Reasons Selena Gomez May Be Heading For A Meltdown

Selena Gomez posted a cryptic, disturbing message on Instagram after a concert in Indonesia, writing, "Tonight I felt extremely unauthentic [sic], unconnected [sic] to both myself and my music. I've never really felt like my materials, wardrobe, or a video could define me. I act on a moment and fear of something that hasn't happened. I'm stagnant, I stay still and don't just sit with myself and ask, 'Is this where I am, whole heartedly [sic]? I've always told the truth. I'm always true to my word, I've shown who I am but I need to rethink some areas of my life creatively and personally. Had to get that out."

Uh, what the what? Many fans are worried that Gomez is headed for a meltdown, and here are a few reasons why that may actually be true.

Her music actually is pretty inauthentic

On her most recent release, Revival, Gomez has songwriting credits on seven out of 11 tracks. That sounds impressive, but she shares those credits with at least three other people on every song, so it's safe to say that her contributions are likely minimal—which may explain why she feels like her music doesn't really represent her.

What's more, Gomez's vocal ability has never been her strongest suit, and she's been busted lip-syncing more than once. She grew defensive when she was criticized for allegedly doing it at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in December 2015, and the harshness may be getting to her.

She's always a sidekick

Though Gomez is successful in her own right, she's recently been relegated to little more than one of BFF Taylor Swift's squad members, and it seems to be taking its toll on her. She rushed to Twitter to defend Swift in her feud with Kim Kardashian, and it got ugly fast. "There are more important things to talk about," she wrote. "Why can't people use their voice for something that f—ing matters?" Many fans also criticized her for never speaking up on the Black Lives Matter movement. One particular fan replied with, "Good question! Why haven't you or Taylor not [sic] said a thing about #BlackLivesMatter or police brutality?" Gomez responded, "Oh lol, so that means if I hashtag something I save lives? No—I could give two f—s about sides. You don't know what I do."

Gomez may be a successful businesswoman, but unlike Swift—and even her former frenemy Demi Lovato, whose own identity has been cemented as an advocate for mental health issues and recovery—Gomez lacks her own identity, at least in public.

She fears for her life

The fear that Gomez mentions may be a rational one. She was extremely close to singer Christina Grimmie, who was shot and killed by a crazed fan in June 2016. Gomez's family managed Grimmie, and Gomez was her mentor. At one point during her tour, Gomez broke down in tears and dedicated the song "Nobody" to Grimmie, who was only 22 when she died.

That wasn't Gomez's only brush with mortality. In November 2015, she put her house on the market, and TMZ reported that she called 911 three separate times for fear of intruders. Stalkers reportedly targeted the property on numerous occasions.

She lost someone else close to her

Grimmie isn't the only friend that Gomez has lost in the last year. Her longtime makeup artist, Jake Bailey, committed suicide in November 2015.

Her acting career stalled

Gomez's most notable acting jobs lately have been cameos in The Big Short and Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, and playing herself in an episode of Inside Amy Schumer in 2016. Other than voiceover work in Hotel Transylvania 3, a small role in the upcoming In Dubious Battle, and a part in the recently released Netflix original movie The Fundamentals Of Caring, Gomez doesn't seem to be capitalizing on the buzz surrounding her image-busting role in Spring Breakers. Her only starring roles since have come in the critical and commercial flop Getaway and the direct-to-video release Behaving Badly.

She's still not totally over Justin Bieber

TMZ reports that Gomez blamed ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber when she checked into rehab, citing the singer and his friends as negative influences. However, the pair admit to staying in touch with one another: they were spotted on a date in November 2015, and Gomez attended Bieber's Los Angeles concert for his Purpose world tour in March 2016. If she's seeking closure, this is the wrong way to go about getting it.

Her love life is messy even without Bieber in it

In May 2016, just after Orlando Bloom met and charmed Katy Perry at the Met Gala, he was seen cuddling with Gomez at a nightclub. The plot thickened only days later when photos surfaced of Bloom and Gomez leaving the club in the same car. Perry is a friend of Gomez, so that probably got awkward when Bloom later went public with Perry.

It wasn't the only failed hookup Gomez has had recently. In December 2015, a fling with One Direction hottie Niall Horan went nowhere, and her romance with Zedd, with whom she collaborated on "I Want You To Know," fizzled fast.

She's overworked

Selena Gomez has been working pretty much nonstop since her Disney days, and at this point, she may just need a breather. It doesn't look like she'll be getting one anytime soon, however: she recently announced on Twitter that she's almost done recording her next album—and she's still on tour promoting Revival. She's also signed endorsement deals with Pantene, Louis Vuitton, and Coca-Cola, which means she'll have promotional duties in those arenas as well.

She was body-shamed

Gomez has always been slender, but when she was photographed in a too-teeny bikini in April 2015, the trolls went nuts pointing it out online. (It's well worth noting that Gomez, even in a less-than-flattering number, still looks amazing.) She fought back against the chitchat, saying "there's more to love" on Instagram and changing the narrative for the better. Still, those insecurities, however unwarranted, are hard to fight, and she admitted she "let the criticism get to her a bit."

She never finished rehab

Gomez checked into rehab in early 2014. Though her rep swore up and down that she wasn't actually checked into the Meadows facility for substance abuse, sources allegedly close to the star disagreed. A self-described insider told Radar Online that Gomez had been "partying very hard...experimenting with marijuana and prescription drugs, including Xanax and Ambien." The source added, "Her friends and family became increasingly worried that there might be a serious problem with Selena." Other sources told TMZ that Gomez was seeking treatment for alcohol as well.

Going to rehab is never a problem—it's a solution! However, Gomez's issues may never have been resolved, because she left treatment after only two weeks, and TMZ notes that she didn't seek any outpatient treatment or therapy afterward. Old habits can die hard, and Gomez has been seen drinking frequently since her stint ended.

She may (or may not) have health problems

Selena Gomez told Billboard that her rehab was actually for a medical issue, contrary to what the rumors suggested. "I was diagnosed with lupus, and I've been through chemotherapy," she said. "That's what my break was really about. I could've had a stroke." However, Gomez's stories sometimes change: she told GQ that she underwent chemotherapy for leukemia, not lupus.