With a single Instagram post, Selena Gomez shut down rumors that she and her longtime friend and kidney donor, actress Francia Raísa, have an estranged relationship.
Alongside three undated photos of the duo, Gomez wrote on Wednesday, “Happiest of birthdays to this special human being. No matter where life takes us, I love you. ❤️ @franciaraisa“
The post for Raísa’s 35th birthday, which counted more than 2 million likes within an hour for the top-followed woman on Instagram, comes eight months after Gomez called Taylor Swift “my only friend in the industry” in a Rolling Stone interview published Nov. 3.
After the interview, fans noted that the “Grown-ish” star did not follow Gomez on Instagram and speculated whether the comment could have been a factor. The “Only Murders in the Building” actress currently follows Raísa, but not vice versa.
Raísa reportedly posted a comment on Nov. 5 that simply said “interesting” before quickly deleting it under an E! News post about Gomez’s quote.
Francia Raísa considered Selena Gomez a ‘best friend’ and ‘sister’
In the past, the two have been public with their close bond, with Raísa recalling in a 2018 SELF interview that she had no hesitation in getting tested to see if she would be a match with Gomez for a kidney transplant.
“Obviously, it was like, you’re my best friend; you’re my sister,” Raísa said.
In 2017, Gomez revealed she underwent a transplant to receive a kidney donated by Raísa. In an interview with “Today” later that year, she described the procedure as a “life-or-death” move.
She said she underwent the transplant as part of her fight against lupus, an autoimmune disease that often attacks the kidneys. The singer has publicly battled lupus for years, sharing that she also underwent chemo as part of her treatment.
“She gave me the ultimate gift and sacrifice by donating her kidney to me,” Gomez said of Raísa in her Instagram post about the surgery. “I am incredibly blessed. I love you so much sis.”
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Francia Raísa celebrated her 35th birthday with a pool party
Raísa appears to be celebrating her big day with her friends at a rooftop pool party. She posted several photos of herself in an orange bikini and captioned them with “If I’m not in a bikini on my birthday then it’s not my birthday.”
Though she has not yet publicly acknowledged Gomez’s message, Raísa shared several other well-wishers’ posts to her Instagram Story.
Contributing: Charles Trepany, USA TODAY
