The rumoured feuding between Selena Gomez and Francia Raisa has come to an end.

Selena Gomez's Apple TV+ documentary, My Mind & Me, is a brutal one-and-a-half-hour look at the star's mental health struggles over the past six years, particularly following her bipolar disorder diagnosis.

But the biggest headlines to come from the film, unfortunately, relate more to what received only a small mention: Gomez's life-saving kidney transplant in 2017.

In September of that year, Gomez revealed she had received a kidney from her friend, How I Met Your Father actor Francia Raisa. The pair met in 2007, and they instantly became best friends. 

Prior to the transplant, Gomez had been diagnosed with lupus which was causing her kidneys to fail. The demand for kidneys is high for transplant patients, so Gomez later explained that it was going to take years for her to find a donor.

When it was discovered Raisa was a perfect match and agreed to donate one of her kidneys, it saved Gomez's life.

Watch: The Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me trailer. Story continues below.

Over the years, the pair have often shared public messages of love and support. But last year, things became seriously messy. And it was all to do with speculation that their friendship had ended following the transplant. 

Let's explain.

A series of social media comments.

Alongside the release of My Mind & Me, Gomez took part in a Rolling Stone cover interview released on November 3, 2022, which explored her mental and physical health, and relationship with fame.

In the documentary though, Raisa didn't get a mention.

In the Rolling Stone interview, Gomez discussed that it was hard to share her fears with people in her life whose lives hadn't been derailed by fame.

"I never fit in with a cool group of girls that were celebrities. My only friend in the industry really is Taylor [Swift], so I remember feeling like I didn't belong. I felt the presence of everyone around me living full lives," she said.

This quote then made its way around the internet, including onto an E! News Instagram post celebrating the long-time friendship of Gomez and Swift.

In the comments, Francia Raisa simply commented 'Interesting'. She also unfollowed Gomez on Instagram (she still follows Swift).

Image: Instagram.

Raisa's comment has since been deleted, but that did little to quell speculation and discussion about the state of the friendship.

People have been split in their reactions online, with some saying it was dismissive and rude not to acknowledge Raisa as she saved Gomez's life, and others pointing out that if Raisa felt this way, she should've reached out privately instead of commenting on a very public post.

Others have suggested it is simply a misunderstanding, as Gomez was at the time of the quote discussing friends in the context of her extreme level of fame or the connection to the music industry specifically - both of which she and Swift certainly share.

Whatever the truth, the story flared up even further when a day later, Gomez replied on a TikTok explaining Raisa's comment, saying "Sorry I didn't mention every person I know".

Image: TikTok.

Francia Raisa and Selena Gomez's relationship history.

Okay, now for some further context.

After meeting one another in 2007, the pair remained close. Over the years, they regularly supported each other's projects, shared selfies and kind messages online, and had been friends for a decade when Gomez's need for a kidney transplant came up.

"One day Gomez came home, and she was emotional," Raisa told TODAY in 2017. "I hadn't asked anything. I knew she hadn’t been feeling well. She couldn't open a water bottle one day. She chucked it and she started crying. And I said, 'What's wrong?' and that's when she told me. And she goes, 'I don't know what to do. The list is seven to ten years long.' It just vomited out of me: I was like, 'Of course I'll get tested'."

The following year, in an interview with SELF, Raisa recalled finding out she was a match - from Gomez. This raised eyebrows because ethically, doctors are required to tell donors they are a match so they can make their own decision, before telling the patient.

"One day, I got a phone call from Selena on FaceTime, and she's like, 'We're a match!' And I'm like, 'Yay, what? How do you know this?'" Raisa said. "I had a way that I wanted to tell her when I made the decision. I knew it was gonna happen, I just needed that time."

It was a long decision to make as well.

"They make you take a two-hour course to educate you on what giving up a kidney means for your life. And so it was just a scary process, learning everything."

In Rolling Stone, Gomez said her donated kidney might only have a shelf life of 30 years. But without the donated kidney at all, she was looking at a very early and unfortunate death. 

In September 2017, Gomez shared the news of the transplant on Instagram. 

"There aren't words to describe how I can possibly thank my beautiful friend Francia Raisa. She gave me the ultimate gift and sacrifice by donating her kidney to me. I am incredibly blessed. I love you so much sis," she wrote.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Selena Gomez (@selenagomez)

In 2018, a rumour started that the pair had fallen out because of Gomez's unhealthy lifestyle and excessive drinking that would damage the kidney given to her.

Rumours of issues increased in December 2019, when Gomez referred to Raisa as "the girl who gave me her kidney" during a radio interview.

In a TikTok video at the end of 2021, Selena did a video collaboration with a doctor who was citing the CDC's definition of heavy drinking as "15 or more drinks a week for men and eight or more drinks per week for women". In the video, Gomez listens to the doctor and reacts by biting her nail and wincing.  

One fan wrote: "So one of your best friends gives you her kidney and you continue to drink excessively. Damn Selena."

Gomez responded: "It was a joke, ass."

However, Gomez marked Raisa's birthday with an Instagram tribute in 2020 and as recently as July 2022, they appeared in a TikTok together and referred to the fact they were best friends.

@selenagomez

But everyone is a 10, remember that fact while viewing

♬ original sound - Selena Gomez

Since the E! News comment fiasco, neither Raisa nor Gomez has posted about one another on social media.

Despite the fact Raisa continues not to follow Gomez on Instagram - yet Gomez follows Raisa - Gomez recently referred to her donor as her "best friend". In an interview for Apple TV+'s Dear… this week, the Rare Beauty founder praised Raisa for selflessly donating her kidney. Some have seen the quotes as an 'olive branch' of sorts directed towards Raisa.

"My best friend. Her name is Francia. She said, 'No I am absolutely getting tested'. Within three days, she went to [get tested], and she was a match. And it was one of those moments where I felt watched over. I know I was so so so lucky," Gomez said.

"I will never, ever, ever be more in debt to a person than Francia. The idea of someone not even second-guessing to be a donor was unbelievably overwhelming."

This article was originally published on November 7, 2022 and has been updated with new information.

Feature Image: Instagram.