Selena Gomez hosted her second annual Rare Impact Fund Benefit in Los Angeles on Thursday, focusing on youth mental health as the star opened up about her personal experiences.
The event, themed “A Night of Splendor and Reflection,” supported the Rare Impact Fund's mission to mobilize $100 million for organizations that increase access to mental health services and education for youth in the whole world. 1% of all sales from Gomez's Rare Beauty brand are also donated to the Rare Impact Fund.
Billy Crudup was the evening's emcee and Gomez took the stage at the benefit to talk about the cause, acknowledging, “My biggest dream has always been to help people.”
On her mental health journey, the star said: “When I got diagnosed with bipolar, it changed everything for me. All I needed was the knowledge to get the right support. It meant I could face my fears head on, just like my mother always taught me. And it's the start of a different kind of journey, but we all deserve support if and when we need it, no matter who we are.”
“I believe connection is important and I'm here to give a voice to those who perhaps don't have one or don't feel like they have one. I am here to reflect the young people who turn to me every single day and trust me with their truth,” Gomez continued. “Their love and devotion have helped me completely through my darkest moments, and because of that I will always be indebted to them, and I want to do everything I can.”
Guests at the event included Gomez's boyfriend Benny Blanco, Dave Burd (AKA Lil Dicky), The Wizards Beyond Waverly Place co-star David Henrie, Only murders in the building showrunner John Hoffman, Jeff Rosenthal, Dan Fogelman, Tay Lautner, Halston Sage and Justin Tranter. Karol G and Teddy Swims also closed out the night with a show.
“I want Rare to be a comfortable, safe place for people to find resources and reach out to people if they need help,” Gomez said The Hollywood journalist on the question of why the cause means so much to her. “I wanted to create a kind of space that doesn't exist for our people, for everyone who is going through something. It is one of the greatest gifts and rewards to be able to share and do all that we can.”
Anaja Smith contributed to this report.