It happened again. Just a few months ago, while the rest of us were debating the best way to cook eggs, Selena Gomez shared a snap of herself on a boat. She was wearing a taupe terry-cloth bikini, looking relaxed, messy-haired, and very much like a woman living her best life during a "lake life" getaway with her fiancé Benny Blanco.
The internet did what the internet does.
People zoomed in. They commented on her curves. They debated her silhouette. It’s wild when you think about it. We are talking about a woman who has a kidney transplant scar, manages lupus every single day, and has literally grown up in front of our eyes since she was a "Wizards of Waverly Place" kid. Yet, every time a photo of Selena Gomez with a bikini surfaces, it becomes a cultural litmus test for how we view women’s bodies.
Honestly? It’s kind of exhausting for her. But for us, it’s a masterclass in authenticity.
The Reality Behind the Post-Transplant Photos
Look, 2024 and 2025 have been big years for Selena. She’s been filming, running a billion-dollar beauty empire, and getting ready for a wedding. But the conversation around her body has shifted from "Is she okay?" to a much more nuanced discussion about medication and health.
Back in January 2024, Selena posted a throwback photo of herself in a zebra-print bikini from her early twenties. She wrote, "Today I realized I will never look like this again."
That hit home for a lot of people.
She followed it up with a more recent photo from a trip to Cabo, saying she’s "proud to be who I am" and that "sometimes I forget it’s okay to be me." This isn't just celebrity fluff. She’s been very vocal about how her lupus medication causes her weight to fluctuate. When she’s on the meds, she holds water. When she’s off, she slims down. It is a biological reality that most "armchair investigators" on TikTok seem to ignore while they push fake "gelatin tricks" or weight-loss shot rumors.
Why the La’Mariette Collaboration Was Different
Most celeb swimwear lines are about "looking hot." When Selena teamed up with her friend Theresa Mingus for the La’Mariette collection, the vibe was totally different.
- The Scar: She specifically designed pieces to celebrate, not hide, her kidney transplant scar.
- The Sizes: The range went from XS to XXL, focusing on how the suit felt on a "real" body rather than just a sample size.
- The "Aura" Print: They used bright purples and greens because she wanted to move away from the "standard" red and white swimsuits she was used to.
She once told Glamour UK that she stopped trying to conform to unrealistic standards because it just wasn't worth the mental toll. You can see that shift in her recent bachelorette photos from Mexico in August 2025. She was rocking white bikinis and bridal veils, dancing on a yacht, and looking genuinely happy. No posing to hide her stomach. No aggressive filtering. Just Selena.
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What People Get Wrong About Her Weight Fluctuations
The most frustrating part of the Selena Gomez with a bikini "discourse" is the lack of medical literacy. Lupus is an autoimmune disease. It’s not a lifestyle choice.
When your body is attacking itself, you take steroids. Steroids cause "moon face" and weight gain. It’s a trade-off: you take the meds to stay alive and healthy, but your appearance changes. Selena has basically told her critics to "go away" if they don't like it. She’s famously said she’d rather be healthy and take her meds than be a "model" for people who don't know her story.
The "Snatched" Rumors vs. The Work
By late 2024, fans noticed she looked "more defined" or "snatched" in some Rare Beauty promos. Immediately, the Ozempic rumors started flying.
She hasn't directly addressed every single rumor—because why should she?—but she has mentioned her routine. It’s simple: Pilates, walking on the treadmill three or four times a week, and actually getting eight hours of sleep. Plus, she’s been working with her "Rare Impact" team to keep her head on straight.
It turns out that when you stop scrolling through comments and start focusing on your own mental health, you tend to look a lot better. Funny how that works.
How to Apply the "Selena Method" to Your Own Life
We aren't all global superstars with 400 million followers, but we all have "bikini days." Whether you're heading to the local pool or a beach in Cabo, the pressure is the same.
Take a social media break. Selena stayed off her personal feeds for four years. She let her team post for her. If the comments are making you feel like trash, delete the app. It’s not a "failure"—it’s maintenance.
Focus on "Feel" over "Look." When you’re picking out swimwear, think about the La’Mariette ethos. Does it pinch? Can you swim in it? Do you feel like you?
Acknowledge the changes. Your body at 21 is not your body at 32. That’s okay. It’s actually more than okay—it’s how life is supposed to work. Trying to freeze your physique in time is a losing battle that only leads to misery.
Practical Steps for Better Body Image
Stop following "fitspo" accounts that make you feel bad. If an account makes you zoom in on your own "flaws," hit unfollow.
Invest in quality pieces that actually fit your current size. Don't buy a "goal" bikini. Buy the one that fits the body you have right now.
Understand that health looks different for everyone. For Selena, health means managing an autoimmune disease. For you, it might mean something totally different.
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The next time you see a photo of Selena Gomez with a bikini, try to see the person, not just the pixels. She’s a woman who has survived a transplant, a public breakup, and a chronic illness, all while being the most followed woman on Instagram. If she can find a way to be proud of her "not perfect" body, maybe we can all give ourselves a little more grace this summer.
Check out the Rare Impact Fund if you want to see how she's actually using her platform to help people with their mental health—it's way more interesting than what she's wearing on a boat.