Selena Gomez recently stopped by to join husband Benny Blanco on his Friends Keep Secrets podcast. Before we know it, the lively conversation turns to how the couple manages and copes with Gomez’s bipolar disorder together. Selena talks openly and unapologetically about being originally misdiagnosed, finding pride even in “moments of mania,” and how ultimately she’s learned to live freely and with hope.
In the episode, aptly titled the Selena Gomez Episode, the couple hangs out with Blanco’s best friend, rapper and actor Dave Burd (aka Lil Dicky), and Kristin Batalucco, Dave’s wife and former Disney Channel star. And not long into the podcast segment, right after some Lil Dicky tries to face his fear of pickles, Blanco takes the conversation in a 180-degree turn by asking his wife a question he’s never asked before, “Did you know you were bipolar before you were officially diagnosed?”
The actor and singer, who went public with her bipolar diagnosis in the 2022 Apple TV documentary Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me, answers her hubby with poise and grace. She recalls, “I knew something was wrong, but I think I was misdiagnosed. I think people were just assuming.” The singer says she had to try multiple therapists and four rehabs in order to understand what she was experiencing. “All of it is so fucking complicated,” she adds.
Gomez explains how finding the right therapy helped her find her way, “It finally allowed me to go, ‘Oh, that’s why I handled things the way I handled them. That’s why all the other people were able to get over things quickly and I wasn’t.’ And I would act out of fear, I’d act out of love, I’d act out of passion. It was all inconsistent. It was crazy.”
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Blanco says his wife is generally “hyper aware” of her symptoms these days, but he also describes the delicate nature of moments when Gomez is experiencing mania, especially when she hasn’t recognized she’s having it yet. He explains, “You’re not supposed to technically talk to the person really about it while they’re deep in it.”
Gomez quickly responds by saying, “I do have moments of mania. I’m not ashamed at all because I can catch them a bit quicker.” She shares how Blanco shows up for her when she’s struggling, “It is helpful to have a partner that will understand where maybe the temperature is at and meet you where you are…”
Blanco agrees, “One of my favorite favorite parts about being with you [is] we take each other as we are … And we’re not judging each other at all.”
It’s so refreshing to hear this kind of empathy-driven back and forth between a young, successful couple who seems to be thriving despite a bipolar diagnosis. For so long, the topic has been shunned and silenced, and now we get to watch this couple publicly discuss what it takes to make it work together and alone.
Check out the full Selena Gomez episode of Friends Keep Secrets:
Tune into the Friends Keep Secrets podcast on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. Via hidden cameras at Lil Dicky and Kristen’s house, Blanco and friends record these regular “secretive” hangouts just for us!
This story was originally published by Parade on Mar 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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