[Hd] Selena Gomez & Francia Raísa Complete Interview (Today Show 10-31-2017)

Selena says she was diagnosed with lupus five years ago, and the autoimmune disease attacked her kidneys. She revealed that news about the transplant to her 128 million Instagram followers last month, saying she would soon share her journey over the past several months. And she did just that in our candid and often emotional conversation. I had arthritis. My kidneys were shutting down. My mentality was just to keep going. I didn't realize how much it was affecting my body. This past summer, Selena Gomez was gravely ill. Weeks away from dialysis and in desperate need of a new kidney, she returned to the home she was sharing with her close friend, Francia Raiza. One day she came home, and she was emotional. I hadn't asked anything. I knew that she hadn't been feeling well. She couldn't open a water bottle one day, and she chucked it. And she started crying, and I said, what's wrong? And that's when she told me. And she goes, I don't know what to do. The list is seven to ten years long. And it just vomited out of me. I was like, of course I'll get tested. Selena told Francia, an actress on the upcoming show Grown-ish, that Francia had too much happening in her life to even think about donating a kidney. You insisted. Yeah. I called her assistant, and I said, give me the information. I want to do this. How were you feeling in that moment? She lived with me in this interesting time where my kidneys were just done. That was it, and I didn't want to ask a single person in my life. The thought of asking somebody to do that was really difficult for me. She volunteered and did it, and let alone somebody wanting to volunteer. It is incredibly difficult to find a match. The fact that she was a match, I mean, that's unbelievable. That's not real. Francia immediately began the process of having her blood and urine tested. She completed a physical and psychological evaluation. With our situation, because we were kind of an emergency situation, I did everything in like a day. And usually the process takes like six months. So it was really fast. It becomes surgery day. Tell me about how you were feeling and what happened. I wanted us to feel good. Our friend came over and did cute little French braids for us. And we couldn't eat after midnight, so we stuffed our faces. I think I ordered, like, so much food. Way too much food, yeah. But I had to go in first. And when I woke up, I just was really calm. Did you ever fear for your own health? Yeah, I did. I had to write a will, which was scary, because there's no guarantee you'll wake up. And your family wasn't even sure. When you told your mom, she was like, what are you doing? My mom didn't want to be there until I woke up. She loves Selena, and so she was torn. Before she was wheeled in, Francia asked to see her friends. She came in and held my hand. And she's like, are you good? I was like, yeah, we're doing this. And then they give you Valium to calm you down. I don't remember anything else. Well, you did a little peace sign first, and then you went out. Selena went into surgery next. I remember waking up two hours after. And I saw my mom. I saw my stepdad. And I felt OK. I felt really good. And I got to see you and tell you I love you. And then I went back to my room. And I started to attempt to fall asleep. And in the middle of that process, I started hyperventilating. And there was so much pain there. Doctors told Selena she'd have to go back into surgery. Her new kidney was turning around inside her body. My teeth were grinding. I was freaking out. It was a six-hour surgery that they had to do on me. And the normal kidney process is actually two hours. Apparently one of the arteries had flipped. I am very thankful that there are people who know what to do in that situation. What has recovery been like? What I wanted more than anything was that we were together. So I actually got a space for us to be in together. You know, you're on bed rest. You're allowed to walk an hour a day. You can't do any stairs or anything crazy. It was hard because you constantly needed to ask for help. I think one of the most humbling experiences was needing help to, like, put on underwear. We couldn't take showers by ourselves. I mean, it was a really brutal process. Both Selena and Francia say it's their faith that guided them through this very emotional and private process. You feel that Francia saved your life. Because she did. That's it. I guess I got to the point where it was really kind of life or death. It's really hard to think about or even to swallow, especially now that as soon as I got the kidney transplant, my arthritis went away. My lupus, there's about a 3 to 5 percent chance it will ever come back. My blood pressure is better. My energy, my life has been better. A life-saving journey shared with the hope of helping others. I just really hope that we can help somebody. I really do. I don't think what we went through was easy. I don't think it was fun. I just hope that this inspires people to feel good, to know that there is really good people in the world. Oh, my gosh. It's incredible to see these two and the relationship that they have. I mean, it feels like a sisterhood. And, you know, I was just blown away to hear them talk. They're very private. I think they feel like they don't really want to ever talk about this again. I don't know what the odds are to find a match in the general population, but to have that person living as your roommate? Living right under your roof. I mean, they are women of faith, and they don't think it's any accident. Selena had had her whole family tested. Nobody's a match. She didn't even tell Francia what was happening until that moment, you know, and she blurted it out. And then, of course, Francia said, I'll be tested. And, lo and behold, she's a match. And there they go. And it's an incredible story of friendship. And the reason they're telling it is they want to raise awareness. I love how when you asked her the question and she said, when you said about saving your life, and she said because she did. Yeah, she kind of put me in my place. Like, I don't say it. She's like, that's what happened. Wow. You hear that phrase all the time. Yeah. This was for real. Yeah. And Selena was really open about other things and how she dealt with her sickness. You know, we think of this big star and what she was going through privately. She's a very honest and candid person. And we have a lot more to show tomorrow with that part of the interview. That's fabulous. That was great. Savannah, thank you very much. So now to more of our exclusive and emotional interview with Selena Gomez and her best friend and kidney donor, Francia Raisa. On Monday, they told us about the transplant that Selena told us saved her life. And this morning, she opens up like never before about what led to it, her five-year battle with lupus. I would get fevers, headaches. I would get fatigue. But I always just kept going. I kind of ignored it, to be honest, because it wasn't something that maybe I really wanted to accept. For years, Selena Gomez rarely stopped. The pop star making new music, appearing on red carpets, in commercials and even movies. I don't think I made the right decisions because I didn't accept it. And that's extremely selfish and at the same time really, really just unnecessary. You know, I'm not really proud of that. It sounds like you're being hard on yourself. To me, it seems like weren't you just a young woman who wanted to just not have to be sick? Sure. Yeah, that would be easier if I just accepted that. But I am definitely the hardest person on myself, for sure. Selena finally took a break last year to deal with anxiety, panic attacks and depression. Her close friend, Francia Raisa, was worried. I went away to a facility. I took some time off. I needed to get my mind right. Be healthy. I removed myself from everyone in my life. You went six months without speaking. Yeah. And just the fact that you have people in your life that can understand where you are, not judge you for it, not make you feel bad for it. It was a huge lesson of friendship for me and trust. Because it's easy to, you know, feel offended or want to be there. It's just they need to go through their own thing. I had everything. And I was absolutely broken inside. And I kept it all together enough to where I would never let you down. But I kept it too much together to where I let myself down. Do you feel like you got caught up in the business or fame or that kind of stuff? No, I definitely don't. No, I don't think I ever accepted the position I had. It was me almost feeling guilty about fame. Because people can see anyone in my position and just say, So, privately, it's a whole different feeling. Yes, you're isolated. You're being looked at. You're being judged. I'm always trying to be nice. I want to be great. That's genuinely who I am deep down. But it just seemed pointless. That anxiety and the panic and some of those parts of it, that's part of lupus. That's part of the condition, isn't it? It is because everything affects your body too. I think that's a huge part of why I was feeling that way. I had a lot of fatigue. I wouldn't want to leave the bed a lot. Today, Selena is feeling better than she has in years. All thanks to Francia's healthy kidney. Francia, it takes a lot of courage to do what you did. Yeah. A lot. Where did that come from? The only answer I have is God, honestly. If I didn't have my relationship with God, I don't think I would have been able to. What I believe is that it does happen for a reason. I think a huge part of my discernment and my honesty and my truth has been because I've had a relationship with God. Both chose to share their health journey because they hope others will consider organ donation. Their story has already raised awareness about lupus. Lupus has been a misunderstood disorder. Very few people knew what it was. All of that has changed, and it's no exaggeration to say the reason awareness is so much better now than it was is because Selena has been brave enough to tell her story. Francia and Selena say they have no regrets. I don't want people to think it's a sad thing that I went through this with Francia or with anything in my life. Because at the end of the day, I think all the stuff that I went through made me and defined everything that I am right now. I think it's a really beautiful thing, and I have to remind myself that it's not a negative experience. It's so interesting to hear her so introspective. She's very candid. I mean, you saw the speech at the awards show. She wants to be open and upfront about what she went through, what she learned, and how she talked about how she feels she failed herself. And to hear her talk about her friendship and her faith and all those things, I mean, yeah, she's something special. But also have come to that realization at such a young age. It's going to help her so much going forward. Absolutely. Both Selena and Francia were young stars. Well, I guess the first question is how do you feel? How do both of you feel? Francia? Nervous right now. Yeah, but I feel good. I'm happy. Yeah, I'm in a good place. Yeah, I think we were a little nervous. I think it was a very intimate thing. Yeah. It was just luckily, thankfully between us for a while. Yeah, it's nerve-wracking a little bit. It's a bit weird. Yeah. We're happy to be here. It feels strange to be telling the world this private story. A little bit, yeah. And I think the question of figuring out what that means, that we obviously went through that. And I know I've kind of lived my life in a position where people have seen a lot of it. But this is something that's important. You know, this isn't something that's easy to talk about. Hopefully it's impactful because what we experienced, we really hoped that it would be something that obviously saved my life. But also just to help other people, too, because that's clearly why I feel like I have the platform that we have. Well, let's go back a little bit. Tell me how did this idea first come up? You two are best friends. You knew, Florencia, that Selena had been struggling with lupus. Whose idea was it about the kidney? Mine. We were living together at the time, coincidentally. I was in transition, and I left to film in February. And when I came back, I had already put my suitcases in there, and I was like, okay, I'm about to look for a place. And something in my heart told me not to look yet. I felt God being like, just wait. And I actually told her that, and she goes, well, I like having you here. Let's just wait it out a bit. And I didn't understand why because I was so ready to just live on my own. And one day she came home, and she was emotional. I hadn't asked anything. I knew that she hadn't been feeling well, but I know her, and I know that we both, when we get a certain way, just let us be. And she couldn't open a water bottle one day. She chucked it, and she started crying. And I said, what's wrong? And that's when she told me. And she goes, I don't know what to do. The list is 7 to 10 years long. And it just vomited out of me. I was like, of course I'll get tested. She didn't want me to do it. She goes, I can't. You have so much going on in your life right now, and there's a lot of downtime. And I felt a lot of peace about it, and there was like no question. I was like, I'm going to get tested. You're my sister, of course. And so I called her assistant, and I said, give me the information. I want to do this. I definitely remember. I remember you wanted it to be a surprise, and somebody ruined it for you. So I'm sorry. This is what happened. But you know what? I think it's a beautiful story still, because I volunteered, but you don't really know what you're getting yourself into. It's scary. They make you take a two-hour course to kind of educate you on what giving up the kidney means for your life. And so it was just a scary process learning everything. And I remember telling the nurses, like, okay, I'm going to find out first. The donors always find out first. And they said, yes. I said, great. How much time do I have to make a decision? And they said, as long as you want. I was like, I just want to pray about it. I just want to talk to my pastor about it. I just want to feel that peace. So that was my thing. But I know that in the back of my mind, I was like, God, I need a sign. I need something. And so she called me and said, hey, we're a match. And I was like, why are you telling me this? But in my heart, immediately I felt God being like, this is the affirmation that you needed and you wanted for me. So then I got even more peace that this was something I was supposed to do. But I did have a surprise, and I made her pretend that she didn't know anything. I said, we're an actor. We're acting right now. This is a scene. Very dramatic. Yeah, very dramatic. So I was like, I'm walking in. I had a case that I had engraved. It looked like a Bible. And on top of it, I had a quote that she gave me when we first started becoming friends. And it said, a sister is a forever friend. So I had that engraved. And then inside, I had a kidney bean in there. And that was my way of telling her that we were a match. Very happy. So tell me a little bit about the process. Because I think one of the reasons why it's important that we're talking is because there are a lot of people who wish they had a match. And there's a huge effort to have people donate if they can. And that is an incredible gift to give whatever the circumstances, whether to a friend or to a stranger. So what was your process? What did you have to go through? It's a lot of testing. You basically have to make sure, and the doctors make sure, that you're not just physically healthy, but mentally and emotionally healthy because it is a very emotional process. Lots of blood work. I remember the first time that I went in, it took like 30 vials of blood. I'm just sitting there. I mean, I don't think my blood was even flowing anymore. It was so much. CT scans, x-rays, yeah, sugar drinks. I said, I don't drink sugar. But they wanted to test your blood having fast for 12 hours and then after you've had sugar because diabetes is a risk and that runs in my family. So it was a whole process. But with our situation, because we were kind of an emergency situation, I did everything in like a day. And usually the process takes like six months. Because the notion of all that private struggle and sadness is so in contrast to this beautiful, vibrant, successful superstar that the whole world saw. Yeah, maybe. But I'm also kind of honest with where I am. As much as I want to be. I'm willing to share what I want to share. But at the end of the day, I'm under the exact same pressure of everyday stuff. But I never viewed myself as that. I think that's when it gets dangerous. I never viewed myself as anything other than who I am. And I am very aware I have a platform. I've always tried my hardest to use that for positive. And in a way, that platform has saved me from myself a lot. Because I wouldn't want anybody to experience what I've experienced. I wouldn't want anybody to hurt or understand or feel alone. And I get it. I'm constantly on things. I'm distracted by the world and the ways of the world and my generation. I think it's very difficult to be living in my time right now with girls our age. It's really hard. And I've always just wanted to exude and show people that I'm not unattainable. You're not looking at someone that's, oh, you've got everything. That's not the case. I love what I do. I work really hard. I have worked really hard. But at the end of the day, I'm a person. And if I could let people know that they're looking at things that sometimes aren't real, they need to understand that they're beautiful, they're real, they're going through things, and it's completely okay. That's why I'm so fortunate that it was one of my best friends that I got to experience this with. And we actually met somebody shortly after that you're close with who had a transplant too. And then you just have this whole new perspective on people that go through something. A stranger giving somebody else a kidney is even amplified because there are people who are so good that they just want to help somebody. And that's so beautiful and rare. And people need things. Nobody's aware of half the things that doctors and, you know, lupus or cancer or, you know, a kidney transplant, an organ, heart transplant, all these things. I don't think people are aware of how much that's a need. And there are simple things you can do, like even just donating blood or maybe just being aware, talking about it, putting on your license and accepting, maybe I do want to be a donor to when I don't need my body anymore. That's a big deal, but I'm just saying there are things that you can do, and I think that's something that's important. I think people should be aware of that too. I don't know. I think that's... Yeah, it's definitely a rewarding experience, especially because a few weeks afterwards, you know, my friend called me and she said, Hey, I heard about what you did. My boyfriend's doing it tomorrow anonymously. He didn't know who he was giving it to. And I was like, Wow, so cool. Yeah, let me talk to him because I know exactly how this feels. And a lot of information that I had given him, I mean, we were so lucky. We have amazing, amazing doctors, and half the stuff I told him, he didn't know. Did you ever in your hardest moment think, Why did I do this? No, I never regretted it at all. I'm actually really honored and grateful that I was able to do that for her. And, you know, sometimes I even look at her and I'm like, Wait, so I did that? Like, it's just weird. And, you know, she tells me, like, You saved my life. And it's just hard to process because to me, like, I love her so much. She's my sister. It's like, it wasn't even a question. Never a regret. I think just the recovery was just hard. But I just, again, I'm going to bring up God again because he's awesome. Like, had him just help me through that. There is something really profound about a friendship. But now there's this physical connection. Yeah. Something that was in you is now in you, Selena. You ever let yourself think about that? It's so weird. It is weird. I do, yes. And, you know, there are a lot of— So because I went through that process, you know, I think as a woman, especially now, there is the physicality of it. And I actually have a little bit of a protrusion that will be there forever. And that means I kind of have to dress differently and be aware of it a little more. And it was really, really massive at first. I ended up having to get it drained because it was just— it had got—my body went through so much. But it was weird, you know. It was just kind of like I would laugh because we would think, okay, that's insane, but that's happening. I have part of your body. It's still so weird. It is weird.