Francia Raisa Clarifies She Wasn’t ‘Forced’ to Donate Her Kidney to Selena Gomez: “Kindness of My Heart”
Actress Francia Raisa has addressed her friendship with Selena Gomez, emphasizing that she wasn't under any pressure to 'donate' her kidney to the singer. During a conversation on the Good Guys podcast with actor Josh Peck and influencer Ben Soffer, Francia Raisa, known for her role in How I Met Your Father, was questioned about her decision to donate an organ to her close friend back in 2017. The podcast also touched on the speculated period of strained relations between Raisa and Gomez in the subsequent years.
Raisa recollected that the medical procedure seemed like the appropriate course of action for her. “I’ve said this before, but that was a time where I just felt it in my heart, I knew I was a match. I knew it was going to happen," she said. Raisa highlighted that it was her decision to donate her kidney, further noting: “No one forced me to do anything. It came out of the genuine kindness of my heart, and I’ve been super blessed ever since.”
Following Gomez's diagnosis with lupus, an autoimmune ailment affecting approximately 1.5 million individuals in the United States, sometime between 2012 and early 2014, it became evident that she required a kidney transplant due to complications stemming from the condition. Having maintained a friendship with Gomez for over ten years by that juncture and sharing a residence with her, Raisa volunteered to undergo testing, thus preventing the need for the Only Murders in the Building actress to endure a donor search wait. As Raisa conveyed to Peck and Soffer during the podcast discussion, the instant she discovered that they were a compatible match, she resolved unequivocally to proceed with the surgery.
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One year subsequent to her kidney donation, the Grown-ish actress initially shared her experience of becoming Gomez's donor. In a 2018 conversation with Self magazine, she admitted that she wasn't the individual who informed her friend about being a suitable match. Nonetheless, Raisa affirmed that she remained resolute in her decision to contribute the organ. “When I found out I was a match, it wasn’t in the way I’d expected. One day I got a phone call from Selena, a FaceTime, and she’s like: ‘You’re a match!' I had a way that I wanted to tell her when I made the decision. I knew it was going to happen, I just needed time," she recalled.
On June 19, 2017, the transplantation occurred, and in a symbolic gesture, both Gomez and Raisa marked the significance of the procedure by getting the date inked on their upper arms. Renán Almendárez Coello, Raisa's father, and a radio personality, mentioned in 2022 that in the period succeeding the surgery, the bond between the two friends deteriorated due to Gomez's alcohol consumption patterns. "There was a little disagreement when Selena was drinking. Francia told her that she wasn't given a kidney to drink alcohol," He made this statement during an appearance on the Spanish-language news show "Primer Impacto."
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Raisa's recent statements regarding the kidney donation follow her response to persistent rumors suggesting a rift between her and Gomez. During an interview with TMZ on July 27, when questioned about her communication with the actress, Raisa initially responded with laughter. Subsequently, she provided clarification that she maintains a positive relationship with her longstanding friend, stating: “There’s no beef, guys.”
Gomez has seemingly addressed the rumors of discord as well. She expressed birthday wishes to Raisa on Instagram on July 26, sharing a heartfelt tribute. In the caption of a post showcasing a collection of images featuring the two, she wrote, “Happiest of birthdays to this special human being. No matter where life takes us, I love you."
References:
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/selena-gomez-kidney-donor-francia-raisa-b2386489.html
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/francis-raisa-selena-gomez-birthday-b2383795.html
