Photo: Selena Gomez at the AMA [ABC]
Two years ago, Selena Gomez stole the American Music Award with an emotional rendition of “The Heart Wants What It Wants.”
She would soon score some of the biggest hits of her career, including three straight pop radio #1s in “Good For You,” “Same Old Love,” and “Hands To Myself.”
Several months ago, however, she withdrew from the spotlight to enter a treatment facility. While she has occasionally been seen in candid photos, Sunday’s American Music Awards marked her first major public appearance since.
Gomez won the coveted Pop/Rock Female award at the show, and she used the platform to deliver a heartfelt speech. A transcript follows:
Thank you guys so much. In 2014, this stage was actually the first time that I was authentically, 100% honest with all of you. I think it’s safe to say most of you know a lot of my life – whether I liked it or not. And…I had to stop. Cause I had everything, and I was absolutely broken inside. 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.
I don’t want to see your bodies on Instagram, I want to see what’s in here [gestures to heart]. I’m not trying to get validation, nor do I need it anymore. All I can say from the bottom of my heart is I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to be able to share what I love every single day with people that I love. And I have to say thank you so much to my fans because you guys are so damn loyal, and I don’t know what I did to deserve you. But, if you are broken, you do not have to stay broken. And if that’s anything, whether you respect me or not, that’s one thing you should know about me. I care about people…and thank you so much for this, this is for you. Thank you.