Selena Gomez turned 31 yesterday, and celebrated in a major way, multiple outlets report. The multihyphenate marked her big day with a huge party filled with friends like Paris Hilton and Christina Aguilera, People reports, and shared behind-the-scenes snaps of the celebration on Instagram, a carousel of photos she captioned, simply, “31.”
For the bash Gomez wore a strapless red minidress with floral applique and black strappy sandals; the photos she shared showed her dancing with party guests, and also captured the moment a giant birthday cake was lit with sparklers and presented to her. And that wasn’t all Gomez did for her birthday—she also took in a private screening of the new Barbie movie, her friends decked out in Barbie-themed pink outfits. After watching the movie, the group enjoyed an intimate dinner, People reports, with Gomez sharing photos “of the pink-clad crew around a table stacked with delicious-looking food and drinks,” the outlet writes. “The birthday girl herself also got into the spirit of the movie—one snap showed her wearing a bright pink dress and matching lipstick as she rested her hand on her chin.”
“I am thankful for so much in my life,” Gomez captioned a post on Instagram. “And one of the things I am most thankful for is the work we’ve been able to do with the Rare Impact Fund through @Rarebeauty [her makeup line]. Because of YOU we’ve been able to raise awareness and increase access to mental health services for young people. This is my true passion in life.”
And what Gomez really wants for her big day isn’t presents, or a cake, or even more private movie screenings—she went on to request donations to the aforementioned Rare Impact Fund in lieu of gifts. “If you have the means, consider donating to help us make a difference,” she wrote. “I LOVE YOU ALL!”
Gomez launched the Rare Impact Fund back in 2020 as “part of her commitment to addressing mental health and self-acceptance,” the fund’s website reads.
Per Page Six, Gomez has been candid about her own mental health journey; she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2020 and had past feelings of not wanting to be alive after she suffered a “mental breakdown” during her 2016 “Revival” tour, which she canceled early.
“At one point she’s like, ‘I don’t want to be alive right now. I don’t want to live,’” Gomez’s former assistant Theresa Mingus said in Gomez’s Apple TV+ documentary, My Mind and Me.
In addition to her music career, Gomez is also currently starring in Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, as well as building her empire with Rare Beauty and other projects.
