Selena Gomez took to Twitter on Tuesday to call out TV shows that make light of her 2017 kidney transplant.
“I am not sure how writing jokes about organ transplants for television shows has become a thing but sadly it has apparently,” the pop star tweeted. “I hope in the next writer’s room when one of these tasteless jokes are presented it’s called out immediately and doesn’t make it on air.”
Gomez added: “My fans always have my back. LOVE YOU.”
On social media, the singer’s fans have slammed a recent episode of The Good Fight in which characters discuss topics that are off-limits for jokes – including autism, necrophilia and “Selena Gomez’s kidney transplant.”
I am not sure how writing jokes about organ transplants for television shows has become a thing but sadly it has apparently. I hope in the next writer’s room when one of these tasteless jokes are presented it’s called out immediately and doesn’t make it on air.
— Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) August 3, 2021
Last year, an episode of the Saved by the Bell reboot was edited after debuting on U.S. streaming service Peacock following criticism of a scene in which two characters argue about who gave Gomez a kidney.
“I know for a fact that Selena Gomez’s kidney donor was Justin Bieber’s mom,” says one, before the other insists “it was Demi Lovato’s kidney. They’re best friends.” In another scene, “Does Selena Gomez even have kidneys?” is seen written on a wall.
The scenes were cut before the episode aired on W Network in Canada.
“It was never our intention to make light of Selena’s health,” read a statement from Peacock parent NBCUniversal at the time. “We have been in touch with her team and will be making a donation to her charity, The Selena Gomez Fund for Lupus Research at USC.”
In an October 2017 interview on Today, Gomez spoke about how friend Francia Raisa saved her life.
“My kidneys were just done,” recalled Gomez. “That was it, and I didn’t want to ask a single person in my life. The thought of asking someone to do that was really difficult for me.
“She volunteered and did it. And let alone someone wanting to volunteer, it is incredibly difficult to find a match. The fact that she was a match, I mean that’s unbelievable. That’s not real.”
Gomez said she needed a new kidney due to her Lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease.