Selena Gomez went from Disney child star to teenage pop star to murder-mystery series star and award-winning actress. Now also the founder of mental health platform Wondermind, Gomez remains one of the biggest names in entertainment, but in a new interview, she said she still has one regret about her career.
Gomez took part in a conversation, The Hollywood Reporter's Comedy Actress Emmy Roundtable, with Tracee Ellis Ross, Amy Schumer, Molly Shannon, Quinta Brunson, and Bridget Everett.
During the hour-long talk, which took place in May but was published yesterday, Schumer praised the Only Murders in the Building star for crafting her own path in the industry.
"And then how someone like Selena, who was sexualized at such a young age, but you've just rejected that and have really found your own style and your own presence," Schumer said. "Because I know they put you through a system and make you feel like this is how you have to do it. And especially when you're getting that positive feedback and people are attracted to you, it takes a lot to go, 'I'm going to go in this direction.'"
Gomez agreed, saying, "It's really unfair." She then recalled a particular experience during her early music days that left her feeling not like herself.
"I actually did an album cover and I was really ashamed after I did it," Gomez said. "I had to work through those feelings because I realized it was attached to something deeper that was going on. And it was a choice that I wasn't necessarily happy that I made, but I think that I've done my best, at least I try to be myself."
Though she didn't mention which album she was referring to, Gomez famously posed nude for her second studio album, Revival, in 2016, when she was 24.
"And I'm not an overly sexual person," Gomez continued. "Sometimes I like to feel sexy, but that doesn't mean it's for somebody else. It can be for me."
Rosa Sanchez is the senior news editor at Harper's Bazaar, working on news as it relates to entertainment, fashion, and culture. Previously, she was a news editor at ABC News and, prior to that, a managing editor of celebrity news at American Media. She has also written features for Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue, Forbes, and The Hollywood Reporter, among other outlets.
