Francia Raisa has called for an end to the online “bullying” she’s received amid her rumoured rift with Selena Gomez, to whom she donated a kidney in 2017.
The How I Met Your Father actor recently spoke to TMZ about receiving “pretty bad” comments online since speaking out about her broken relationship with the Only Murders in the Building star.
“Now I’m being bullied like crazy,” she said on 8 May. “It’s not good at all. It’s not fun either.”
The 34-year-old actor pointed out that Gomez has long been an advocate for mental health and founded the Rare Impact Fund, a nonprofit committed to increasing access to mental health services for young people.
“The only thing I’m going to say is in no way, shape or form does anyone condone bullying, especially Selena,” Raisa continued. “She literally has a whole nonprofit dedicated to mental health, and I believe Rare Beauty even just had an event for mental health.”
The Grown-ish star went on to say that the hateful messages and online harassment has taken a toll on her own mental health. “So the fact that I’m now being bullied as I am, it’s messing with me mentally,” she said.
Raisa added: “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.”
As for how she handles the negativity, Raisa shared that she does her “best to not listen” and “to not read” the comments.
“I’m very happy and I’m living my life,” she said. “I’m sending love to everyone. I understand because I’ve been a hardcore fan of people myself growing up, I totally, totally, totally get it but it’s not nice and I would say – not just with me but with anyone – please stop.”
Raisa’s call for an end to online bullying comes after the Secret Life of an American Teenager alum dodged questions from TMZ earlier this month about her relationship status with the former Disney Channel star.
The actors have been friends since 2007, when they first met during a visit to a children’s hospital. Ten years later, Raisa donated her kidney to Gomez. She underwent the procedure following complications from lupus, the autoimmune disease Gomez was diagnosed with when she was 24.
The two were rumoured to have fallen out after Gomez called Taylor Swift her “only friend in the industry” during an interview with Rolling Stone last November.
After Gomez’s interview surfaced online, some people speculated that the “Wolves” singer’s comments were a dig against Raisa. She then wrote, “Interesting,” under an Instagram post about Gomez’s comments. The Wizards of Waverly Place star went on to clarify her remarks about Swift, when she commented on a TikTok video: “Sorry I didn’t mention every person I know.”
Fans also noticed Raisa unfollowed Gomez – and still hasn’t followed the singer back – on Instagram. Gomez still follows Raisa on the social media platform.
Despite rumours of an alleged rift, Gomez previously said she’s “in debt” to “best friend” Raisa for donating her kidney to the singer in 2017. In a recent episode of Apple TV Plus’s documentary series Dear…, 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”.
