Would you give a kidney to your bestie if they needed one? That’s what Francia Raisa did for Selena Gomez back in 2017 when the “Call Me When You Break Up” singer was battling lupus. (She’s now in remission.) Since the challenging surgery and recovery period, the longtime friends have definitely had their ups and downs. While Selena’s repeatedly expressed her gratitude for the Grown-ish star’s sacrifice, there have also been times where she and Francia “weren’t in a great place.” I feel like there are always rumors about Selena and Francia circulating — much like the never-ending Hailey Bieber and Selena rumors. So, what actually happened between Selena Gomez and Francia Raisa? Let’s walk through this complicated friendship history.
Francia Raisa Was Selena Gomez’s Kidney Donor
In September 2017, Selena revealed that Francia was her kidney donor and thanked her friend in an Instagram post. “There aren’t words to describe how I can possibly thank my beautiful friend Francia Raisa,” Selena captioned a post-surgery photo of them laying in hospital beds and holding hands. “She gave me the ultimate gift and sacrifice by donating her kidney to me. I am incredibly blessed. I love you so much sis.”
At the time, Francia said that she was “beyond grateful that God would trust me with something that not only saved a life, but changed mine in the process.” However, she’s also been very open about how incredibly difficult the process and recovery was for her. “It’s harder as the donor because we are losing something our body didn’t need to lose,” Francia shared on Harry Connick Jr.’s talk show Harry.
She recalled, “I couldn’t do anything active … I couldn’t move for two months. That was very hard for me. I have a dog, and every day the thing I look forward to in the morning is drinking my coffee and walking him, and I couldn’t do that. It was really, really hard.” The actress also shared that she and Selena both experienced depression after the procedure.
The Rolling Stone Taylor Swift Comment Drama
During a November 2022 interview with Rolling Stone, Selena opened up about struggling to connect with other celebrities. “I never fit in with a cool group of girls that were celebrities,” she said. “My only friend in the industry really is Taylor [Swift], so I remember feeling like I didn’t belong.” Unsurprisingly, that didn’t go over too well with Francia, who’s in the industry too.
When E! News posted that quote on Instagram, Francia wrote “interesting” in a since-deleted comment. Selena seemed to respond in the comments section of a TikTok breaking down the rumored tension between them. “Sorry I didn’t mention every person I know,” the Only Murders in the Building actress wrote.
Francia Addressed The Selena Feud Rumors
In August 2023, Francia set the record straight during an appearance on the Good Guys podcast. She said there’s “no beef” between her and Selena and reiterated that she’s glad she donated her kidney. “I just felt it in my heart,” she shared at the time. “I knew I was a match. No one forced me to do anything. It came out of the genuine kindness of my heart.”
A few months later, she admitted to E! that she and Selena recently “weren’t in a great place” but “needed that time apart” to heal their relationship. It seems like they’ve been cool since then!
