You guys, Selena Gomez really deserves a round of applause and a big hug right now. You'll understand why when you watch the video above, which shows the pop star and actress giving Oprah Winfrey a serious run for her money.
Speaking at this week's We Day event for teen empowerment, Gomez shared her story about dealing with peer pressure and ending up in rehab this past January. After pulling a Jared Leto and praising her single teenage mom, Gomez got real with the audience of hysterical, Instagramming youths.
"I'm surrounded by people who are supposed to guide me, and some of them have and others haven't," the 21-year-old said. "They pressure me: you gotta be sexy, you gotta be cute, you gotta be nice, you gotta be all these things. They tell me what to wear, how to look, what I should say, how I should be."
"Until recently," Gomez continued, "I had given into that pressure. I lost sight of who I was. I listened to opinions of people and I tried to change who I am because I thought that others would accept me for it. I know what it's like figuring out what types of friends you have. I'd be lying if I said I've never tried to make myself better by giving in because I have, but I've learned from my actions and for all of the things I've done, I'm proudest of that. I've learned from my mistakes." Aww.
Gomez, who looked red-hot in a scarlet power suit, urged the audience to steer away from peer pressure, and to follow her mother's advice to have faith in yourself. Whether you're dealing with a mean casting director or just trying to get through high school, that's advice that anyone can use. (People)