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When Did Selena Gomez Have Her Kidney Transplant & What Happened To Francia Raisa?
10 August 2023, 16:56
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Selena Gomez had been friends with Francia Raisa for years before the actress became her kidney donor - but when did the Disney star have her transplant and why?
Selena Gomez underwent surgery to have a kidney transplant a few years ago and her kidney donor was none other than one of her closest friends, Francia Raisa.
Despite fallout rumours circulating at the end of last year, the ‘Lose You To Love Me’ songstress has shut down the claims and even insisted that she “will never ever, ever be more in debt to a person than Francia”.
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But when did Selena have her kidney transplant and why? And when did she first meet Francia?
Here’s the lowdown…
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When did Selena Gomez have her kidney transplant and who was her kidney donor?
Selena had her kidney transplant in 2017 and underwent surgery with one of her best friends, Francia Raisa, who became her kidney donor.
Earlier this year, the Rare Beauty founder recalled that time in her life and praised Francia for saving her life.
Speaking on an episode of the Apple TV+ docuseries, Dear…, she said: “My best friend. Her name is Francia. She said, 'No, I am absolutely getting tested’. I will never ever, ever be more in debt to a person than Francia. The idea of someone not even second-guessing to be a donor was unbelievably overwhelming.
"And within three days, she went to get tested, and she was a match. And it was one of those moments where I felt watched over. I know I was so so so lucky.”
She went on to add: “I understand that that doesn't happen for a lot of people, and I know the outcome of some of those situations and how serious they are, so I do not take it lightly that it's happened to me that way."
Why did Selena Gomez have a kidney transplant?
Selena faced health complications as she suffered organ damage due to lupus.
Lupus is an autoimmune disease known to cause inflammation of the kidneys. A large percentage of those who have it battle with serious kidney complications.
Are Selena Gomez and Francia Raisa still friends?
Despite fallout rumours swirling in November 2022, Selena has since shut down feud claims after recently sharing a birthday post dedicated to Francia.
In July, Selena shared a few photos of them together on Instagram and wrote: “Happiest of birthdays to this special human being. No matter where life takes us, I love you.”
Feud rumours first came about after Selena opened up about ‘feeling like she never fit in with a cool group of girls that were celebrities’ in an interview with Rolling Stone.
She said at the time: “My only friend in the industry really is Taylor, so I remember feeling like I didn’t belong,” to which Francia commented: "Interesting,” under an Instagram post re-sharing Selena’s quote before quickly deleting the response.
Just weeks later, Selena commented on a TikTok that summarised the alleged feud, writing: “Sorry I didn’t mention every person I know.”
However, it all appears to be water under the bridge as Francia has re-followed Selena on Instagram.
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