Last night, Selena Gomez hosted her second annual Rare Impact Fund Benefit in Los Angeles—and her boyfriend, Benny Blanco, enthusiastically supported her. The couple was photographed being affectionate during the auction part of the evening. As the producer and songwriter kissed her hand and cheek, Gomez was glowing alongside him.
The Rare Beauty founder posed alone on the red carpet for the event. (She and Blanco have never walked a red carpet together, so this choice is not really surprising.) She wore a black one-shoulder Oscar de la Renta dress and styled her lob-length hair in soft waves.
The Rare Impact Fund supports organizations increasing access to mental health resources for young people.
It’s a passion project for Gomez, who has been vocal about her own mental health journey, including what she went through before being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In addition to the fund, she also co-founded the mental fitness platform Wondermind with her mom and Daniella Pierson.
On World Mental Health Day, Gomez spoke at Wondermind’s virtual summit about how she leans on a small community to keep her healthy.
“I don’t have a lot of people in my life, [but] I know who my inner circle is,” she said during her keynote talk. “I have to talk things out. And I have a therapist too, but it’s also nice to have people around you who will just listen to you. There is a freedom in letting go of whatever it is that’s keeping you stuck and that lump in your throat.”
She also shared that she had to teach herself to ignore mean comments on social media.
“I try my hardest to take these [social media] breaks, but equally I’ve had to stop trying to defend myself, because I should not be apologetic for being honest, for saying I’m not good, and that’s not nice what you said,” she said. “You know, my mom has always taught me that the noise is going to be there constantly, but it’s about finding that moment where I actually physically say, ‘No, I am a good person, I’m kind, I work really hard, and I’m grateful, and I love all the little things in life,’ and I need that reminder. I’m not going to lie, it kind of hurts. I’m definitely not one of the people who can kind of ignore it. It’s just too—I’m just speaking on my generation’s behalf because it’s wild how inhumane people can be with their words and things they would probably never say in person either. It just hurts.”
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.