Selena Gomez drew attention Monday night in New York City, arriving solo in a tight, strapless black dress as she continues to speak publicly about body image, therapy and longstanding health challenges.
The 33-year-old singer and actor, who is planning a wedding with music producer Benny Blanco, wore a corseted dress with a plunging neckline, slicked-back hair and ankle-strap stilettos as she posed for photographs and greeted fans on the sidewalk. Her appearance came days after an interview in which she discussed past weight fluctuations, mental-health treatment and how medical issues have affected her life.
Gomez has been the subject of speculation after losing weight in recent months, with some media coverage suggesting she may have used the diabetes drug semaglutide, commonly known by the brand Ozempic, which has been referenced in broader public debates about celebrity weight loss. Gomez has previously disputed that explanation, saying medication for lupus and a diagnosis of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, or SIBO, contributed to changes in her size. Medical sources describe SIBO as a condition in which excessive bacteria in the small intestine can result from surgery or other illnesses and can affect digestion.
In the Allure interview, Gomez described the emotional impact of critical comments about her appearance. "I got stung by a person saying I was fat. Why is that [emotion] coming up?" she said, adding that she had "dealt with a lot of weight issues" and was sensitive to such remarks. She said dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, helped her understand that those reactions were rooted in a period when she gained weight while coping with medical problems.
Gomez has been open about a range of health issues, including a kidney transplant in 2017 related to complications from lupus. She also has spoken publicly about living with bipolar disorder. In the recent interview she linked her therapy work to her readiness for her current relationship, saying she would not have been "remotely mature enough" five years ago to be the partner she is now.
She described her relationship with Blanco as stabilizing, calling him "one of the most grounding people in my life," and said their relationship began after she had already made progress in her personal growth. "He'll say, 'Gosh, why did we waste so much time?' And I always say: 'You wouldn't have liked me back then. I was all over the place,'" Gomez said.
Professionally, Gomez said she is focused on the present and on doing her best while she continues to work. She has repeatedly emphasized the importance of boundaries with social media, noting that she takes breaks from Instagram to be "present" and to feel content in her current life stage. Gomez is among the most-followed people on the platform.
Public interest in Gomez's appearance and health reflects broader conversations about celebrity privacy, medical disclosure and the ways chronic illness and mental-health treatment intersect with public perception. Gomez has routinely addressed those intersections in interviews, combining disclosures about medical diagnoses with discussions of therapy and recovery.
Monday's outing in New York reunited those themes in the public eye: an attention-grabbing red-carpet look for a high-profile star who has been using recent media appearances to frame her health narrative on her own terms. Her representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
As Gomez continues her professional commitments and plans her wedding, she has signaled a willingness to step back from public scrutiny at times. In the Allure interview she said she aims "to be in this moment" and acknowledged the possibility that her public career may change in coming years, expressing a desire to prioritize presence and well-being while she remains active in entertainment.