'IT'S A DREAM COME TRUE' SELENA GOMEZ

ON HER NEW MOVIE MUSICAL, FOREVER FRIENDSHIPS AND WHAT 'TERRIFIED' HER ABOUT THE ROLE

- KATIE ELLIS

Glowing on the Toronto International Film Festival’s red carpet for the Canadian première of the dark musical Emilia Pérez, Selena Gomez took a moment to humbly acknowledge her recent good fortune.

“I’m really sweating from all of the attention!” the star admitted to Global News about “a ride that I never thought I’d be on.”

Selena has come a long way since playing one of the kids on Barney & Friends and eventually rocketing to international fame as a singer and an actress. She “freaked out” at earning her first Emmy acting nod for Only Murders in the Building earlier this year and was beyond grateful to share Best Actress accolades in Cannes with her Emilia Pérez co-stars, who’ve become part of her inner circle.

But Selena’s incredible success has not come without challenges. The Texas native, 32, has been candid about her struggles with anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder and had a kidney transplant due to complications from lupus. Sadly, pregnancy is out of the question because “it would put my life and the baby’s in jeopardy – that was something I had to grieve for a while,” she has said. Selena donates a portion of her US$1.3billion Rare Beauty cosmetics empire to a fund that supports organizations helping young people improve their mental health.

And just when she least expected it, love turned up. Happily-ever-after feels closer than ever now that the leading lady and beau Benny Blanco, 36, have ramped up their romance. The low-key duo fell for each other a year ago while collaborating on songs and have been inseparable ever since.