Selena Gomez's relationship with fellow singer Justin Bieber was the stuff of teenage fantasies. So when it all came crumbling down several years ago, not only were both Selena and Justin scarred because of the split - even their fans were, too.
That is why when Selena decided to truly get over her ex-boyfriend, it was an experience she shared with her fans. The singer was waiting to go on stage to perform her song "The Heart Wants What It Wants" last November, which is a song she dedicated to Bieber.
"Everybody was talking about the same thing: my relationship," she told Elle Magazine. "I was so exhausted. I said, 'I want this performance to be the last time I have to talk about this. And acknowledge this feeling.'"
So Selena cleared out her dressing room and took a some time to reflect on her feelings.
"I was kind of devastated," she admitted. "I was like, 'This is all I have right now. This is gonna be it. And all I want is to move on.'"
After that, she went on the AMA stage and faced 11.6 million viewers and sang her final goodbye to Bieber. It was such an emotional performance that it drove Selena to tears.
"It was a huge weight lifted off me," she said. "That's why, from this point on, I know I can prove myself, you know. I haven't scratched the surface yet."
For now, Selena says that she and Bieber are just friends, but her latest song "Same Old Love" seems to deal with the emotional rollercoaster of her split from him.
However, Selena explains: "It's not necessarily about a specific relationship. Sometimes you're stuck in the same cycle. This is kind of my 'forget it' song. I'm sick of all of it."
The young singer promises that she "genuinely" still cares for Bieber, and that she will "forever support him and love him in a way that" only they will understand.
In the same vein, she believes that Bieber respects her too, even as she tries to navigate the dating field again.
"Finding somebody is not my main focus," she explained. "I've dated people. I've been on a few dates, which is really exciting. But I've never wanted to get into anything serious, because I kind of did that. I have my guard up. I like to meet people in organic settings. Hanging out with a group of people and meeting through mutual people."
When asked if she is open to get back together with Bieber, Selena did not give out a definitive no, and only laughingly answered: "I don't know!"
