Selena Gomez chokes up during AMAs speech: ‘You don’t have to stay broken’

Selena Gomez got honest at the American Music Awards on Sunday night — and honestly emotional.

“In 2014 this stage was actually the first time that I was authentically, 100% honest with all of you,” said Gomez, who that year broke down during during a performance of “The Heart Wants What It Wants” and this year choked up while accepting her trophy for favorite pop/rock female artist. “I think it’s safe to say that all of you know my life whether I like it or not.”

Indeed, Gomez’s on-off relationship with Justin Bieber has made headlines for years, and this August, she announced she was taking time off to deal with anxiety, panic attacks and depression.

A year before, she’d revealed she had the autoimmune disease lupus. Sunday night was her first public appearance since coming off the road and nixing the rest of her Revival World Tour as she headed to rehab.

“I had to stop, ’cause I had everything and I was absolutely broken inside,” the 24-year-old said (the speech can be read in its entirety at Entertainment Weekly). “And I kept it all together enough to where I would never let you down, but I kept it too much together, to where I let myself down.”

Putting her hand on her heart, she said that’s what she wanted to see on social media — what was on people’s insides, not pictures of their outsides. She thanked her fans for their loyalty and said she didn’t know what she did to deserve them.

“But,” she added, “if you are broken, you do not have to stay broken. That’s one thing you should know about me: I care about people. And this is for you.”

Well played, Ms. Gomez. Well played.

Follow Christie D’Zurilla on Twitter @theCDZ.

ALSO

Kanye West cancels remainder of his Saint Pablo tour after a rough week on the road

Selena Gomez is taking more time off to deal with ‘anxiety, panic attacks and depression’

Did they really do that? Five must-see moments from the 2016 American Music Awards