Singer and actress Selena Gomez has revealed that heavy nicotine vaping has changed the sound of her voice, as she opens up about quitting the addictive substance and encourages others to avoid it.
“I’m not gonna be able to change my voice,” the 34-year-old said in an Instagram post on Sunday. “I vaped nicotine a lot.”
“Nicotine is so hard to quit and I just wanted to say, if you’re going through it, or if you’re even trying to vape, it’s just not worth it.”
Gomez reiterated that vaping had affected her voice before joking that listeners could stop listening if they disliked how she sounded.
The singer, who stars in Only Murders in the Building, said she had recently stopped using nicotine and hoped to maintain the decision.
“I am really excited because I stopped and I just hope I can keep it up.”
“It’s really hard, but I know if you are going through something you can get through it too. It sucks.”
Gomez has previously suggested that her voice changes could be linked to lupus, the chronic autoimmune disease she has lived with since her diagnosis in 2015.
During an Instagram question-and-answer session last December, she said her throat sometimes swelled internally. “Sometimes things happen. I get weird. My throat kind of swells inside sometimes. That’s all.”
Lupus can cause inflammation around the larynx, or voice box, potentially making the voice raspy or strained. Gomez’s voice has also deepened with age, prompting some fans to share videos comparing how she sounded at different stages of her career.
The singer first publicly discussed her lupus diagnosis in a 2015 interview with Billboard, revealing that she had undergone chemotherapy and taken time away from the public eye to focus on treatment.
In 2017, Gomez received a kidney transplant from her friend Francia Raisa. The procedure helped her lupus enter remission for a period, although she later revealed that she experienced a flare-up in 2020.
Her disclosure about vaping has since prompted discussions among fans about the potential health consequences, particularly given her medical history.
Some social media users questioned why she continued vaping after receiving a kidney transplant, while others praised her for speaking openly about nicotine addiction. “Selena Gomez being honest about nicotine addiction is a reminder that some habits are harder to quit than people realise,” one user wrote on X.
Another fan praised her decision, saying they were proud of her for acknowledging the problem and wanting to change.
Evidence of vaping’s health effects is growing, although its long-term consequences remain uncertain. Reported concerns include breathing difficulties, coughing, wheezing, dental problems, poor sleep and mental health symptoms.
Nicotine is highly addictive, and health authorities advise children and non-smokers against taking up vaping. While e-cigarettes can help some adults stop smoking, they are not harmless.
Gomez’s comments come after singer Lola Young also spoke about the effects of vaping, saying her breathing had begun to feel like a chore.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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