Britney.
Or worse. It just goes to show you never really know what someone is going through.
I wish the best for Selena she has a lot to contend with.
I would really like to hear how she deals with being so out and about. A week or so ago she announced she had Covid. A few years ago she had a kidney transplant. Yet, this week she attended a premiere and threw herself a birthday party.
Transplanted Kidneys give you approximately 20 years if you take care of yourself…
I am not sure she is coping as well as she pretends.
How is she not coping well because she went to the premiere of her movie and and threw her stuff a birthday 30th party in July?
Is she supposed to stay home not go out not and ever go to any event or have or celebrate anything because she had a a kidney transplant a couple of years ago.
Her birthday was in JULY and she didn’t throw a big party it was a few close friends. This is the most nonsensical comment.
I wish her well. She has always been my favorite child star from the 2010’s when my kids were young.
That dress is lovely. For someone on the short side she’s really able to dress in ways that make her look very tall. I’m envious, lol!
I truly appreciate her openness about these issues. I myself suffer from depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. I also had a psychotic break in 2015… it’s nice to know u aren’t alone. You really never know what someone is going thru ❤️
@Casey
Big and warm hugs to you and I hope you find peace and healing
I think it’s great she is opening up about her struggles but at the same time I just can’t help but think that putting kids in the spotlight as young as her and her peers were contributing to this mental illness. I’m not saying It wouldn’t show up if she was just a normal person but I think something is going on when we see people like her, Demi Lovato, Lindsay Lohan and countless other child stars just self-destruct and just blame it all on mental illness. Kids shouldn’t be In the spotlight they were and supporting their whole family from such a young age. Clearly we’re starting to learn how young kids growing up with social media are coping and it’s not good. People like Selena grow up in such a more intense and public spotlight than most normal kids or social media today and it’s awful for everyone’s mental health.
She looks lovely in that dress and those SHOES, but man! That black outfit is just 🔥
🙏🏼 Grateful for this. Currently struggling myself. God bless!
Selena is so real, so heartfelt, so courageous. She is head and shoulders above Bieber and Hailey. I don’t have Apple, but would love to see this program.