Francia Raisa Breaks Her Silence: Denies Feud with Selena Gomez Amid Wedding Snub

Francia Raisa says she simply can’t stay quiet any longer—and good thing, because the long-circulating rumors of a fallout between her and Selena Gomez are being publicly challenged. At age 37, Raisa has stepped forward to shut down speculation that a rift has grown between her and the 33-year-old singer, whom she once saved by donating a kidney.

Raisa first drew worldwide attention when she donated her kidney to Gomez in 2017, after Gomez’s health was severely impacted by complications from lupus (source: USA Today, CNN) Wikipedia. In recent years, however, tensions in the public imagination have swirled—fuelled by gossip over whether Gomez’s alleged smoking after the transplant or other behaviors angered Raisa.

Just days before Gomez’s wedding to Benny Blanco (on September 27, 2025), Raisa addressed rumors that she was “angry” or “disgusted” by the singer’s choices after surgery. In a September 25 interview with Magaly Ortiz for Univision’s Primer Impacto, she said:

“Well, right now … what you’re asking me is nonsense that has been in the media and there are too many rumors. I’ve never said anything.”
“When that rumor came out that I had gotten angry or something like that because [Gomez] was smoking, I wasn’t aware of those rumors.”

Raisa also noted that TMZ had contacted her asking about the claims, but she was working at that time and did not issue statements in response. “So, what you’re asking me are rumors. No one knows what’s going on, and neither she nor I are talking about it,” she said. “One day, maybe we will address it.” (source: TV Insider) TV Insider

One of the fueling factors in the speculation was that Raisa—who once appeared close to Gomez—was notably absent from the star-studded wedding guest list. But despite her absence, she expressed in her interview that she was “very happy” for Gomez. “She has a life and she is already a billionaire, and I am grateful that I could do that for her,” Raisa said, acknowledging the significance of her kidney donation without demanding reciprocal loyalty or visibility.

Over the years, the friendship between the two has had its ups and downs. After the transplant, Gomez publicly thanked Raisa, writing:

“There aren’t words to describe how I can possibly thank my beautiful friend Francia Raisa. She gave me the ultimate gift … I love you so much sis.”

Yet cracks began to appear in public perception when, in 2022, Gomez said that her “only friend in the industry” was Taylor Swift—a comment that sparked speculation about where Raisa fit into her life. Raisa briefly commented “Interesting” under a social media post and later deleted it, feeding more rumors (source: Entertainment Weekly, Glamour) EW.com+2Glamour+2.

In March 2023, however, Gomez called Raisa her “best friend,” expressing that she “will never, ever, ever be more in debt to a person than Francia” for the life-saving act. (source: EW) EW.com Meanwhile, in May of that same year, Raisa’s father, Renán Almendárez Coello, told Primer Impacto that his daughter had confronted Gomez about drinking after the transplant, saying, “Francia told Selena that she didn’t give her the kidney so she could go out and drink.”

Raisa has since clarified that the ups and downs of their relationship had “nothing to do with the kidney.” In an appearance at Gomez’s Rare Impact Fund Benefit, she described their bond as one formed through shared trauma, saying it could be “rocky and tricky” at times. “People grow, relationships change,” she said, noting that sometimes distance is necessary so each person can heal, evolve, or ground themselves. (source: Entertainment Weekly) EW.com

Reflecting on times when she felt emotionally unstable, Raisa admitted she needed space. “I forced myself to take some time and figure out what the hell was going on with me, because I wasn’t OK. I am OK now,” she noted. She praised Gomez’s support through her own struggles and framed their relationship as sibling-like—strong but incomplete, ever evolving.

In the end, Raisa affirmed:

“I don’t know any relationship that’s perfect.”

While the speculation continues, Raisa’s tone is firm yet open. She insists the swirling rumors are unhelpful, and acknowledges that perhaps one day both she and Gomez will speak candidly about everything. Until then, she stands by the act that once saved her friend’s life—with no expectation of public displays in return.