Selena Gomez has been recognized by National Geographic, not for her singing, acting or business acumen, but for her work in the mental health field.

She’s been named to the National Geographic 33, which honors 33 “visionaries, creators, icons and adventurers from across the globe who are united in the belief that our world needs imaginative solutions and urgent action.”  Selena’s included in the “visionaries” category of the list.

The publication describes her as “the superstar supporting mental health on a global scale,” because she used the profits from her billion-dollar Rare Beauty cosmetics brand to establish the Rare Impact Fund, a nonprofit that provides mental health resources for young people around the world.

Selena’s been open about her own mental health journey, including a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and a 2018 episode of psychosis. She tells National Geographic, “I love what I do more than anything, but to have a purpose behind a cosmetics brand is very important. This has definitely been my pride and joy. I just wanted to help in any way I can.” 

“I’ve always been quite honest with people that I wasn’t doing O.K.,” she explains. “And I think by me being vulnerable, it opened up a window for so many people to come up to me and talk to me about their journey … I wanted other people to feel like I wasn’t some unattainable thing that no one could really relate to.”

She adds that she’s in a “much healthier mindset” these days.

Other celebrities on the National Geographic 33 list include Jason Momoa, Don Cheadle, Michelle Yeoh, Edward Norton and Björk.

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