Selena Gomez called for mental health to be “de-stigmatized” in a passionate speech at the White House on Wednesday.
The actress-turned-singer joined first lady Jill Biden at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., where she opened up about her “very personal” struggles related to her mental well-being.
During an appearance at the Mental Health Youth Action Forum hosted by MTV Entertainment, the 29-year-old opened up about her mental well-being following her bipolar disorder diagnosis in 2020.
“Just to throw in a little bit of my journey, I felt like once I found out what was going on mentally, I found that there was more freedom for me to be okay with what I had because I was learning about it,” she said.
“Bringing attention to mental health through media or just by talking about your journeys can help.”
“It sets the example that it’s a topic that can and should be discussed freely and without shame,” Gomez added.
The “Same Old Love” hitmaker — who was joined by Ambassador Susan Rice, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, as well as 30 youth mental health activists — said she is using her platform in a bid to “help others feel less alone.”
“Mental health is very personal for me, and I hope that by using my platform to share my own story and working with incredible people like all of you,” she said at the event, “I can help others feel less alone and find the help they need, which is honestly all I want.”
Gomez said she aims to provide mental health services to anyone who needs them.
“When it comes to talking about and de-stigmatizing mental health, I want to ensure that everyone, no matter their age, their race, religion, sexual orientation, have access to services that support their mental health,” she said.
Biden praised the participants for sharing their stories, saying it “takes courage to be honest about the struggles that you faced.”
“And it takes courage to understand that your voice can make a difference and to show your creativity and talents, you know, to all of the world,” the first lady added.
In addition to her bipolar disorder diagnosis, Gomez was diagnosed with lupus in 2014 and subsequently underwent a kidney transplant and chemotherapy.
She revealed the mantra she told herself every day to help her through her painful ordeals: “‘You’re going to help people.’ [That is] really what kept me going.”
She said staying off social media has helped alleviate her anxiety.
