What is Selena Gomez doing now? After a four-year break from social media, the Only Murders in the Building star is back with a possible Emmy nod and Wondermind, a new mental health platform
Selena Gomez made headlines in early April for her Good Morning America interview, speaking out about her four-and-a-half-year hiatus from social media.
The 29-year-old pop sensation, once dubbed an “Instagram queen”, currently has 312 million followers and remains one of the most popular accounts on the platform despite her hands-off approach to her profile there.
As a Disney actress growing up in the spotlight from a young age, Gomez rose to prominence for her leading role as Alex Russo in Wizards of Waverly Place. A mega-celebrity now, with added showbiz talents including singing and producing, she has released multiple award-winning albums and launched a successful beauty empire, all supported by her cult fan base.
But Gomez told ABC News that staying offline has been helpful for her well-being. “It has changed my life completely. I am more present, I connect more with people. It makes me feel normal.”
The desire for that normality, coupled with her diagnosis of bipolar disorder, led her to the decision to quit social media, and it’s enabled the mental health advocate to feel “the happiest I’ve ever been”. She said that it’s her team who manages her socials, and though she assists in curating some content, she’s no longer the one to manually engage with brands or fans.
Let’s see what the Mexican-American star has been up to lately instead.
She’s started a mental health platform
It’s not the first time Gomez has been vocal on mental health. She was the executive producer of 13 Reasons Why, a fictional 2017 Netflix series that tracked a tragic story of bullying that leads to the victim taking her own life, telling Rolling Stone that although the subject matter was “uncomfortable”, it could hopefully “encourage dialogue”. The actress has previously opened up about being bullied herself during childhood.
Gomez has also shared stories on her treatment for lupus, and attends various voluntary programmes to manage panic attacks, depression and anxiety, according to US Weekly.
This month she launched the mental fitness platform Wondermind with her mother, Mandy Teefey, and The Newsette founder Daniella Pierson. “Our goal is to create an honest, safe, comfortable place that everyone can turn to,” Gomez told Harper’s Bazaar. “In our first drop of Wondermind, we’re offering everything from interviews with noteworthy personalities and experts to tips and exercises for practising your own mental fitness, resources and more.”
She could be up for her first Emmy
Although Gomez has not starred in many films or television series recently, one show did catch the eye of critics. She plays a principal character in Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, which aired in 2021 and is scheduled to start its second season this June. Gomez appears in the mystery-comedy series alongside Steve Martin, Amy Ryan and Cara Delevingne, her new bestie with whom she shares a rose tattoo. The friendship has even sent tongues wagging about whether they could be romantically involved.
Variety has also speculated that the young actress could well get her first Emmy nomination as lead actress in the comedy category, which would make her the third Latina to have the honour, after Rita Moreno and America Ferrera.
She skipped the recent Grammys and Oscars – but had a barefoot moment at the Screen Actors Guild
Gomez is making less red carpet appearances these days, giving the Grammys and Oscars a miss this year, despite being nominated for an award at the former. She did, however, make news at the Screen Actors Guild, where she tripped over – then presented an award on stage, barefoot.
The actress is well-loved globally for her grace, but it’s off-the-cuff moments like this that remind us of her down-to-earth appeal.
She’s happy and healthy
With a successful business venture, Rare Beauty (which reportedly earned US$60 million in revenue in 2021, according to TooFab), and a philanthropic platform as well, it’s great to see that the Who Says singer is doing well for herself.
But in the often toxic world of Hollywood, celebrities can face a considerable amount of scrutiny when in the spotlight. Gomez recently told body-shamers via TikTok that she’s “perfect the way I am”, and “trying to ‘stay skinny’ is not worth missing out on delicious foods”.
As she nears her milestone 30th birthday this summer, she told Elle that she’s “excited” and “a lot has changed for me in a lot of good ways”.
No drama with ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber and his wife, Hailey
Four years on since Gomez’s split from Justin Bieber after an intermittent seven-year relationship, the Come & Get It star has no hard feelings towards her ex and his marriage to supermodel Hailey Baldwin.
There is reportedly “no drama” between the two, despite Selenators – Gomez’s fans – trolling Stephen Baldwin’s daughter, who has had to clap back on numerous occasions, including recently asking netizens to “leave her alone”. Gomez has seemingly backed her up before saying she “won’t stand for women tearing women down”.
Since the break-up, Gomez has remained low-key and has been spotted on rumoured dates with Captain America himself Chris Evans in 2021 and tech entrepreneur Zen Matoshi in March, but a source at Elle shut down the speculation, saying, “Selena is happily single right now.”
If you are having suicidal thoughts, or you know someone who is, help is available. For Hong Kong, dial +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on +1 800 273 8255. For a list of other nations’ helplines, see this page.
