The tumultuous, on-again-off-again relationship between Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber has been one of the most scrutinized celebrity romances of the last two decades, but no moment was more heartbreakingly public than the events surrounding Gomez's 2018 hospitalization. As of December 12, 2025, the narrative of this period remains a pivotal, and often misunderstood, chapter in both stars' lives, revealing the intense pressure and emotional toll of their final separation.
This deep dive revisits the critical period of Selena Gomez's mental health crisis, detailing the underlying medical issues and the shocking, visible reaction of Justin Bieber, whose own life had just taken a dramatic turn with his marriage to Hailey Baldwin. The story is a complex tapestry of chronic illness, intense media scrutiny, and the lasting pain of a first love.
Selena Gomez: A Brief Biography and Health Profile
Selena Marie Gomez is an American actress, singer, producer, and businesswoman who has navigated the spotlight since childhood, transitioning from a Disney Channel star to a global icon. Her journey has been marked by significant professional success and remarkable candor regarding her personal health struggles.
- Full Name: Selena Marie Gomez
- Date of Birth: July 22, 1992
- Place of Birth: Grand Prairie, Texas, U.S.
- Parents: Amanda "Mandy" Teefey and Ricardo Joel Gomez
- Breakthrough Role: Alex Russo in Disney Channel's *Wizards of Waverly Place* (2007–2012)
- Music Career: Fronted Selena Gomez & the Scene, later a solo artist with hits like "Hands to Myself," "Lose You to Love Me," and "Come & Get It."
- Business Ventures: Founder of the successful makeup line Rare Beauty, which heavily promotes mental health awareness.
- Major Health Battles: Diagnosed with Lupus in 2014, underwent a kidney transplant in 2017, and disclosed her diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder in 2020.
The 2018 Emotional Breakdown and Hospitalization
The hospitalization of Selena Gomez in October 2018 was not a sudden event, but the culmination of several years of intense physical and mental health battles, exacerbated by personal stress. Understanding the context of her health is crucial to grasping the severity of the crisis.
In the weeks leading up to the crisis, Gomez had been admitted to the hospital twice due to complications related to her Lupus diagnosis. Specifically, sources reported she was suffering from an alarmingly low white blood cell count, a serious issue for a patient with an autoimmune disease.
During her second hospital visit, the combination of her physical health decline and the overwhelming emotional stress of her life led to a severe emotional breakdown. Reports indicated that she had tried to remove the IV lines from her arm and was in a state of distress.
Following this incident, Gomez voluntarily entered a psychiatric facility on the East Coast to receive dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), a form of cognitive behavioral therapy designed to manage intense emotions. This decision marked a serious commitment to addressing her ongoing mental health struggles, which included anxiety and depression.
Justin Bieber's Heartbreaking Reaction: The End of an Era
The timing of Selena Gomez's hospitalization was deeply intertwined with the final, definitive end of the "Jelena" era. The couple had split for the last time in March 2018, and just months later, in July, Justin Bieber became engaged to Hailey Baldwin (now Hailey Bieber). They were legally married in September 2018, just weeks before news of Gomez's hospitalization broke.
1. Visible Distress and Tearful Outings
The news of Selena's emotional crisis hit the public sphere almost simultaneously with reports of Justin Bieber's visible distress. Paparazzi captured him looking distraught and tearful on multiple occasions, most notably while attending a church service with Hailey.
Sources at the time confirmed that Bieber was having a difficult time coping with the news that his ex-girlfriend was hospitalized. His emotional reaction was interpreted by many fans as a sign that he still deeply cared for her, despite having moved on and married.
2. The 'Jelena' Connection and Its Emotional Weight
The intensity of Bieber’s reaction highlighted the lasting emotional connection between the two stars, whose relationship spanned eight years (2010–2018) and involved multiple high-profile breakups and reconciliations.
Even after their final breakup, the bond remained significant. Bieber himself had previously stated that Selena was the only "bad" breakup in his life and that she had inspired a lot of the music on his album, *Purpose*.
3. Clearing Up Misconceptions About the Cause
While the timing led to intense speculation that Bieber's marriage was the direct cause of Gomez's breakdown, sources close to the star were quick to clarify. Her hospitalization was primarily rooted in her ongoing struggles with Lupus complications and her pre-existing, long-term mental health challenges.
The emotional stress of the breakup and the subsequent rush to marriage by Bieber certainly added pressure to an already fragile situation. However, the underlying medical conditions (Lupus, anxiety, depression, and later, Bipolar Disorder diagnosis) were the core issues that required professional intervention in a psychiatric facility.
Selena's Path to Recovery and Advocacy
Since the 2018 crisis, Selena Gomez has used her experience as a powerful platform for mental health advocacy. Her journey has transformed her from a victim of her circumstances into a leading voice for change.
Her 2022 documentary, *Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me*, offered an unprecedented look into her struggles, including the periods where she sought treatment at a psychiatric facility.
Today, Gomez is in a much better place, focusing on her career, her makeup brand Rare Beauty (which has a strong focus on mental health resources), and maintaining a small, supportive community around her. Her honesty about her Bipolar Disorder diagnosis and her commitment to therapy have helped to destigmatize mental illness for millions of fans worldwide.
The Lasting Legacy of Jelena's Pain
The story of Selena Gomez's 2018 hospitalization and Justin Bieber's distraught reaction serves as a stark reminder of the human element behind celebrity headlines. It was a moment that publicly fractured the image of a fairy-tale romance, revealing the deep, complex pain that followed the final separation.
While both stars have moved on—Bieber with his marriage to Hailey and Gomez with her continued focus on well-being and career—the intense public memory of that emotional breakdown underscores the lasting impact their relationship had not just on them, but on the millions of fans who followed their every move.
Detail Author:
- Name : Vicente Schowalter I
- Username : vivienne57
- Email : armstrong.eliza@veum.com
- Birthdate : 1987-06-07
- Address : 857 Greenholt Ranch South Korey, TX 20822-4751
- Phone : +19209801460
- Company : Kutch LLC
- Job : Medical Appliance Technician
- Bio : Et et ipsum impedit beatae sit. Voluptas rerum in nostrum quo magnam id sit et. Debitis et ipsam perferendis.
Socials
tiktok:
- url : https://tiktok.com/@wolfa
- username : wolfa
- bio : Necessitatibus in voluptas unde ipsum alias.
- followers : 1328
- following : 2493
linkedin:
- url : https://linkedin.com/in/alize.wolf
- username : alize.wolf
- bio : Et hic dolores omnis porro culpa incidunt omnis.
- followers : 1652
- following : 2725
twitter:
- url : https://twitter.com/alize_wolf
- username : alize_wolf
- bio : Et sunt perspiciatis eos exercitationem. Earum et qui vel eligendi tempore. Ipsam qui non ut quaerat nulla est odit est.
- followers : 4493
- following : 1386
instagram:
- url : https://instagram.com/alize_real
- username : alize_real
- bio : Omnis neque et quod quia error esse. Accusamus sunt quam quam. In blanditiis et ut sit.
- followers : 3342
- following : 1397
facebook:
- url : https://facebook.com/wolf1970
- username : wolf1970
- bio : Dolores enim eum a consectetur molestias consequuntur earum.
- followers : 2438
- following : 2651