Selena Gomez Had Chemotherapy and Credits Taylor Swift for Helping Her Through It

Selena Gomez is done letting the media tell her story.

In a new interview with Billboardmagazine, the 23-year-old singer revealed that the reason she took a break from her career had nothing to do with addiction or her love life as rumors had claimed.

"I was diagnosed with lupus, and I've been through chemotherapy," she said. "That's what my break was really about. I could've had a stroke."

Gomez said that her feeling that she's under constant scrutiny was part of why she's stayed mum about her condition until now. "I wanted so badly to say, 'You guys have no idea. I'm in chemotherapy. You're a--holes,'" she said of the paparazzi and gossip magazines. "I locked myself away until I was confident and comfortable again."

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She also credited Taylor Swift with helping her be comfortable in her own skin again after Internet trolls and critics chimed in on her appearance. "Taylor makes me feel empowered, like I can trust new people," she said. "The way she cares about women is so adamant. It's pulling me out of my shell."

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