Did Selena Gomez pressure Francia Raisa into 2017 kidney donation?
Los Angeles, California - Francia Raisa is putting the rumors surrounding her 2017 kidney donation to Selena Gomez to rest once and for all.
The 35-year-old appeared as a guest on the Good Guys podcast hosted by Josh Peck and Ben Soffer on Tuesday, and she used to appearance to clarify ongoing speculation about the organ donation.
"I've said this before, I just felt it in my heart," Raisa told the hosts. "I knew I was a match. I knew it was gonna happen."
"No one forced me to do anything. It came out of the genuine kindness of my heart."
In September 2017, Gomez received a kidney transplant from Raisa, who is a long-time friend, amid complications from lupus.
For years, fans speculated that the 31-year-old may have pressured Raisa into the donation after the How I Met Your Father star revealed that Gomez had learned Raisa was a match before she knew herself.
Francia Raisa denies she was "forced" into Selena Gomez kidney donation
"When I found out I was a match, it wasn't in the way I'd expected," Raisa told Self in 2018. "I had a way that I wanted to tell her when I made the decision. I knew it was going to happen; I just needed time."
Raisa emphasized in Tuesday's podcast that as soon as she learned she was a match, she knew she was willing to undergo the surgery.
Still, rumors have circulated for years that the pair had a major falling out afterward, and the Secret Life of the American Teenager alum's father even said that the friends had a conflict over Gomez's decision to continue drinking after the transplant.
It seems the pair have settled their differences - at least for now - as the Hands to Myself singer recently wished Raisa a happy birthday with a sweet Instagram tribute.
Though Raisa didn't publicly reply to the post, she later confirmed there is "no beef" between the long-time friends anymore.
Cover photo: Collage: Screenshot/Instagram/selenagomez & Michael Kovac / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP