Selena Gomez's emotional live video is a reminder to stop commenting on other people's bodies
"It's the medication I have to take for the rest of my life."

Selena Gomez's emotional live video is a reminder to stop commenting on people's bodies.
Selena Gomez has talked openly about her diagnosis of lupus for several years now. We've seen her take breaks from music and acting because of it, and she's even gotten a kidney transplant from the organ damage the autoimmune disorder caused. With all of the changes Gomez has gone through, she continues to push forward and attend celebrity events when she is able.
But once again, the focus of her latest red carpet walk at the Golden Globe Awards was her body. Not because she looked stunning in her gown—which she did. No, it was because she gained a few pounds. Gomez has been in the spotlight since she was a child on "Barney & Friends," then later on "Wizards of Waverly Place." She's 30 years old now, and that alone should be reason enough for people to expect her to have more curves.
Since Gomez has spoken publicly about her lupus and bipolar disorder, it seems like people would be kinder and expect that her medications may cause weight fluctuations. Instead, people wrote articles about the state of her body and folks on the internet decided to leave comments about it. This led to the singer addressing the body shaming in an emotional TikTok live.
In the live video, she explained what happens when she takes her medication. "[When I'm taking it, I] tend to hold a lot of water weight, and that happens very normally. When I'm off of it, I tend to lose weight." During the video, Gomez got emotional, saying, "My medications are important and I believe they are what helps me. Not a model, never will be. And I think they're awesome, mind you. I'm just definitely not that."
It's a wild thing to watch unfold. This isn't the first time Gomez has had to come out and talk about her weight gain. It just makes you wonder why we are still commenting on people's bodies. Unless you're a person's medical provider and they've come to you asking why they've gained weight or how to lose it, then maybe we should collectively keep those thoughts inside the thought box.
So many people experience different things in life, and some of them cause our bodies to look different than what others may be used to. But commenting on what has changed about someone's body can cause harm that exceeds hurt feelings.
Studies show that body shaming can cause depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, eating disorders and more weight gain. Having someone give unsolicited commentary on your body just doesn't feel good, and celebrities are getting that experience times millions.
\u201cSelena Gomez goes live on TikTok to address comments about her body. She talks about her health, medication for lupus and how they affect her body.\u201d— Selena Gomez News \ud83c\udfac (@Selena Gomez News \ud83c\udfac) 1676560118
Fans of the actor have come to her defense on social media. One of them took to Twitter, writing, "The fact that selena felt like she had to go on a live and explain that when she takes medical for her illness she gains weight after being bodyshamed [sic] and asked why she looks different… like i feel so bad for her she looked so upset."
"I just want people to know that you're beautiful, and you're wonderful," Gomez said. "Yeah, we have days where maybe we feel like s---, but I would rather be healthy and take care of myself. My medications are important, and I believe that they're what helps me."
Gomez ended the live thanking her fans for their support and telling the haters to go away, saying, "I'm perfect the way I am."
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."