Selena Gomez didn’t find one fan’s comment about her drinking very funny. The drama all began when the Only Murders in the Building actress posted a funny reaction TikTok to Dr. Dawn Bantel’s description of what constitutes “heavy drinking” for men and women. “The CDC defines heavy drinking as 15 or more drinks a week for men,” Dr. Dawn explained as Selena jokingly raised her eyebrows. “And 8 or more drinks per week for women.”
Although the “Ice Cream” singer captioned the video by saying, “it’s a joke,” some TikTok users didn’t think her take on heavy drinking was very funny.
@selenagomez#duet with @drdawnbantel it’s a joke
“So one of your best friends gives you her kidney and you continue to drink excessively,” a user wrote. “Damn Selena.” After the person wrote in the critique, the 29-year-old clapped back, “It was a joke ass.” Following Selena’s response, numerous fans came to her defense, with one writing, “The fact you need to say that this is a joke [pleading face emoji]…I love you.”
In Sept. 2017, Selena announced she had received a kidney transplant from her friend, Francia Raisa, 33, while battling lupus. In an interview on Today during that time, Selena shared how her pal saved her life with the organ donation. “I guess I got to the point where it was really, kind of, life or death,” she shared. Since her surgery, the “Lose You to Love Me” singer has advocated for kidney donations, using her platform to call out controversial jokes about the subject.
In August 2021, the pop star called out the show The Good Fight for joking about her situation, writing, “I am not sure how writing jokes about organ transplants for television shows has become a thing but sadly it has apparently,” she shared. “I hope in the next writer’s room when one of these tasteless jokes are presented it’s called out immediately and doesn’t make it on air.” Moreover, fans came to Selena’s defense when the Saved By the Bell reboot also made light of the subject, leading the network to issue a formal apology.
