Selena Gomez celebrates her friend’s birthday after a dispute.
Singer Selena Gomez posted a birthday message to actress Francia Raisa, who had donated a kidney to her, in an effort to mend their friendship after last year’s divisive remarks.
On Instagram, on July 26, Selena Gomez shared a series of affectionate photos with Francia Raisa and wrote: “Happy birthday to a special person. No matter where life takes us, I will always love you, Francia Raisa.”
Selena tagged Francia Raisa’s Instagram account in the post. Within a few hours of posting, the message received 5.5 million likes and numerous comments. However, as of now, Francia Raisa has not responded.
Francia Raisa, star of “How I Met Your Father,” turned 35 on July 26. She marked her birthday with a series of bikini photos taken at a resort. Just 4 days earlier, Selena Gomez also celebrated her 31st birthday. Francia did not attend Selena’s party and did not wish her friend on social media.
Selena and Francia used to be as close as sisters. In 2017, when Selena suffered from kidney failure due to complications from lupus, Francia Raisa volunteered to donate a kidney to her, despite the health risks. To honor Francia’s sacrifice and their deep friendship, the two girls got matching tattoos on the day of the surgery.
However, a year after the kidney transplant, it was reported that Selena was seen partying and drinking, which led to Francia Raisa questioning her about those unhealthy choices. The two had a disagreement but reconciled by the end of 2018 when Selena went through a mental health treatment. Last summer, Francia Raisa attended Selena’s 30th birthday, and the two seemed close again.
But tensions arose again last year when Selena Gomez was interviewed by Rolling Stone magazine and said that her only close friend in the industry was singer Taylor Swift. Under a post sharing Selena’s quote, Francia commented, “Interesting.” Fans later discovered that Francia had unfollowed Selena on Instagram. In response, Selena commented under a TikTok video discussing Francia Raisa’s unfollowing, saying, “Sorry I didn’t unfollow people I knew.”
Selena Gomez faced intense criticism for her remarks. She was accused of being ungrateful and disloyal to the friend who had saved her life. The singer chose to remain silent amidst the drama. However, in March of this year, Selena spoke up to praise Francia Raisa and emphasized how grateful she was for her kidney donation. “I know how incredibly lucky I am. I have never owed anyone more than I owe Francia. The thought of someone giving me their kidney, it’s really unimaginable,” Selena Gomez shared on Apple TV+’s show, “Dear.”
