No life is without its struggles; everyone is fighting their own private battles. Celebrities usually do a good job of hiding it, but Only Murders in the Building star Selena Gomez is through with hiding. Over the past six years director Alek Keshishian has had intimate behind the scenes access to the singer and actress’s life and now the result, Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me is dropping on AppleTV+ on November 4.
On paper, Gomez has a picture perfect celeb life, navigating the often fraught transition from child stardom (she was one of the kids on Barney and Friends before breaking out in Disney’s The Wizards of Waverly Place) to adult fame and critical acclaim—all other considerations aside, anyone who can hold their own alongside comedy legends Steve Martin and Martin Short has earned their bones.
But then she learned she had the immune system disorder lupus, which required a kidney transplant. Shortly thereafter, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, along with anxiety and depression arising from her lupus diagnosis. The string of body blows culminated in the cancellation of her 2015 world tour in support of her album, Revival.
Billed as “a uniquely raw and intimate” portrait of the highs and lows of fame and fortune, My Mind and Me is a fascinating look at the pressures of living life in the celebrity goldfish bowl and trying to balance a desire for authenticity with a sense of obligation to the fans who have raised you high. “Just be who you are, Selena,” Gomez says in the trailer at one point. “No one cares about what you’re doing. It’s about who I am, being okay with where I am. I am grateful to be alive.”
Fans will make a beeline for this one, but Gomez’s battles will resonate with far more than those already on the Selena train. Thoughtful and fearless, this could be one of the best celebrity documentaries in years.
