Selena Gomez Responds to Body-Shamers After Her Latest Public Appearance

Selena Gomez is clapping back at body-shamers after being bullied online for her appearance at the Emilia Pérez premiere in Los Angeles.

The Only Murders in the Building star, 32, walked the red carpet in a figure-hugging black cocktail dress at the American French Film Festival on Tuesday, Oct. 29, posing with her hand on her stomach in several photos.

The posing prompted some TikTok users to speculate in a since-deleted post that the star was trying to cover up her body. Before the post was deleted, the “Love You Like a Love Song” singer dragged the people talking about her appearance in the comments, writing, “This makes me sick.”

She explained, “I have [small intestinal bacterial overgrowth] in my small intestine. It flares up.” The Wizards of Waverly Place alum continued, “I don’t care that I don’t look like a stick figure. I don’t have that body. End of story,” adding in her comment, “No I am NOT a victim. I’m just human.”

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, also known as SIBO, occurs when there is an abnormal increase in the overall bacterial population in the small intestine — particularly types of bacteria not commonly found in that part of the digestive tract — according to the Mayo Clinic. Symptoms include bloating, abdominal pain, weight loss and discomfort.

Gomez has spoken out numerous times against body-shaming amid her health struggles with lupus and a 2017 kidney transplant. In a TikTok Live in February 2023, revealed that she experiences a number of changes to her body as she deals with the ups and downs of her health.

“I tend to hold a lot of water weight and that happens very normally, and then when I’m off it I tend to kind of lose weight,” she said. “I just wanted to say and encourage anyone out there who feels any sort of shame for exactly what [you’re] going through, [when] nobody knows the real story… you’re beautiful and you’re wonderful.”

Gomez continued that while there were days when it made her feel “like s-t”, but that her priority was focusing on her health and taking her medicine rather than on her appearance. “Not a model, never will be,” she said at the time. “Thanks for supporting me and understanding and, if not… go away. Because honestly, I don’t believe in shaming people for [their] body or anything.”