Selena Gomez recently had her dream wedding with Benny Blanco, but it seems like Francia Raisa, her kidney donor, wasn’t invited. Nonetheless, during a recent interview, she only had nice things to say about the billionaire singer.
As shared by @SELENATORSARMY on X, Raisa said this about Gomez’s wedding,
I know she’s getting married, and I’m very happy for her. And, look, she has a life and she is already a billionaire and I am grateful that I could do that for her.
For those who might not know, in 2017, Selena Gomez needed a kidney transplant when her lupus, which is an autoimmune disease, started attacking her kidneys. The subsequent kidney damage and failure due to the condition’s effect on her organs and tissues led to her requiring a transplant for her long-term health, facing a life-or-death situation.
At the time, luckily, Francia Raisa was found to be a match. An American actress known for her roles in pieces like Grown-ish, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, and How I Met Your Father, Raisa agreed to donate one of her kidneys to The Heart Wants What It Wants singer, thus helping her out and receiving tremendous praise for her selfless act as well (via LAD Bible).
Francia Raisa Slams Rumors of the Alleged Feud Between Her and Selena Gomez
In the years following the donation and operation, rumors started to float that Selena Gomez and Francia Raisa didn’t get along anymore. Over the years, some instances only had those rumors only further growing and engulfing the pair in their flames.
Like, in her 2022 interview with Rolling Stone, Gomez called Taylor Swift her “only friend in the industry,” and Raisa said “Interesting” in a comment (via BuzzFeed News). Although she quickly deleted the comment, Raisa also soon unfollowed Gomez on social media.
Eventually, the singer replied to the matter, “Sorry, I didn’t mention every person I know” (per Pop Sugar).
Francia Raisa talks about donating a kidney to Selena Gomez and the fake social media rumors:
“I’m very happy for her […] I’m grateful that I could do that for her. From the beginning the doctors told me, it’s a donation. There are too many rumors. I’ve never said anything.” pic.twitter.com/XRrIKq72rz
Of course, the rumor fire was only further fueled from thereon. But Raisa recently responded in her interview that all those claims were just baseless gossip, and that none of it was true. Initially commenting on her donation to Gomez, she said,
Look, from the beginning, the doctors told me, ‘It’s a donation.’ If you are going to donate a dollar to St. Jude or somewhere else, you’re not going to call to say, ‘Hey, what are you doing with my dollar?’ It’s a donation and it’s something nice that I was able to do. I am grateful that I am alive and I can say that I have saved a life.
Continuing, she then emphasized that she didn’t even know about those rumors when they were ignited, nor did she comment on them. Calling all those talks that claimed her to be “angry” and “disgusted” with the Only Murders in the Building star “nonsense,” Raisa proceeded to say,
Well, right now, what you are asking me [is] nonsense that [has] been in the media, and there are too many rumors. I’ve never said anything. When that rumor came out that I had gotten angry or something like that because [Gomez] was smoking, I wasn’t aware of those rumors. TMZ called me, and I was working. So what you’re asking me are rumors.
As a final thought, she also added about Gomez potentially not taking good care of her health and getting involved in stuff like smoking and vaping despite her condition and the donation (see Daily Mail). Raisa said, “No one knows what’s going on, and neither she nor I are talking about it. One day, maybe, we’ll address it.”
That should be enough to squash all those feud allegations between the two.
Selena Gomez Previously Expressed Her Gratitude to Francia Raisa
Way before all these rumors started making rounds on the internet, Selena Gomez penned down a public note of gratitude for Francia Raisa, alongside images of them holding hands while at the hospital for the transplant procedure.
Taking to her Instagram handle in September 2017, she called Raisa her “beautiful friend” before emphasizing, “She gave me the ultimate gift and sacrifice by donating her kidney to me. I am incredibly blessed. I love you so much sis.” Here’s the full note she wrote down for her:
A post shared by Selena Gomez (@selenagomez)
Additionally, in 2023, Gomez once again expressed how indebted she felt to Raisa for donating her kidney to the singer. In her Apple TV+ docuseries Dear…, she said (via LAD Bible):
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.
Needless to say, that says a lot about the bond Selena Gomez and Francia Raisa share. And, those still doubting might as well let their worries be put to rest because, as Raisa said, they hopefully might address Gomez’s smoking and drinking issue sometime in the near future.
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