She's had a difficult year after taking some time off from the public eye to treat depression and anxiety. And on Sunday night, Selena Gomez made a triumphant comeback to the spotlight as she accepted her prize at the American Music Awards, which was held in front of a star-studded crowd at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. The 24-year-old, who won the award for favourite female pop/rock artist, delivered a powerful speech where she touched upon the health issues which caused her to seek treatment and to take a break from music.
"In 2014 this stage was actually the first time that I was authentically 100% honest with all of you," she told the audience. "I think it's safe to say most of you know a lot of my life whether I liked it or not. I had to stop, I had everything and I was absolutely broken inside. I kept it all together enough so I would never let you down, but I kept it too much together to where I let myself down."
Selena Gomez made a triumphant comeback to the spotlight at the American Music Awards on Sunday
In August, Selena announced she would be cancelling 34 tour dates to deal with "anxiety, panic attacks and depression" – which stemmed from her battle with lupus. Talking about how she has changed her view on using social media, the singer added: "I don't want to see your bodies on Instagram. I want to see what's in here. I'm not trying to get validation, nor do I need any. All I can say from the bottom of my heart is I'm so grateful that I have the opportunity to be able to share what I love every single day with people who I love."
She then went on to thank her loyal fans for the constant support over the past few months. "If you are broken, you do not have to stay broken," the star added. "And if that's anything, whether you respect me or not, that's something you should know about me. I care about people. You guys are so damn loyal and I don't know what I did to deserve you."
In August, the star said she would be taking a break to deal with "anxiety and depression"
Selena has been open about her battle with autoimmune disease lupus since 2014. Its symptoms range from mild to life-threatening and include extreme tiredness, rashes, joint pain and swelling. After her appearance on stage, the American pop star cuddled up to Lady Gaga as they posed for a picture. Gaga, 30, heaped praise on Selena for her moving speech, writing in her caption: "So dope I got to hang with with the biggest rockstar of the night. (Ya,know besides Sting and Green Day) ...the girl with the biggest prize of all a BIG Heart that she shares with the world."