Selena Gomez is taking a stand against online body shamers who criticized her appearance at the premiere of Emilia Pérez at the American French Film Festival in Los Angeles.
Gomez stars alongside Zoë Saldaña in the forthcoming Spanish-language musical, which will debut on Netflix on November 13.
For the film's premiere on October 29, Gomez wore a black Carolina Herrera dress, featuring long sleeves, a high leg slit, and an asymmetrical neckline, per WWD. She accessorized the dress with black pumps and diamond drop earrings.
Following the event, Gomez commented on a TikTok video, which has since been deleted, the Daily Mail reported. Commenters reportedly criticized Gomez's appearance and suggested that the singer's pose, which saw her occasionally placing her hands over her stomach, had some special significance.
"This makes me sick," the Only Murders in the Building star wrote in her comment. "I have SEBO [SIBO] in my small intestine. It flares up. I don't care that I don't look like a stick figure. I don't have that body. End of story. No I am NOT a victim. I’m just human."
According to the Mayo Clinic, SIBO is an abbreviation for "small intestinal bacterial overgrowth." The condition means that a person's intestines don't absorb fats, carbohydrates and proteins efficiently, which can lead to damage in the body. SIBO can also cause weakened bones (osteoporosis), vitamin deficiency, and kidney stones.
Gomez also lives with the autoimmune condition lupus, for which she underwent chemotherapy and a kidney transplant.
Discussing her role in Emilia Perez, Gomez told the BBC, "When I read it and understood it I was like, 'How on earth are they going to make this movie?" She continued, "But we never doubted him ever," she said of director Jacques Audiard.
Gomez plays Jessi Del Monte, the wife of a cartel leader, in the movie. "I knew I had to embody this other person," Gomez explained. "It all had to come from her. I couldn't be the pop star—as cheesy as that sounds."
The "Wolves" singer even overcame her nerves to portray the role. "Because I was so honored and I knew Jacques [Audiard] was such a visionary and I just wanted to be a part of it," she explained.
