A timeline of Francia Raísa and Selena Gomez's friendship, drama and all

A timeline of Francia Raísa and Selena Gomez's friendship, drama and all

Francia Raísa and Selena Gomez's friendship has had touching moments and dramatic headlines, making it one of the most talked-about celebrity friendships in recent years. If you haven't been keeping up with the friendship, drama, and reconciliation between Francia Raísa and Selena Gomez, here's everything you need to know about what happened and their current relationship status.

Selena Gomez and Francia Raisa at Hollywood & Highland Centre in Hollywood, California (L). Francia Raisa at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, California (R)
Selena and Francia attend Billboard Women In Music 2017 - Arrivals (L). Francia Raisa during the NHMC 2022 Impact Awards Gala (R). Photo: Presley, JC Olivera (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Key takeaways

  • Francia and Selena met in 2007 and later became best friends.
  • In 2017, Francia donated her left kidney to Selena, who needed a transplant due to health problems caused by lupus.
  • In 2022, Selena referred to Taylor Swift as her "only friend in the industry", which made fans and possibly Francia feel like she was being left out.
  • Francia Raísa and Selena Gomez are on good terms as of May 2025.

Francia Raísa and Selena Gomez's friendship timeline

The famous actresses, Selena Gomez and Francia Raísa, shared a bond that captured widespread attention, particularly after the life-saving kidney transplant in 2017. Here is their friendship timeline, from alleged drama to heartfelt reconciliation.

2007: First meeting

Selena Gomez and Francia Raísa met in 2007 at a charity event organised by Disney and ABC Family at a children’s hospital. At the time, Selena was starring in Wizards of Waverly Place, while Francia was on ABC Family’s The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

The two were kept in the same group, and they began interacting. Francia told Latina magazine in 2013, as reported by CNN.

Selena and I were in the same group and we just clicked.

October 2015: Selena Gomez disclosed about lupus diagnosis

Actress Francia Raisa and actress/singer Selena Gomez at the Sofitel Hotel in Los Angeles, California
Actress Francia Raisa and actress/singer Selena Gomez attend the Unlikely Heroes' 3rd Annual Awards Dinner and Gala. Photo: Vivien Killilea (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

In 2015, Selena Gomez's fans realised her reduced presence on social media. Later, in October 2015, the actress disclosed during an interview with Billboard that she was diagnosed with lupus. She stated:

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

Summer 2017: Francia donated her kidney to Selena

By 2017, Selena's lupus had progressed to the point where her kidneys were failing, and she was in urgent need of a transplant.

In September 2017, the American businesswoman shared on her Instagram that she underwent a kidney transplant, and her friend Francia was the donor.

Selena Gomez posted a photo on her Instagram page of herself in a hospital bed, holding hands with her close friend, Francia Raísa at the hospital. In a lengthy caption, she thanked Francia for saving her life. Here is part of what Selena wrote:

And finally, there aren’t words to describe how I can possibly thank my beautiful friend Francia Raisa. She gave me the ultimate gift and sacrifice by donating her kidney to me. I am incredibly blessed. I love you so much sis.

Francia also shared a message that echoed Selena’s sentiments. Below is part of what she wrote, as reported by Teen Vogue:

I am beyond grateful that God would trust me with something that not only saved a life, but changed mine in the process.

December 2017: Selena won Woman of the Year and honoured Raísa

Francia Raisa at NeueHouse Hollywood in Hollywood, California
Francia Raisa attends the 2025 La Cena Los Angeles: Celebration of Latino Culture. Photo: Presley Ann
Source: Getty Images

At the 2017 Billboard Women in Music event, American actress Selena Gomez was honoured with the Woman of the Year award, with the honour presented by Francia Raísa. In her acceptance speech, she expressed that the award would have been awarded to Francia instead.

To be honest, I think Francia should be getting this award...because she saved my life.

December 2019: Gomez revealed matching tribute tattoos shared with Francia

In December 2019, Selena shared during an interview with Capital FM that she and Raísa got matching tattoos to honour the tough time they went through. She stated:

I actually got the date of when I got my kidney transplant. And I did that with the girl that gave me her kidney.

July 2022: Selena and Raísa posted a TikTok together

In July 2022, Selena Gomez and Francia Raísa posted a fun TikTok video in which they took part in the viral "He's a 10 but..." challenge. The two joked about imaginary relationship dealbreakers, like "He's a 10, but his breath stinks" and "He's a 10, but he doesn't like dogs", bursting into laughter throughout the clip. Selena captioned the video, "But everyone is a 10, remember that fact while viewing."

The playful interaction highlighted their strong bond and shared sense of humour, bringing joy to fans who were thrilled to see the duo reunited. Before their lighthearted video, Selena Gomez and Francia Raísa’s friendship had appeared to grow distant in the public eye, sparking widespread speculation about a possible rift.

November 2022: Rumoured rift between Francia Raísa and Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California
Selena Gomez attends the 97th Annual Oscars. Photo: Frazer Harrison
Source: Getty Images

Despite having a close friendship since meeting in 2007, Francia and Gomez's relationship has experienced challenges over the years. In November 2022, Selena referred to Taylor Swift as her only friend in the entertainment industry during an interview with Rolling Stone.

I never fit in with a cool group of girls that were celebrities. My only friend in the industry really is Taylor [Swift], so I remember feeling like I didn't belong, reflecting on living in the spotlight. "I felt the presence of everyone around me living full lives. I had this position, and I was really happy, but...was I? Do these materialistic things make me happy?

E! News later posted the quote to its Instagram page with the caption.

This friendship? It comes naturally. Tag the Taylor to your Selena.

Allegedly, Francia saw the post and commented "Interesting" and deleted it, before unfollowing her. This incident fueled rumours about a rift between the two. Selena appeared to address Raísa's reaction by commenting on a TikTok that discussed their rumoured falling out. Here is what she wrote, as reported by Glamour:

Sorry I didn't mention every person I know.

22 July 2023: Actress Selena Gomez celebrated Francia Raísa's birthday

Francia Raisa at Nya Studios in Los Angeles, California (L). Selena Gomez at North Javits Centre in New York, New York (R)
Francia attends the Inaugural Rare Impact Fund Benefit Supporting Youth Mental Health (L). Selena at the Disney 2025 Upfront Red Carpet. Photo: Kevin Winter, Kristina Bumphrey (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

The Calm Down singer took to Instagram to celebrate Francia's 35th birthday on 26 July 2023. He shared three throwback photos of the two with a caption that read:

Happiest of birthdays to this special human being. No matter where life takes us, I love you.

Raísa liked the post and re-followed Selena on Instagram.

1 August 2023: Francia Raísa addressed rumoured feud with Selena Gomez

On the Good Guys podcast, the actress clarified that there was no beef between her and Selena. She stated:

You guys, there's no beef, there's salsa.

Francia also shared how she feels blessed after donating her left kidney to Selena. She said:

I just felt it in my heart. I knew I was a match. No one forced me to do anything. It came out of the genuine kindness of my heart.

4 October 2023: Francia supported Selena Gomez at Rare Impact Fund event

Francia Raisa at Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, California (L), Selena Gomez at Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles, California
Francia Raisa attends the Miss Teen USA 2024 (L), Selena Gomez at the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards (R). Photo: Gilbert Flores, Gilbert Flores (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

In October 2023, Selena hosted a Rare Impact Fund benefit at Nya Studios in Hollywood, with Francia showing her support by attending. In an interview with People, Francia expressed how it was important for her to attend Selena's event. She stated:

Well, she has a piece of my body, so [it's] super important. But honestly, aside from that — regardless of that, I think we just missed each other.

She added:

Even though we've had our zigzags in life, we could still come together and be friends and still have our old times. We got spray tans together. We went to some of our old favorite restaurants together. It's been nice.
I'm just so glad that we're back together and really supporting the Latinx culture and putting our faces out there, because there needs to be more boss women like this out there, more founders.

Mid-2025: Friendships and moving forward

They appear to have moved past the drama, publicly expressing mutual respect and support. While their relationship may no longer be as close as it once was, they have embraced a more mature and respectful connection.

FAQs

  1. What happened between Francia Raísa and Selena Gomez? Their friendship hit a rough patch in 2022 after Gomez called Taylor Swift her only best industry friend, prompting Raisa’s subtle backlash online.
  2. Are Francia Raísa and Selena Gomez friends? After having friendship challenges, the two reconciled and are on good terms.
  3. What did Francia do to Selena? In 2017, Francia Raísa donated her left kidney to Selena Gomez.
  4. Did Selena Gomez pay her friend for her kidneys? No. She donated her kidney to Selena voluntarily, without receiving any payment.
  5. Does Selena Gomez still have lupus? Yes. However, she continues to manage the condition with medication.
  6. At what age did Francia Raísa and Selena Gomez meet? Francia was 19, and Selena was around 15 when they met in 2007.
  7. When did Francia Raísa and Selena Gomez's kidney transplants happen? It took place in the summer of 2017.

After years marked by a deep bond, public drama, and emotional reconciliation, the story of Francia Raísa and Selena Gomez shows that genuine friendship can endure even the toughest challenges. Their friendship grew stronger when Francia donated her left kidney to Selena Gomez.

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Authors:
Isaac Wangethi avatar

Isaac Wangethi (Lifestyle writer) Isaac Wangethi has been a content writer at Legit since September 2021. He has gained valuable experience working on various projects, such as celebrity biographies, lifestyle, news and many more. Isaac won the Writer of the Year Award on Legit in 2023. He earned a Bsc. of Science in Information Technology in 2017 from the University of Nairobi and a Higher Diploma in Computer Software Engineering from Gretsa University in 2021. In 2023, Isaac finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. In March 2024, he completed the Google News Initiative course. Email: Wangethin@gmail.com