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One of the most talented voices in music was changed forever.
Selena Gomez is opening up about why her voice sounds so different.
Unfortunately, at the center of it is an addiction.
Even to this day, she acknowledges that the chemical dependency is “so hard to quit.” We’re rooting for her.
‘I vaped nicotine a lot’
On Sunday, October 18, Selena took to her Instagram Story to share an impactful video with her fans and followers.
“I’m not going to be able to change my voice,” she began the video, speaking bluntly.
Selena explained how her vocal cords became damaged over the years.
“I vaped nicotine a lot,” she admitted.
“And,” Selena emphasized, “nicotine is so hard to quit.”
Selena Gomez describes how a nicotine addiction has permanently altered her voice. Even quitting vaping, which is an ongoing process, will not reverse the damage.
— fanana hammock (@fananahammock.bsky.social) October 19, 2026 at 11:41 AM
Selena warned her fans and followers that vaping or using any other nicotine product is “just not worth it.”
She accurately described cultivating a nicotine habit.
“It’s so stupid,” Selena lamented.
“And,” she reiterated, “it’s changed my voice.”
Selena added: 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.”
Quitting is ‘really hard’ but so worth it
“But I am really excited because I stopped,” Selena emphasized.
Of course, anyone who has ever had an addiction knows that this is seldom a one-and-done situation.
“And,” she aspired, “I just hope I can keep it up.”
Selena admitted: “It’s really hard.” Nicotine is one of the strongest addictions known — coming in just behind heroin (and other opiates) and crack cocaine.
“But,” she encouraged, “I know if you are going through something, you can get through it too.”
Nicotine addiction is somewhat normalized in our society. Some companies still have “smoke breaks” and designate outdoor smoking areas to facilitate their employees’ worst habits.
Millennials (at least in America) were the least nicotine-addiction generation in decades — perhaps a century.
Then, in the 2010s, when the youngest Millennials were still teens, the nicotine industrial complex churned out vaping. This time, it came with a puff of pleasant-smelling vapor instead of disgusting smoke from cigarettes. Gen Z appears to be the worst hit by this insidious product.
If you’ve ever seen someone vape in line inside a restaurant, as if it were The Purge, you know how unhinged and normalized this addictive behavior has been.
It is encouraging to see that Selena is in recovery for her addiction. We hope that many others follow her example.
