Selena Gomez Fans Shred ‘The Good Fight’ On Line About Her Kidney Transplant

The writers of “The Good Fight” were criticized online this week for including a reference to Selena Gomez’s kidney transplant in a discussion of “culture cancellation.”

The fourth episode of the Paramount + legal drama features a scene in which Liz (played by Audra McDonald) and a TV executive (Wayne Brady) discuss topics that can be used for the comedy.

Their discussion prompts Jay (Nyambi Nyambi) to deplore that the comedians “need permission to tell a joke”. After Jay wonders aloud what subjects would be considered forbidden, Jim’s character (Ifádansi Rashad) replies, “Selena Gomez’s kidney transplant”.

After the episode aired, Gomez fans – many of whom refer to themselves as “Selenators” – expressed their distaste for the taunt against their idol on social media, prompting the phrase “RESPECT SELENA GOMEZ “to be all the rage this week.

“Show her some respect, she’s a no-problem celebrity, she loves her Selenators so much,” one person said. wrote on Twitter. “She didn’t get the credit she deserves, don’t make jokes about such an important issue.”

“How miserable must you be to take someone’s trauma / illness / struggles and use them for jokes, like just being a decent human being,” another added.

Representatives for “The Good Fight” did not comment on the case on Tuesday.

In 2017, Gomez revealed that she received a kidney transplant as a result of lupus, an autoimmune disease that can damage many organs. Its donor was actor and longtime friend Francia Raisa.

“It was what I needed to do for my overall health,” Gomez wrote on Instagram at the time alongside a photo of her and Raisa holding hands in adjacent hospital beds.

“The Good Fight” isn’t the first TV series to be called out to poke fun at Gomez’s kidney transplant.

In 2020, an episode of Peacock’s “Saved by the Bell” reboot faced backlash for a scene in which two characters playfully fight over who donated their kidneys to the singer. The suggestions included Demi Lovato and Justin Bieber’s mother.

Days later, Peacock executives released a statement apologizing for the episode and removed the scenes from the streaming platform.

“We never intended to shed light on Selena’s health,” the statement said. “We have been in contact with her team and will be making a donation to her charity, the Selena Gomez Fund for Lupus Research at USC.”