Selena Gomez opened up about her struggle to embrace happiness and manage anxiety.
Speaking with journalist Ellie Austin during an appearance at Fortune's Most Powerful Women conference in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, the 33-year-old singer and entrepreneur admitted that despite her professional success, including the rapid growth of her cosmetics brand Rare Beauty, now valued at over $2 billion, she often feels undeserving of positive experiences.
"This is how I work personally, but something great happens in my life, I expect something bad to happen," Gomez said. "So instead of being present and saying, 'OK, wow, we've done a great thing,' which I do, I'm always thinking, 'OK, but this could all go away tomorrow, so how can I make sure that doesn't happen?'"
Gomez said that tendency to anticipate loss has followed her through her career milestones and personal life.
She admitted it affected her emotions even on her wedding day last month. The "Only Murders in the Building" star married producer Benny Blanco on Sept. 27 after two years of dating.
"I would say that's my biggest conflict sometimes when wonderful things happen," she said. "I got married and then I was sobbing because I was like, 'I'm gonna die the next day.' I just think that's a little life thing."
Gomez, who has been open about her mental health journey in recent years, has previously described how depression and anxiety have shaped her daily routines.
During Wondermind's first virtual Mental Fitness Summit in 2024, Gomez recounted a period when she avoided her own bedroom due to painful associations with a depressive episode.
"I spent too much time in my bedroom that I actually don't even sleep in my bedroom anymore with such a really dark time," she said, according to E! News. "Because I associate it with such a really dark time."
She also reflected on the long process of recovery.
"Being anxious is so debilitating sometimes," she said. "I didn't want to leave my bed for years and part of it was I wasn't doing the work. You have to believe in yourself and do the work that will truly enlighten you a little bit."
Gomez added that anxiety still disrupts her sleep.
"As recent as last night, I was in bed and I couldn't fall asleep 'til about 4, and it was just because my mind was simply racing," she said. "And I just kept saying over and over again, 'This will pass. Just let it go through your body and it'll go away.' And of course, eventually, I fell asleep."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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