Francia Raisa has denied rumours that she’s feuding with Selena Gomez after the singer shared a birthday tribute to her on Instagram.
The 35-year-old actress was asked about her friendship with Gomez - who she donated a kidney to in 2017 - during an interview with TMZ on 27 July. When asked if they’ve been in touch since the Only Murders in the Building star wished her a happy birthday on Instagram, Raisa initially laughed the question off
However, she then clarified that she is still on good terms with her longtime friend, saying: “There’s no beef, guys.”
In the birthday post, shared on 26 July, Gomez included a carousel of photos of herself and Raisa, along with a sweet tribute. “Happiest of birthdays to this special human being. No matter where life takes us, I love you,” she wrote.
The first image in the post showed the pair sitting and smiling at each other, while the second showed Gomez hugging the How I Met Your Father star from behind. In the third snap, the two pals were posing for the camera while attending what appeared to be the “Wolves” singer’s 30th birthday party in 2022.
Raisa’s comment and Gomez’s birthday tribute comes after ongoing speculation that they had a falling out. In November 2022, the “Lose You to Love You” singer called Taylor Swift her “only friend in the industry” during an interview with Rolling Stone.
After Gomez’s interview surfaced online, some speculated that her comments were a dig at Raisa. The Grown-ish star later reacted to an Instagram post about her friend’s comment, writing: “Interesting”. However, the Disney Channel alum clarified her remarks in the comments of a TikTok video: “Sorry I didn’t mention every person I know.”
At the time, fans pointed out that Raisa had unfollowed Gomez on Instagram. However, it appears the actress has since refollowed Gomez, who she’s been friends with since 2007 after meeting at a hospital.
Amid speculation of a rift between the pair, Gomez still said she’s “in debt” to “best friend” Raisa for donating her kidney, amid the singer’s battle with lupus. In an episode of Apple TV Plus’s documentary series Dear… which aired in March, Gomez explained how Raisa offered to donate her kidney.
“My best friend. Her name is Francia. She said: ‘No, I am absolutely getting tested,’” Gomez recalled. “And within three days, she went to get tested, and she was a match. And it was one of those moments where I felt watched over. I know I was so so , so lucky.”
Gomez added that Raisa “not even second-guessing [being] a donor” was “unbelievably overwhelming” and that she will “never ever, ever be more in debt to a person than Francia”.
Months later, Raisa then appeared to comment on her alleged rift with Gomez. Speaking to TMZ in May, she called for an end to “bullying”, as she addressed the “pretty bad” comments made about her online, after she dodged questions from the publication about her relationship status with Gomez.
“Now I’m being bullied like crazy,” she said on 8 May. “It’s not good at all. It’s not fun either.”
“The only thing I’m going to say is in no way, shape or form does anyone condone bullying, especially Selena. She literally has a whole nonprofit dedicated to mental health, and I believe Rare Beauty even just had an event for mental health,” Raisa continued , referring to Gomez’s Rare Impact Fund - a nonprofit dedicated to increasing access to mental health services for young people.
She went on to express how the hateful messages had taken a toll on her mental health, adding: “So the fact that I’m now being bullied as I am, it’s messing with me mentally.”
Raisa continued: “To me it’s not what anyone wants for someone and [Gomez’s] literally out there saying please stop, so I don’t understand why it’s not stopping – not just for me, but others that are also being antagonised online.”
