Inside Selena Gomez's Addiction Battle — as Singer Admits It Changed Her Voice 'Permanently'
Oct. 20 2026, Updated 3:40 p.m. ET
Selena Gomez is opening up about her past nicotine vaping habit, revealing that she believes the addiction changed her voice and warning others not to start.
In an Instagram Stories video posted Oct. 18, the singer said she had vaped nicotine heavily and found quitting difficult.
Gomez also said she has stopped vaping and hopes she can maintain her progress. Her comments offer a new explanation for a vocal change she addressed with fans in December 2025.
What Selena Gomez Said About Her Nicotine Addiction
Selena Gomez first publicly revealed her lupus diagnosis in 2015
Gomez was candid about her past vaping use and the difficulty of quitting nicotine.
“I’m not gonna be able to change my voice. I vaped nicotine a lot,” she said in the video. “Nicotine is so hard to quit.”
She then urged anyone considering vaping to reconsider, saying, “It’s just not worth it. It’s so stupid, and it’s changed my voice.”
Gomez also responded to people who have criticized how she sounds. “So if you guys don’t like listening to my voice, that’s totally understandable. I don’t mind. Just don’t listen to it,” she said.
Despite acknowledging how difficult quitting has been, Gomez said she was happy she had stopped.
“I am really excited because I stopped and I just hope I can keep it up,” she said. “It’s really hard, but I know if you are going through something, you can get through it too.”
When Did Selena Gomez First Speak About Her Voice Changes?
Selena Gomez hosted the Third Annual Rare Impact Fund Benefit in 2025, raising more than $600,000 for youth mental health initiatives
Gomez had already addressed questions about her changing voice during an Instagram Live on Dec. 16, 2025.
At the time, she did not mention vaping. Instead, she told viewers that her throat sometimes swells internally, adding, “Sometimes things happen.” She also thanked fans for being candid with her about the subject.
How Selena Gomez’s Health Problems Have Impacted Her Life?
Selena got her kidney transplanted in 2017, and her friend Francia donated it
Gomez has previously been open about living with lupus, an autoimmune disease. She revealed her diagnosis in 2015 and underwent a kidney transplant in 2017 after lupus complications affected her kidneys.
Her friend Francia Raisa donated the kidney.
She has also discussed how lupus treatment affected her weight. In the 2023 Apple TV+ documentary series Dear…, Gomez said her weight fluctuated because of certain medications and that she faced criticism from people who did not know the reason behind the changes.
Can Vaping Change Your Voice Permanently?
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Selena Gomez at ACLU SoCal's Annual Bill Of Rights Dinner in 2019
Gomez's experience has raised questions about how vaping may affect vocal health. Medical reporting has linked vaping with throat irritation, dryness, and inflammation, while research into its long-term effects on the voice is still developing.
Gomez has not said that a medical professional confirmed permanent damage to her vocal cords. What she has made clear is that she believes her former nicotine habit changed how she sounds and that quitting has been difficult.
