Selena Gomez Reveals Struggles with Depression, Panic Attacks, Gives Touching Message at AMA 2016

By Aubrey Bartolome

The public has not seen her in two months, and in her first appearance since her self-imposed break, actress and singer Selena Gomez shared a heartwarming, honest and positive message to all her fans at the American Music Awards 2016.

Gomez announced that she was taking a break from her career last August due to having depression and panic attacks. She reportedly checked in at a rehab near Nashville, Tennessee. She appeared for the first time in almost three months at the American Music Awards to receive the award for Best Female Pop/Rock Artist.

"I think it's safe to say that most of you know a lot of my life whether I liked it or not, and I had to stop, 'cause I had everything, and I was absolutely broken inside. And I kept it all together to where I never let you down. But I kept it too much together where I let myself down," Gomez said as she started her speech to the audience.

Singer Selena Gomez
Singer Selena Gomez

Clad in a red dress, Selena Gomez pointed to her heart while saying , "I don't want to see your bodies on Instagram. I want to see what's in here."

She goes on to thank her fans for their loyalty, saying she does not what she had ever done to deserve their love. She finishes her speech by saying, "If you are broken, you don't have to stay broken." Her speech at the American Music Awards was met with thunderous applause by the audience, which included other singers like Lady Gaga.

The former star of the Disney show "Wizards of Waverly Place", Selena Gomez has become more vocal about her faith in the recent years. She describes herself as a Christian, and regularly attends Hillsong Church during Sundays.

Just this March, churchgoers who attended the Hillsong Young and Free concert, were pleasantly surprised to see Selena Gomez as one of the worship leaders on stage. She sang an original worship song entitled "Nobody", which is included in her "Revival" album. She wrote about the experience on her Instagram, and expressed her gratefulness for the grace of God in her life.

The song "Nobody" was written about her relationship with God and is a part of her repertoire in her "Revival" tour. She is also set to star as Hannah Baker in the movie adaptation of "13 Reasons Why."

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