Selena Gomez might appear the picture of self-assurance on the red carpet, but in reality the star has revealed she sometimes struggles internally with how she looks. As the singer revealed in a recent video, during the time period that captured the 2015 Met Gala red carpet, she hadn’t been feeling her most confident.
“I fluctuate a lot with my weight,” she said in the video. “I remember this night specifically because I didn’t feel good about my body.” The then 22-year-old, who wore a stunning white Vera Wang silk gown for the occasion, had been diagnosed and sought treatment for lupus in the months before she was scheduled to attend the event.
The singer has been candid in the past about the effect the autoimmune disorder and subsequent medication has had on her body and her mental health. But despite her insecurities, Gomez revealed that she was able to work with the Vera Wang team to create a red carpet look that she felt comfortable in.
“What was really amazing was that I actually got a chance to work on the dress that fit my body,” she said. “I had such a beautiful time shaping this dress. I think that we came together and built something really beautiful and something that fit me really well.”
It also led to Gomez having something of a personal epiphany about her body image, which had been compounded by growing up in the spotlight. “That was one of the moments where I was like – I don’t have to be that 19-year-old body shape anymore because I’m not,” she said.
Gomez has since developed a healthier outlook on her appearance, advising her young fans to consider how time comparing themselves to others on social media impacts their mental health. “They can look good and you can look good, accepting yourself the way that you are,” she said.