Selena Gomez hid her lupus diagnosis from the world with very few exceptions. And among those chosen ones with whom the pop singer shared her health condition was Justin Bieber. Even when she and Bieber broke up, a friendship that provided strength continued. And when Selena had chemotherapy for her lupus, Justin was there for her, according to Hollywood Life .
Fearing the effects of chemotherapy on her body, Gomez found help in Bieber. The 21-year-old pop phenom and 23-year-old ailing singer had previously split, but the bond held true through the worst part of her treatment, a source told Hollywood Life .
“[Justin constantly told her she was the] most beautiful girl in the world,” revealed the source, adding that he would invent songs especially for Selena.
“[Bieber told Gomez] it wouldn’t matter if she gained weight, lost her hair, or anything,” added the insider of how Justin reassured the 23-year-old that she would always be beautiful. “He would make up little songs for her… and if they were both in L.A., he’d come over and order in her favorite foods from all the most expensive restaurants in Beverly Hills.”
Adding to the “awwww, sweet” factor, Justin also supported Selena even before her treatment for lupus began. Gomez was worried that her hair would fall out or she would suffer some type of hair loss.
“Fortunately, she did not,” added the source. “And she had Justin to support her through the whole ordeal.”
When Selena shared that she had been diagnosed with lupus, the announcement followed months of speculation about why she had taken a break from her singing career and cancelled an Australian tour. Gomez finally confirmed that she had suffered lupus flares , and that as a result of the autoimmune disease, she took the hiatus for chemotherapy treatment, reported Medical Daily .
No cure exists for the disease, which impacts the kidneys, blood, joints, and skin. And Selena expressed her anger about some of the rumors.
“I could’ve had a stroke,” declared Gomez. “I wanted so badly to say, ‘You guys have no idea. I’m in chemotherapy. You’re a**holes.’ I locked myself away until I was confident and comfortable again.”
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Lupus typically results in symptoms in the 20s through 40s and occurs more in women. The leading cause of death among those with lupus is heart disease. As for the type of treatment needed, while Selena had chemotherapy, the choice of treatment depends on the type of lupus, age, symptoms, and overall health of the patient.
Gomez had revealed that she had chemotherapy, and the category of chemotherapy drugs used to treat lupus is known as cyclophosphamide, with the goal of lowering the immune system’s activity.
Those with lupus often face challenges ranging from emotional issues to pain, but a health program can help, as Selena is determined to show with a 2016 world tour scheduled and the release of her second studio album, Revival .
“This is my time,” asserted Gomez. “I’ve deserved this. I earned it. This is all me.”
As for her future, the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) notes that treatment goals include management of symptoms that can include pain. Selena had been rumored to suffer from a lupus flare, and among the goals of lupus treatment plans are lowering inflammation while controlling the immune system activity to reduce the likelihood of such flares.
Triggers can include stress, and some patients experience so-called “quiet periods” and then go through future flare-ups. However, the LFA conducted a survey showing that almost 80 percent of those with lupus are managing their disease well.
And while Gomez is celebrating her “Revival,” Bieber is trying to tell her he’s sorry in the sweetest way with a serenade, according to Entertainment Tonight .
It’s never too late to say you’re sorry, theorizes the pop singer, especially when it comes to a former girlfriend. So when the two reunited at the Montage Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, it was time for a serenade that said it all.
The serenade included “Sorry” and then the never-gets-old, always-romantic “My Girl.”
[Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images]