Selena Gomez took the stage at a We Day conference in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, where she opened about some of the struggles she’s experienced while working on her career in the entertainment industry.
Gomez, 21, checked into a treatment facility back in January for reasons that have never been specified. In her speech, the singer and actress appeared to tackle part of the reason why she needed to take a step back from her career.
"I'm surrounded by people who are supposed to guide me, and some of them have and others haven't," Gomez told the crowd. "They pressure me … you gotta be sexy, you gotta be cute, you gotta be nice. You gotta be all these things."
"You all have pressure that you have to deal with every day I'm sure with school, with work, with friends, with parents, with family,” she added, choking up. “They tell me what to wear, how to look, what I should say, how I should be."
The pressures eventually became too much for Gomez, who’d canceled part of her tour last fall. The "Come and Get It" singer was finding that she was starting to lose herself to her public persona and the expectations of others.
"Until recently, I had given into that pressure. I lost sight of who I was,” she revealed. “I listened to opinions of people and I tried to change who I am because I thought that others would accept me for it."
"I know what it's like figuring out what types of friends you have," Gomez continued. "I'd be lying if I said I've never tried to make myself better by giving in because I have, but I've learned from my actions and for all of the things I've done, I'm proudest of that. I've learned from my mistakes."
Following her We Day California appearance, Gomez took to Instagram to post a picture of fellow speakers and share how much she appreciated the chance to hopefully inspire some of the youth in attendance. “#Weday -unbelievable time,” she wrote. “So inspired and hopefully encouraged many!!
– Chelsea Regan
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