Selena Gomez disappeared from the spotlight last year, which for many is a cue that a star is headed to rehab. In a new Billboard interview, Gomez shares that she was indeed in recovery—from treatment for lupus.
“I was diagnosed with lupus, and I’ve been through chemotherapy. That’s what my break was really about. I could’ve had a stroke. I wanted so badly to say, ‘You guys have no idea. I’m in chemotherapy. You’re assholes.’ I locked myself away until I was confident and comfortable again.”
The star is fed up with the press (hey Selena!) for spreading rumors while she was working on her health and her new album:
“I’m so f—ing nice to everybody, and everyone is so vile to me. I’ve been working since I was 7. I’ve been a UNICEF ambassador since I was 17. It’s so disappointing that I’ve become a tabloid story,” Gomez says. But it helped propel her to new places for Revival: “The hate motivated me.”
Annoyingly, she’s still answering questions about her ex, Justin Bieber.
“Gomez dismisses any notion she’s inspired by [Bieber’s] career turnaround. “No. This is my time. I’ve deserved this. I earned it. This is all me.”
Buried lede: Selena Gomez is 23 already. Time flies when you leave the Disney channel.
READ MORE: Rihanna Has the Ideal Philosophy on Diet and Exercise
