Selena Gomez’s star-studded wedding did observe the presence of Hollywood’s hotshots, but it was also targeted for the absence of one person in particular – actress Francia Raisa.
The 37-year-old American actress donated a kidney to Gomez in 2017, who was battling with lupus. In the weeks following Gomez’s wedding, a controversy started brewing where people conjectured that things were going awry between the two friends. The buzz culminated following Gomez’s wedding in Santa Barbara, which was attended by some of the A-listers and the singer’s closest friends, including Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran, while Raisa was not seen at the nuptials.
According to Parade, the How I Met Your Father actress was recently seen interviewing at a bookstore before the wedding, wherein she addressed those rumors and cleared the air. Speaking in Spanish, Raisa talked about the big moment in Selena’s life and mentioned that her act of generosity back in 2017 did not come with preconceived expectations.
The actress said, “I know she’s getting married, and I’m very happy for her. And look… she has a life and she is already a billionaire and I am grateful that I could do that for her.”
Not only that, but she also mentioned how organ donation is tantamount to financial donation while discussing her friendship with the newly married singer. Raisa said, “Look, from the beginning, the doctors told me, it’s a donation. If you are going to donate a dollar to St. Jude or somewhere else, you’re not going to call to say, ‘Hey, what are you doing with my dollar?’ It’s a donation, and it’s something nice that I was able to do. I am grateful that I am alive, and I can say that I have saved a life.”
The alleged rift between the two friends intensified over the years when Raisa was rumored to be “angry” and “disgusted” with the Fetish singer for treating her body carelessly after the transplant. According to Page Six, speaking to reporter Magaly Ortiz on September 25, Raisa vehemently clapped back at these rumors, asserting that she had not said anything publicly.
“Well, right now you’re asking me is nonsense that has been in the media, and there are too many rumors. I’ve never said anything”, Raisa cleared.
She further continued, “When that rumor came out that I had gotten angry or something like that because [Gomez] was smoking, I wasn’t aware of those rumors. So, what you’re asking me is rumors. No one knows what’s going on, and neither she nor I is talking about it.”
“One day, maybe we will address it”, she concluded.
According to Page Six, the rumored rift between the two friends stemmed in 2022, after Selena called Taylor her “only friend in the industry.” Speaking to Rolling Stone in November 2022, the Calm Down singer said, “I never fit in with a cool group of girls that were celebrities. My only friend in the industry really is Taylor [Swift], so I remember feeling like I didn’t belong.”
As mentioned previously, Raisa donated one of her kidneys to Selena Gomez in 2017. According to Page Six, the Wizards of Waverly Place actress documented the entire medical procedure, posting images of her and Raisa on hospital beds, holding hands.
The 33-year-old singer wrote on Instagram at that time, “There aren’t words to describe how I can possibly thank my beautiful friend Francia Raisa. She gave me the ultimate gift and sacrifice by donating her kidney to me. I am incredibly blessed. I love you so much, sis.”