Selena Gomez Celebrates We Day On Instagram Amid ’13 Reasons Why’ Backlash
Selena Gomez’s Netflix series, 13 Reasons Why, has become one of the most talked about series in recent months and with its popularity has come backlash.
As rumors continue to swirl regarding the potentially damaging effect the series could be having on viewers, Selena Gomez has continued to hold her head high as she focuses on her career and her efforts to help others.
Most recently, the 24-year-old singer and actress hosted WE Day California, which celebrates young people changing the world. Days later, she spoke of the amazing event on her Instagram page.
“[Fifth] time being apart of the [We Movement], [second] time hosting this amazing event,” she wrote. “They have inspired and provided a platform to help kids and families be the movement. They prove that you can do anything you set your mind to. No matter what age.”
Selena Gomez’s new series, 13 Reasons Why, premiered on Netflix earlier this year and ever since, viewers and critics have been discussing the storyline, which includes a deceased teenager who has left 13 cassette tapes behind to clue in her friends and family about what led up to her suicide.
Although some have applauded the series for raising awareness, others have slammed the series for glamorizing suicide and failing to offer strategies for coping with suicidal thoughts. In response to the backlash, Selena Gomez has spoken out and stood by her show.
“We stayed very true to the book. That’s initially what [author] Jay Asher created, a beautifully tragic, complicated yet suspenseful story, and I think that’s what we wanted to do,” Selena Gomez told the AP, according to a report by Page Six on April 29.
“We wanted to do it justice and, yeah, [the backlash is] going to come no matter what,” she added. “It’s not an easy subject to talk about.”
When the show first debuted weeks ago, Selena Gomez took to Instagram to express her excitement.
“Our show [13 Reasons Why] came out tonight and I couldn’t be more overwhelmed with pride and joy,” she wrote. “After [seven] years of holding onto this book, I couldn’t of picked a better time for this message to exist. Jay Asher wrote a beautifully tragic, compelling story and we were lucky to have brought it to life.”
Selena Gomez purchased the rights to Jay Asher’s book years ago and intended to make the publication into a movie. However, after Netflix picked up the concept, it was turned into a series.
Although Selena Gomez is sticking by the series and its message, Netflix has decided to add additional warnings to the show to ensure that viewers are watching responsibly. According to a report by E! News on May 1, Netflix does believe that the series is a “valuable driver for starting important conversation with their families,” they’ve found it necessary to respond to the concern with further advisories.
“Currently the episodes that carry graphic content are identified as such and the series overall carries a TV-MA rating. Moving forward, we will add a viewer warning card before the first episode as an extra precaution for those about to start the series and have also strengthened the messaging and resource language in the existing cards for episodes that contain graphic subject matter,” Netflix said in a statement.
Netflix will also be including a link to a global resource center, which offers information about organizations that can shed light on the serious topics addressed on the show.
[Featured Image by Jesse Grant/Getty Images]
