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Francia Raisa and Selena Gomez share an enduring friendship that has captured the hearts of many despite their ups and downs. The duo recently made headlines when they attended Selena’s inaugural Rare Impact Fund Benefit, demonstrating their strong friendship and their shared commitment to positively impacting the world.
Extra’s Terri Seymour spoke with Francia Raisa at the event, where she talked about their effortless friendship, which dates back over 16 years to their teenage years when they both starred in popular Disney Channel shows, “Secret Life of the American Teenager” and “Wizards of Waverly Place,” respectively.
© GettyImagesAccording to the actress, their initial meeting occurred during a Disney initiative where stars from the network’s shows visited children’s hospitals. Francia recalled this encounter: “She came up to me and was like, ‘My mom had a teenage pregnancy; she was 16 years old, and we love your show.’ I was like, ‘Oh, my God, thank you! I love your show.’”
Friendship over boys
Francia then revealed that they started hanging out after they broke up with their boyfriends. “We started talking, we both had boyfriends at the time, we started kiki-ing… Around the time that my boyfriend and I broke up, and her and her boyfriend broke up, she called me and was like, ‘I am going through some stuff… I am going through a breakup.’ I was like, ‘Girl, me, too,’ and we were just inseparable after that ever since.”
Francia Raisa’s selfless act of donating one of her kidneys to Selena Gomez
During the event, Francia reflected on their journey together, acknowledging the beauty and complexity of their trauma-bonded relationship, saying, “We trauma-bonded, which is beautiful, but also it can get rocky and tricky… People grow, relationships change. Obviously, I treat her like my little sister, she treats me like her older sister… I don’t know any relationship that’s perfect… When our situation came up… No, I never pictured that, but obviously I never regretted it. I am happy that we are here today, celebrating and supporting each other.”
© @franciaraisaFrancia Raisa’s support
The Rare Impact Fund Benefit served as a platform for Selena Gomez to champion the cause of mental health awareness. Francia Raisa couldn’t be prouder of her friend’s advocacy, saying, “She is bringing so much awareness to it, and we have both seen each other go through so much. I am on my own journey of finally expressing myself and what I have gone through with my mental health… I look to her to figure out how to even navigate all of this… Honestly, her sharing with the audience gave me the courage to start sharing with my audience.”
