Selena Gomez praised for speaking on lupus and body-shaming
The singer, 30, has previously been open about her diagnosis with the condition
Selena Gomez has been praised for explaining how her body changes when she takes medication to treat lupus.
The singer, 30, has previously been open about her diagnosis with the condition - but she's recently been subject to nasty comments about her appearance.
On a TikTok live, Selena told fans that when she's taking medication she "holds a lot of water weight".
"I would much rather be healthy and take care of myself," she said.
"My medications are important, and I believe that they're what helps me."
Lupus is an incurable autoimmune disease where the body's immune system becomes hyperactive and attacks normal tissue.
Symptoms can be managed using medication. In 2017, Selena revealed she had a kidney transplant linked to her lupus.
Kate Appleby and Chris Clarke, both 30, have lupus - and they've told BBC Newsbeat what it means to them to have Selena talk so openly about her experience.
"Having someone like Selena stand up and shout above the rooftops has full support from myself, and probably the whole lupus community," Chris says.
Kate, who has nearly 40,000 followers on Instagram and says she's also been a victim of body-shaming, says Selena's bravery is "incredible".
"I go from being very skinny to being a bit curvier.
"You know, you go from being visibly more ill to your illness being much more hidden," she says.
"And because I have a sort of public profile people then very quickly judge and I've had a lot of criticism from people commenting on not only how my appearance changes, but also how I manage my illness."
Kate, who has nearly 40,000 followers on Instagram and says she's also been a victim of body-shaming, says Selena's bravery is "incredible".
"I go from being very skinny to being a bit curvier.
"You know, you go from being visibly more ill to your illness being much more hidden," she says.
"And because I have a sort of public profile people then very quickly judge and I've had a lot of criticism from people commenting on not only how my appearance changes, but also how I manage my illness."