Selena Gomez fans, Francia Raisa blast 'Saved by the Bell' reboot for kidney transplant joke
An apology was issued after "Respect Selena Gomez" trended on Twitter.
The "Saved by the Bell" reboot found itself in hot water over the weekend for seemingly mocking Selena Gomez's kidney transplant, a procedure the singer has claimed saved her life.
The controversial scene from episode 6 features the message "Does Selena Gomez even have kidneys?" spray-painted above lockers in the fictional school's main hallway. This comes after another scene in which two characters argue whether she received a kidney donation from Justin Bieber's mother or Demi Lovato, neither of whom did.
Now, the person who donated the life-saving kidney to Gomez, Francia Raisa, is speaking out about an unintended side effect of the harmful message: harming organ donors.
"We need people to become donors," the "Grown-ish" star told ABC News, "and I worry that continuing to dismiss them and minimize their contributions will have a negative impact."
She also responded to an apology from NBC Universal, Peacock and the show's executive producers, which reads: "We apologize. It was never our intention to make light of Selena's health. We have been in touch with her team and will be making a donation to her charity, The Selena Gomez Fund for Lupus Research at USC."
"As a kidney donor I want to show love and let other donors know that you are not alone," Raisa wrote. "You are seen. You are appreciated. You are so brave and your selfless act is very much appreciated and valued!"
Fans leapt to Gomez's defense as well, resulting in "Respect Selena Gomez" trending on Twitter. One account tweeted that "serious health issues should never be a joke."
It was revealed in September 2017 that Raisa was Gomez's kidney donor, with the "Lose You to Love Me" singer -- who has lupus, an autoimmune disease -- sharing at the time, "She gave me the ultimate gift and sacrifice by donating her kidney to me. I am incredibly blessed."
As of this article being published, Gomez has yet to respond to the incident.
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