She got a much-needed kidney transplant in 2017 to combat damage caused by her Lupus diagnosis.
Selena Gomez revealed a reminder of that difficult time when she shared a tattoo commemorating the date of her surgery.
The 27-year-old singer and actress showed off the new ink, which features the date of the surgery, in her video for the title track of her new album Rare, released Friday.
New ink: Selena Gomez, 27, revealed a new tattoo on her arm commemorating the date she got a life-saving kidney transplant in her new Rare video on Friday
Selena revealed in an interview with Capital FM in December that her new tattoo was off the date of her transplant surgery.
Both she and her actress friend Francia Raisa got matching tattoos to commemorate their shared experience.
‘I actually got the date of when I got my kidney transplant and I did that with the girl who gave me the kidney,’ she said.
Selena’s date tattoo is visible early in her rare video and is located on her left upper arm, just above her elbow.
Blink and you’ll miss it: Selena’s date tattoo is visible early in her rare video and is located on her left upper arm, just above her elbow
Sticking together: Both she and her actress friend Francia Raisa got matching tattoos to commemorate their shared experience
Recovering: Selena’s kidney transplant was necessitated by her Lupus, an autoimmune disorder that causes the body’s natural immune defenses to attack healthy tissue
The video appears to be the first time she’s publicly shown off the black ink.
Selena’s kidney transplant was necessitated by her Lupus, an autoimmune disorder that causes the body’s natural immune defenses to attack healthy tissue.
She had previously undergone chemotherapy treatments in 2015, and she sat out part of 2016 after dealing with mental health issues related to her diagnosis.
The Spring Breakers star shared some behind-the-scenes photos from her Rare video shoot to accompany the video release on Friday.
‘So my rare video is out! So I’m posting a few pics from that day,’ she captioned the images.
Nature scene: The Spring Breakers star shared some behind-the-scenes photos from her Rare video shoot to accompany the video release. One image showed Selena lying in the grass serenely while surrounded by plants and flowers
Pastoral: Another shot gave a clearer view of the wooded area where the video was shot, which had been decorated with dozens of flowers in pastel shades
Cheeky: A more playful photo found Selena in a thick sweater and sticking her tongue out at the camera while getting her makeup done
One image showed Selena lying in the grass serenely while surrounded by plants and flowers.
Another shot gave a clearer view of the wooded area where the video was shot, which had been decorated with dozens of flowers in pastel shades.
A more playful photo found Selena in a thick sweater and sticking her tongue out at the camera while getting her makeup done.
Last time: Selena last tattoo was a large black and white design of praying hands clutching a rosary necklace
Public eye: The prominent ink was just barely visible in November when Selena performed at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles
Selena last tattoo was a large black and white design of praying hands clutching a rosary necklace.
The prominent ink was just barely visible in November when Selena performed at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles.
Since releasing Rare earlier on Friday, fans and critics have pointed to lyrics like, ‘If I give you every piece of me, I know that you could drop it,’ that seem to go after her ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber.
‘Baby, you’ve been so distant from me lately / And lately, don’t even wanna call you baby,’ she sings on the title track, possibly a reference to Justin, who recently dropped the single Yummy to mixed review.
Her side: Since releasing Rare earlier on Friday, fans and critics have pointed to lyrics like, ‘If I give you every piece of me, I know that you could drop it,’ that seem to go after her ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber; pictured in 2011
If that wasn’t clear enough, she references the exact amount of time she dated Justin on her song Cut You Off.
‘Pull up to the mirror staring at my face / Gotta chop, chop all the extra weight I’ve been carrying for fourteen-hundred-sixty days,’ she sings.
Selena and Justin dated from late 2010 through early 2013, and they had brief reconciliations each year through 2015.
The couple were back together in late 2017, but separated by March 2018, shortly before Justin reunited with Hailey Baldwin, his future wife.