The Sad Truth About Selena Gomez's Weight Loss Transformation

Selena Gomez just can't seem to catch a break. Throughout her decades-long career, critics have picked apart the former Disney star's body and consistently found new ways to shame her. Even Gomez's weight loss over the years wasn't enough to keep the haters at bay, as they came back louder than ever to criticize her for supposedly taking Ozempic. In their critiques, they ignored that Gomez has already been open about the tragic reason for her weight fluctuations. In a February 2023 TikTok livestream, the "Wolves" songstress shared that whenever she had to take medication for Lupus, an autoimmune disease with which Gomez was diagnosed in 2013, she held onto more water weight. And, when the "Only Murders in the Building" star's medication use ceased, her body dropped it all. 

During a September 2025 interview with Allure, Gomez admitted that the body-shaming had taken a massive toll on her, explaining, "I've dealt with a lot of weight issues in my life, and that's something I'm very sensitive to." Likewise, during a March 2025 appearance on the "On Purpose with Jay Shetty" podcast, the actor and singer confessed that although the constant discussion of her weight had made her "a tad bitter," nothing could stop Gomez from taking the medications that helped her get through the day. 

Notably, in November 2024, the megastar with a stunning net worth clapped back at an Instagram comment from someone who cruelly speculated about why she was seemingly concealing her stomach with her hands at the "Emilia Pérez" premiere. As Elle reported at the time, Gomez responded that the comment disgusted her, elaborating that she actually had a small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) flare-up at the time. 

While speaking to Fast Company in October 2023, Selena Gomez acknowledged that the Internet and press' body-shaming gravely impacted her self-esteem when she was already reeling from her split from Justin Bieber, back in 2018. At the time, the "Lose You to Love Me" hitmaker began wishing that her body resembled that of the women she had seen on social media. While Gomez was already humiliated over how her body had gone through natural changes that prevented the actor from fitting into sample sizes, she also had to deal with the Internet's harsh comments about paparazzi shots of her in a bikini. 

Eventually, Gomez decided that she had had enough and took a social media break. However, the Rare Beauty founder told her assistant to post some of her words about societal beauty standards to Instagram regardless: "The beauty myth — an obsession with physical perfection that traps modern woman in an endless cycle of hopelessness, self consciousness, and self-hatred as she tries to fulfill society's impossible definition of flawless beauty." With time and therapy, Gomez gradually learned to embrace her body. 

In an Instagram Story posted in January 2024, the "Who Says" songstress shared two photos of herself in a bikini that were taken a decade apart. After she proclaimed that her body wouldn't ever resemble the throwback snap again, Gomez wrote, "I'm not perfect but I am proud to be who I am..sometimes I forget it's ok to be me," (via Billboard). Notably, some of Gomez's top mental health tips have similarly revolved around body positivity. Given all this, it's safe to say Gomez's stunning transformation wasn't limited to her gorgeous looks.