How Selena Gomez’s Time In Rehab Helped Her Produce 13 Reasons Why

Selena Gomez used her past struggles to make her new show as authentic as possible. The actress and pop star is one of the producers on upcoming Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, which is based on Jay Asher's novel of the same name. The show examines the events that led teenager Hannah Baker to decide to commit suicide — reasons that, in the novel, have to do with seriously intense stuff like bullying and sexual assault. As Us Weekly reports, a New York City panel for the new series, Gomez was asked if she "related" to the characters in her new show. The actress replied: “I went away for 90 days and I actually met tons of kids in this place [and] we are talking about a lot of the issues that these characters are experiencing, [so] I would say yes...I had to deal with it on a different scale. Whether it was kids or just growing up in the biggest high school in the world which was the Disney Channel, it was also adults that had the audacity to kind of tell me how I should live my life. It was very confusing for me…I had no idea who I was gonna be, what I'm still going to become. It definitely hit home.” Gomez reportedly spent time in rehab in both 2014 and 2016. The latter trip was reportedly for mental health issues related to her struggle with lupus. It sounds like Gomez found a group of people she could confide in while dealing with some seriously tough stuff. Considering her new show will dive right into the heavier aspects of being a teenager, it only makes sense that she would find a common ground with the show. The singer also spoke at the panel about how she hopes that the show will be relatable to all teens who might one day be struggling. “I want [teenagers] to understand [the show]. I would do anything to have a good influence on this generation. It's hard, but I definitely relate to everything going on.” Art can be a powerful healing tool, and good for Gomez for using it to add something meaningful to the larger conversation.