Selena Gomez To Host WE Day 2017
Selena Gomez is ready to inspire others find their voice.
According to Entertainment Tonight, the former Wizards of Waverly Place (2007-12) star has been tapped to host WE Day in California on April 27, 2017. The annual event, which is sponsored by The Allstate Foundation and Unilever, was created to encourage younger generations to take action to address social issues. Other celebrities like Demi Lovato, DJ Khaled, Bryan Cranston, Alessia Cara, Josh Gad, and Lilly Singh are also scheduled to make appearances.
But, while this is the first year that Gomez has hosted WE Day, she's no stranger to the affair.
"My first WE Day experience was three years ago and to say I was impressed is an understatement," the "Kill Em With Kindness" singer said in a statement. "The electricity of an arena full of thousands of young people who are making real change in the world is like nothing I've ever experienced. I am grateful to be a part of such a supportive community and hope I can inspire the kids at WE Day just as they continue to inspire me."
At the premiere of 13 Reasons Why (2017-), which she produced, Gomez explained to ET that she wants everyone, in spite of the overwhelming number of users on Twitter, Instagram, and other social media, to know that they should always speak up for what they believe in.
"I think kids especially, with social media sometimes, they just feel a little claustrophobic, and I don't think their voice is actually being heard," Gomez said. "I want people to know that every single life is valuable, that their voice can be heard, and that there are people who are willing to be there for them."
Gomez, 24, is no stranger to the pressures of social media. In an interview with The New York Times, the actress, who went to rehab in Oct. 2016 to care for her mental health, admitted to deleting Instagram off of her phone at least once a week. Regarding the mean comments left on her photos, she said, "They're not like, 'You're ugly.' It's like they want to cut to your soul. Imagine all the insecurities that you already feel about yourself and having someone write a paragraph pointing out every little thing—even if it's just physical."
With her first-hand experience dealing with cyberbullies—not to mention her work with Unicef—we think Gomez is the perfect choice to host WE Day.