francia Raisa Addresses Wedding snub, Reflects on Kidney Donation to Selena Gomez
LOS ANGELES – Francia Raisa, the actress who donated a kidney to Selena Gomez in 2017, has spoken publicly about not being invited to gomez’s wedding to producer benny Blanco on September 27.Raisa addressed the situation in a recent interview, reaffirming her gratitude for being able to help her former friend despite the apparent rift in their relationship.
“I know she is getting married and I am very happy for her,” Raisa told reporter Magaly Ortiz. She continued, “And look… she has a life and she’s already a billionaire, and I’m grateful that I was able to do that for her.”
The kidney donation became necessary due to Gomez’s battle with lupus, a disease that caused her organs to begin failing. Raisa,who was Gomez’s close friend at the time,stepped forward as a donor.
Responding to questions about her experience as an organ donor and rumors of resentment stemming from Gomez’s lifestyle post-surgery, Raisa emphasized the selfless nature of her decision. “Look, from the beginning the doctors told me, ‘It’s a donation. If you’re going to donate a dollar to St. Jude or somewhere else, you’re not going to call and say, ‘Hey, what are you doing with my dollar?’. It’s a donation, and it’s a nice thing that I was able to do. I’m grateful to be alive and to be able to say I saved a life.”
The friendship between Gomez and Raisa reportedly fractured in recent years. In a 2022 interview with Rolling Stone, Gomez identified Taylor swift as her only friend in the industry, a comment Raisa responded to with a simple “Fascinating” on social media. Gomez later clarified,”Sorry for not mentioning all the people I know.”
Following the 2017 transplant, Gomez publicly thanked Raisa, stating on social media, “I have no words to describe how I could thank my lovely friend Francia Raisa. She has given me the best gift and sacrifice possible by donating one of her kidneys to me. I feel so blessed…I love you so much, sister. Lupus is still a disease that we certainly know little about but that we continue to make progress about.”
