“I’ve never felt this proud to be a woman in the industry, and that is because I actually feel comfortable with every single woman that has encouraged me,” she continued, stressing how crucial it was that women’s voices are finally being heard.

“I’m so grateful for all the older women who have lifted all of us up, because I couldn’t be here without any of you,” she said.

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Gomez was introspective in her accompanying interview for the December 9 issue of Billboard: “I want to live a life that is worth living” and “I’m actually grateful for who I am.”

“I don’t know how to explain the place that I’m in other than to say I just feel full,” she added, repeatedly indicating that she isn’t concerned with how people perceive her.

Readers learned a lot more about the former Disney Channel star.

She cherishes on/off beau Justin Bieber and is best friends with her ex, the Weeknd. Gomez, who was spotted again with Bieber on the heels of her break-up with the Starboy crooner, explained her reunion with Bieber: “I cherish people who have really impacted my life. So maybe before, it could have been forcing something that wasn’t right.”

As for the Weeknd, she said they parted ways as besties, “genuinely about encouraging and caring [for each other], and that was pretty remarkable for me”.

She’s also proud of her transplant scar. The Bad Liar singer said that she’s altered and edited herself for her whole life for the sake of others. She is now trying to accept who she is, and that is taken her about five years, a few stints in rehab and a lot of therapy.

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“That time for me was so painful and really hard and very lonely. But I really, really felt that that is what helped me feel satisfied with where I am.”

Meanwhile, if she wanted to cover up her scar, she could, but doesn’t plan to just yet: “When I look at my body now, I just see life.”

And she’s very proud of where she is. After years of struggling with anxiety and depression stemming from her long-term lupus battle, Gomez said she handles her challenges in a healthy way. She’s enjoying where she is, being able to say no and “being part of the world.”

“I’m proudest of not becoming jaded,” she said.

Also revealed was that she auditioned for Woody Allen’s 2018 comedy A Rainy Day in New York five times.

Gomez said she “didn’t have the greatest confidence” during her early auditions and was passed up. When the filmmakers couldn’t find anyone else, they gave her another shot and she gave it her all.

“I do feel like I earned it. And it was a great experience for me. In acting and in film, you’re around a much more stable community. It really opened me up, and I needed that after the surgery,” she said.