Selena Gomez Admits ‘13 Reasons Why’ Dark Storyline Hits Home, Shares Own Mental Health Struggles

Following a three-month hiatus in the entertainment scene, Selena Gomez has returned to the limelight with a bang! But while she recently made headlines due to her budding romance with The Weeknd, the “Kill Em With Kindness” singer is also an executive producer to a new Netflix drama, which speaks about serious mental health issues like depression, emotional abuse, bullying and suicide.

At a Netflix press event on Wednesday, Gomez candidly opened up about her personal experiences while the series adaptation of Jay Asher’s bestselling young adult novel, “13 Reasons Why,” started production. The drama’s executive producer revealed she was going through some tough times while working behind the scenes.

“I was actually going through a really difficult time when they started production,” Gomez said, as per The Hollywood Reporter. “I went away for 90 days and I actually met tons of kids in this place that we're talking about [with] a lot of the issues that these characters are experiencing.”

Gomez also added why she wanted to be a part of the project. The plot of the series, which is based on a popular book of the same title, highlighted the story of a young woman who killed herself and left 13 cassette tapes to explain her actions.

“Whether I like it or not, people have seen my mistakes and I have to use that as a good thing,” Gomez said. “It definitely hits home. That's why I wanted to make sure I was still a part of this project in anyway.”

Moreover, Gomez said she wanted kids to understand that what happened to Hannah (Katherine Langford), who committed suicide, in the novel could happen in reality. The 24-year-old “Hands to Myself” hitmaker believed the series’ gritty representation of modern-day high school life is needed at this time.

“Unfortunately, kids don't care. They don't care,” Gomez said, as People quoted. “They have to see something that's going to scare them. They need to see something that's frightening. I want them to understand it. I would do anything to be able to have a good influence on this generation, but I definitely relate to everything that was going on. I was there for the last episode and I was a mess just seeing it all come to life because I've experienced that.”

Gomez, who took a 90-day break from showbiz to enter a rehab facility and deal with the side effects of her Lupus such as depression and mental health struggles, also explained why she can’t handle social media. According to Us Weekly, the former Disney star said she can’t stand what teens are thinking or looking at online.

Meanwhile, Instagram recently went crazy when Gomez liked and un-liked a collage of her and ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber. Teen Vogue reported fans were quick to comment what the “like” could mean, with some believing it could mean something about past relationships while others said Gomez probably clicked it by accident.