Selena Gomez had a blunt response to haters who think opening up about her bipolar diagnosis and inability to carry a child makes her a 'victim'.
The Only Murders in the Building star was recently attending a Women in Film event in California, where she spoke on the power of being vulnerable and how she's navigated her authenticity in the industry.
"I truly believe that there is power in being vulnerable and telling people when you need help or when you want help - that is not shameful," Gomez said in a video from the event that's since gone viral on Twitter.
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"So yeah, I shared that I can't carry a child. Yeah, I shared that I have bipolar…f**k off," prompting applause from other attendees.
"That's what my life is. That's who I am," Gomez continued. "And I only want to be an advocate for women and that's why I share, that's why I like to be honest."
"Everybody is going through something. I don't have it all put together. I'm not a, you know, whatever… I am me and that's all I can be," she added. "So screw anyone who tells you you're a victim. You're a survivor in my book."
The singer and actor recently disclosed to Vanity Fair that she is not able to carry her own children as it isn't physically safe for her to carry a pregnancy to term.
"I haven't ever said this, but I unfortunately can't carry my own children," she told the outlet. "I have a lot of medical issues that would put my life and the baby's in jeopardy. That was something I had to grieve for a while."
"It's not necessarily the way I envisioned it. I thought it would happen the way it happens for everyone," Gomez continued. "I'm in a much better place with that. I find it a blessing that there are wonderful people willing to do surrogacy or adoption, which are both huge possibilities for me," she added on how she eventually plans to start her own family.
"It made me really thankful for the other outlets for people who are dying to be moms. I'm one of those people," Gomez noted. "I'm excited for what that journey will look like, but it'll look a little different.
"At the end of the day, I don't care. It'll be mine. It'll be my baby."
If you have been affected by the contents of this article, you can find more information and support via the American Pregnancy Association's website.
Topics: Selena Gomez, Celebrity
Yasmeen Hamadeh