Washington [US], April 25 (ANI): Actress and singer Selena Gomez opened up about her mental health journey and said she must advocate for the same.

'At the end of the day, I believe it matters to be vocal about issues that matter to you, whether you are famous or not,' said Gomez, who is being honoured as Woman of the Year at the 2025 Billboard Latin Women in Music event on Thursday, May 1, according to People.

'It's not for the faint of heart, because you are putting yourself out there and trust me, there will be a lot of opinions that come at you for even having the nerve to say anything at all,' she added.

She recalled the first time she spoke about her journey and the fear she experienced, as reported by People.

'It was scary to be that vulnerable, and I didn't ever want anyone to think I am a victim,' she said.

Gomez shared, 'I thought [that] by sharing my own story I could help others, and I will take any negative opinions that come with that because I see the bigger picture of how the conversations have changed around mental health.'

Meanwhile, in October 2023, she hosted her first annual Rare Impact Fund Benefit at Nya Studios in Hollywood to raise money for youth mental health organisations.

At the event, she said, 'I struggled with the world inside my head for a long time, and I felt lost and I felt hopeless at times. And in 2020, I received my diagnosis of bipolar disorder. And to be honest, everything quickly changed..'

'I actually got the knowledge and the answers that I had been desperate for for so long. And understanding that obviously makes me become more aware of it and I'm less afraid than I used to be,' reported People. (ANI)