There was a time when Selena Gomez could not hold back her tears when talking about Francia Raisa in front of everyone.
It was in 2017, when she received Billboard’s Woman of the Year award. Francia, who months earlier had donated a kidney to her due to the health complications Selena was facing from lupus, was the one who presented her with the award.
When she took the microphone, Selena broke down and said that, in fact, Francia was the one who should be receiving that award because “she saved my life”. The scene became one of the most memorable images of their friendship.
That is why, years later, many people reacted with surprise when rumors of estrangement between the two began to spread. The controversy grew especially when Selena said that Taylor Swift was her “only friend in the industry”, a phrase that some interpreted as forgetting Francia.
Over time, the two have tried to leave the speculation behind, and Selena has once again publicly acknowledged how important her friend was in her life.
But for many, the same image remained: Selena crying onstage while thanking the woman who, in her own words, had saved her life.