Woman who donated kidney to Selena Gomez responds to feud rumours after not going to her wedding
The woman who donated a kidney to Selena Gomez has spoken out about a 'feud' between the pair after being snubbed from the star's wedding.
Back in 2017, the 'Come & Get It' singer needed a kidney transplant due to her lupus, an autoimmune disease, attacking her kidneys.
It led to kidney damage and subsequent failure, as the health condition causes the immune system to attack the body's organs and tissues.
Gomez's situation involved her lupus progressing to the point where her kidneys would shut down, meaning that a transplant was then necessary for her long-term health, facing a life or death situation.
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Luckily for her, friend and actress Francia Raisa was found to be a match, as she agreed to give the artist one of her kidneys in an incredibly selfless act which Gomez shared on social media, to praise from fans.
The American actress is known for her roles in Bring It On: All or Nothing and The Secret Life of the American Teenager, though it's fair to say that she is far less known than the recently married Gomez.
But in the years since the operation, rumours have spread that the pair actually don't get along anymore, despite the former Wizards of Waverly Place star calling Raisa her 'beautiful friend' and admitting 'there aren't words' she could use to thank her for the selfless act.
After Gomez said in an interview in 2022 that her 'only friend in the industry really is Taylor [Swift]', Raisa commented 'interesting', in a now-deleted response, to which Gomez replied: "Sorry I didn't mention every person I know."
While the likes of Ed Sheeran, Paris Hilton and Steve Martin attended the wedding, Raisa reportedly did not, though she opened up about the 'feud' in an interview which took place in a bookstore.
Speaking in Spanish, the actress said: "I know she's getting married, and I'm very happy for her. And look... she has a life and she is already a billionaire and I am grateful that I could do that for her," speaking of the operation.
She was asked about what she'd say to others considering organ donation, responding: "Look, from the beginning the doctors told me, it's a donation.
"If you are going to donate a dollar to St. Jude or somewhere else, you're not going to call to say, 'Hey, what are you doing with my dollar?'"
Raisa added that she was 'grateful' to be alive and that she has no regrets about 'something nice' she was able to do for her then-friend.
When asked about reports of a rift between her and Gomez, she answered: "Well, right now what you are asking me is nonsense that has been in the media, and there are too many rumors.
"I've never said anything."
The How I Met Your Father actress added: "When that rumor came out that I had gotten angry or something like that because [Gomez] was smoking, I wasn't aware of those rumors.
"No one knows what's going on, and neither she nor I are talking about it - one day, maybe we will address it," she suggested.
Back in 2023, Gomez backtracked on previous comments to Raisa, claiming in her Apple TV+ docuseries Dear...: "I will never, ever, ever be more in debt to a person that Francia.
"The idea of someone not even second-guessing to be a donor was unbelievably overwhelming."
Raisa even said that year that she wasn't 'forced' into donating her kidney to Gomez.
Topics: Selena Gomez, Social Media, Celebrity, Health
Joshua Nair