American singer and actress Selena Gomez has opened up about the heartbreaking challenges she faces in her plans to start a family, revealing that her health makes it too dangerous for her to carry a child.
In an emotional interview with Vanity Fair, the 32-year-old star shared, “I haven’t ever said this, but I unfortunately can’t carry my own children. 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.”
Although Gomez did not specify which health conditions prevent her from carrying a child, she has been public about her battle with lupus, an autoimmune disease that attacks the body’s tissues and organs. Diagnosed in 2015, she underwent a kidney transplant in 2017 as part of her treatment for the disease.
In addition to her lupus diagnosis, Gomez has also spoken openly about her struggles with anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder, the latter of which was diagnosed in 2020 after a severe psychotic episode.
In a 2022 interview with Rolling Stone, Selena Gomez mentioned that medications for her bipolar disorder could complicate pregnancy and potentially make it unsafe.
Despite the challenges, Gomez remains optimistic about becoming a mother through other means, expressing her openness to adoption. She pointed to her mother’s own adoption as a key part of her family’s history, saying, “I probably wouldn’t be here. I don’t know what [my mother’s] life would’ve been like. She and I are very thankful for how life played out.”
Though her path to motherhood may not be what she envisioned, Gomez is now in a much better place, emotionally and mentally. “It’s not necessarily the way I envisioned it. I thought it would happen the way it happens for everyone,” she told Vanity Fair. “[But] 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.”
Looking ahead, Gomez remains excited about her future as a mother, no matter the path she takes.