--- title: "Fallout Between Selena Gomez and Francia Raisa May Involve Kidney Transplant" description: "If you haven't heard: there's drama. Hollywood kidney transplant drama. But who's in the right, and who's in the wrong?" date: "2023-05-13" modified: "2023-05-13" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/selena-gomez-kidney-transplant-drama" categories: - "Developments" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "health" - "Kidney" - "kidney transplant" - "lupus" --- # Fallout Between Selena Gomez and Francia Raisa May Involve Kidney Transplant ![If you haven't heard: there's drama. Hollywood kidney transplant drama. But who's in the right, and who's in the wrong?]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* If you haven't heard: there's drama. Kidney transplant drama. After months of speculation regarding why actresses Selena Gomez and Francia Raisa [appeared to have had a falling out](), we appear to finally have an answer — and it's a rare intersection between the worlds of celebrity news and the deep ethical waters of organ transplants. Basically, the issue is that back in 2017, Raisa famously donated one of her kidneys to Gomez, whose own kidney had failed as the result of Lupus. And now, according to Raisa's father, Spanish radio personality Renán Almendárez "El Cucuy" Coello, the kidney is coming between them. Specifically, in an interview with the Spanish show "Primo Impacto" that [*TMZ* recently unearthed](), Coello hinted that his daughter had grown increasingly angry with Gomez for her post-transplant activities. Gomez had apparently been drinking, and Raisa, concerned that the alcohol would damage the donated organ in question, became furious at her — seemingly now former — friend. For what it's worth, we should note that neither actress has given any lip service to Raisa's father's claims. And on the one hand, there's definitely some sympathy to be had for Raisa. Giving someone a kidney is an amazing and difficult thing to do, and if you go choose to go through with it, you'd probably hope that the person on the other end is treating the organ in question with care. But that said, it's just not that simple. For one thing, there doesn't seem to be much definitive research to say that moderate drinking post-kidney transplant will cause any serious harm — or any harm at all, for that matter. Emphasis, however, on moderate. While the UK's National Health Service (NHS), for example, [says that]() anyone who's received a kidney transplant should absolutely abstain from cigarettes and "illegal drugs," which according to the website can cause kidney damage and react poorly with certain medicines, they don't say the same thing about alcohol. Instead, they seem to take a measured, common-sense approach: you can drink, but avoid doing so every day or in excess. One [South Korean study from 2022]() appears to concur, finding that compared to non-drinkers, study subjects who drank before a transplant seemed to handle a low-to-moderate consumption of alcohol just fine afterward. And elsewhere, the National Kidney Foundation [doesn't even mention alcohol]() in its aftercare guidelines, only recommending more broadly that transplantees should maintain a "healthy lifestyle." And the science of it all aside, there are questions of autonomy here. If you give someone a kidney, it's not really your kidney anymore. It's theirs. And as long as someone stays within the doctor-recommended aftercare guidelines, the lines in the sand are far from cut and dry. Again, as neither has confirmed nor denied the rumors themselves, no one really knows what went down between these two celebs. Still, their alleged beef is a fascinating study in transplant etiquette and ethics. Hopefully, these longtime pals can resolve their issues soon — and maybe anyone out there [sending horrible messages to Raisa]() should just stay out of it? **More on organ science:** [*Doctors Gene-Edit Patient's Liver to Make Less Cholesterol*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()