The singer opened up about how quarantining at home has affected her mental health.
Selena Gomez opened up about managing her mental health while promoting her new at-home cooking series, Selena + Chef, and she said she's learned a lot about herself.
When asked about how the quarantine affected her during WarnerMedia’s virtual Television Critics Association press tour, Gomez said, “It’s not easy for anyone to be walking through what we're walking through. It’s not normal, and it’s affecting people, specifically with mental health, and people who could have never thought about things they’re thinking about now. And it’s really confusing.”
“It was hard, but I tried to find what I needed to get me through it. I have great friends and I see a therapist and keep my mind positive,” the singer continued, adding, “I’ve learned so much about myself. I’ve learned more about my country than I ever have from school or anything. So I’ve been very grateful for that as well.”
When it came to specifically doing the series, which sees her learning how to cook various cuisines with the help of master chefs who remotely call in to help her along the way, Gomez thought this could be a way to bring joy to fans watching at home -- and offer some relief to herself.
“I really thought this would be something lighthearted because I was getting, definitely, down. And I know that a lot’s going on,” she said. “Of course, there are more important things going on, but this was an opportunity to make something that could make people smile.”
While Gomez is a multifaceted performer who has found success across film, music and TV, cooking is admittedly not one of her strongest skills. “I hope you're gonna laugh because I look like a fool,” she said.
The show comes after she took an extended hiatus from social media. The peformer recently returned to Instagram to reconnect with her fans and explain why she took some time for herself.
“I just think at the beginning of this year with everything going on it felt a little insensitive to post things that may be joyful or celebratory,” she said. “It was really hard for me. I've taken the time to learn, truly learn about what's going on and I continue to make that my priority.”
Gomez added, “I just wanted to let you know that I love you guys and I miss you and there's so many exciting things coming up that I can't wait to share with all of you,” which included a teaser for Selena + Chef.
Now fans can check out a full trailer for the series, which is set to premiere Aug. 13 on HBO Max.
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