Selena Gomez is using her voice to help others feel less alone.
The Rare Beauty founder explained why she wants to be open about her own mental health journey in a new interview with Billboard Español published Thursday (April 24), saying that regardless of fame, people should speak out about the issues that matter most to them, per People.
"At the end of the day I believe it matters to be vocal about issues that matter to you, whether you are famous or not," she said. She admitted that it's not always easy to do, noting, "it's not for the faint of heart, because you are putting yourself out there and trust me there will be a lot of opinions that come at you for even having the nerve to say anything at all."
Gomez, who has been vocal about her mental health struggles in the past such as her 2020 bipolar disorder diagnosis, remembered how fearful she was about publicly sharing her journey because she didn't want to be seen as a "victim" but was determined to add to those conversations and help others on a similar path.
"It was scary to be that vulnerable and I didn't ever want anyone to think I am a victim," she said, adding, "I thought [that] by sharing my own story I could help others, and I will take any negative opinions that come with that because I see the bigger picture of how the conversations have changed around mental health."