Singer Selena Gomez has opened up about her struggle with depression and anxiety, confessing in a magazine interview she didn't think it was a condition she could permanently overcome.
In the issue of Harper's Bazaar, Gomez - a producer on the controversial Netflix series 13 Reasons Why exploring teen suidice and bullying - frankly discusses management of her mental health as a lifelong challenge.
"I've had a lot of issues with depression and anxiety, and I've been very vocal about it, but it's not something I feel I'll ever overcome," the 25-year-old said.
It's not something I feel I'll ever overcome.
"There won't be a day when I'm like, 'Here I am in a pretty dress—I won!' I think it's a battle I'm gonna have to face for the rest of my life, and I'm okay with that because I know that I'm choosing myself over anything else."
Gomez, who found fame as a teen on Disney channel's Wizards of Waverly Place, also talks about dealing with racism and finding pride as an actress of Mexican heritage.
Selena Gomez on the cover of the March edition of Harper's Bazaar. Source: Getty Images
During a live taping of Wizards of Waverley Place, Gomez says she was approached by a Latino woman who shared her appreciation for her presence on the program.
"She was like, 'It’s really incredible for my daughters to see that a Latina woman can be in this position and achieve her dreams, someone who isn’t the typical, you know, blonde with blue eyes.' And I knew what she meant. When I was younger my idol was Hilary Duff! I remember wanting blue eyes too. So I think I recognised then that it meant something to people."
Gomez cited her Mexican heritage as "extremely" important, but had previously shied away from publicly talking about her background.
Selena Gomez as featured in a spread in Harper's Bazaar. Source: Instagram
She said she wanted to publicly embrace her Latino background, after experiencing racially charged incidents with her father.
"I try to separate my career from my culture because I don’t want people to judge me based on my looks when they have no idea who I am. And now more than ever, I’m proud of it. But I still need to learn Spanish."
The star, with a 133-million strong Instagram following, also shares her complex relationship with social media fame.
"It’s an incredible platform, but in a lot of ways it’s given young people, myself included, a false representation of what’s important. "
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