How Selena Gomez Is Giving Back on Her 28th Birthday

Selena Gomez is celebrating her birthday by giving back. The actress turned 28 on Wednesday, and announced that her beauty brand, Rare Beauty, will be helping connect underserved communities with access to mental health services.

The Rare Impact Fund will raise $100 million over the next 10 years to help address communities’ gaps in mental health services. From the first Rare Beauty product sold onward, one percent of all sales, as well as funds raised from partners, will be dedicated to the Rare Impact Fund, which aims to become one of the largest known funds in support of mental health from a corporate entity.

“I’m so grateful to be surrounded by a team that’s helped make the Rare Impact Fund a reality,” Gomez said in a statement. “Since the brand’s inception, we wanted to find a way to give back to our community and further support people who needed access to mental health services, which have had a profound impact on my life. Rare Beauty is focused on helping people feel more connected to one another and less alone in the world. The Rare Impact Fund will make a direct impact on many lives and, ultimately, make a difference in the world. I’m proud of the work we’ve begun to do with our partners to offer these services to anyone who needs support.”

“Our goal is ambitious. We want to raise $100 million for mental health in the next 10 years,” added Scott Friedman, CEO of Rare Beauty. “With the launch of the Rare Impact Fund, we will create one of the largest philanthropic efforts focused on mental health in the world. The funds will go toward increasing access to mental health services, particularly for underserved communities.”

Rare Beauty has also created the Rare Beauty Mental Health Council, comprised of expert advisers from leading universities, organizations and companies focused on mental health. The Council — which includes members like Dr. Marc Brackett of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and author of the book Permission to Feel, Dr. Scott L. Rauch, MD, president and psychiatrist in chief for McLean Hospital and Dr. Jane Delgado of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health — will guide the company’s strategy to ensure maximum impact.

Gomez has often used her platform to speak out about the importance of mental health. She revealed during an appearance on Miley Cyrus’ Instagram Live show, Bright Minded, in April, that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. “I wanted to know everything about it, and it took the fear away,” Gomez said.

The former Disney star also shared that she’s undergone treatment for anxiety, depression and “other stuff that I’ve been dealing with.” She noted that she’s working to “use the tools that I’ve used in therapy” to help cope during this challenging time of social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic.