Selena Gomez opened up about her hopes of becoming a mother someday while discussing the importance of reducing the stigma surrounding mental health.
The 34-year-old singer and actress spoke at the Fast Company Innovation Festival in New York City, where she reflected on the work of her Rare Impact Fund and why those conversations matter to her personally.
Selena Gomez links her hopes for future children to ending mental health stigma
Gomez said she felt especially proud of the progress her mental health-focused nonprofit had made.
“I think what makes me proud is knowing that we’re truly making a difference,” she said.
She then connected that mission to both her younger sister and her own hopes for the future.
“I think there’s a bunch of stigma around everything and I have a 13-year-old sister who means the world to me, and eventually I’ll have my own children, and this is something that I don’t want to be taboo,” Gomez said.
Her comments offered a glimpse into how she views motherhood while connecting it to her work around mental health advocacy.
According to the Daily Mail, Gomez said she did not mind if some people considered those conversations unconventional.
“I don’t mind if people think it’s ‘out there,’ but I love what we have accomplished and I think we’ll just continue to grow in that manner and hopefully continue to do great things,” she added.
The remarks follow Gomez’s earlier disclosure that she could not carry children herself because of medical reasons.
She previously said it had taken her time to process that reality.
“I unfortunately can’t carry my own children,” Gomez said in an earlier interview. “I have a lot of medical issues that would put my life and the baby’s in jeopardy.”
Although motherhood may not happen in the way she once imagined, Gomez said she still wanted children and had considered both surrogacy and adoption.
“I’m excited for what that journey will look like, but it’ll look a little different,” she said.
During the Fast Company discussion, Gomez also reflected on leadership and the growth of her company. She said she placed a strong emphasis on treating people respectfully and communicating directly when problems arose.
For Gomez, the larger goal is to continue expanding conversations around mental health. This is so that the future generations, including her own children, do not have to treat those topics as taboo.
