‘Saved By The Bell’ Reboot Jokes About Selena Gomez’s Kidney Transplant, Francia Raísa Responds
The new Saved By The Bell reboot mocked Selena Gomez's kidney transplant—and fans are not happy.
The show, which streams on NBC's streaming platform Peacock, includes a scene in which students at Bayside High argue about who donated Gomez's kidney.
“I know for a fact that Selena Gomez’s kidney donor was Justin Bieber’s mom,” one girl tells her friend. “God, I wish that I had my phone so I could prove it.”
The other character responds, “Prove what? That you’re an idiot? It was Demi Lovato’s kidney. They’re best friends like you and I were.”
In a separate scene, there is graffiti written on a wall that reads, "Does Selena Gomes even have a kidney?"
In reality, Gomez's best friend, Francia Raísa, donated her kidney to the singer in 2017. Raísa tweeted her thoughts in response to the episode.
"As a kidney donor, I want to show love and let other donors know that you are not alone," she wrote. "You are seen. You are appreciated. You are so brave and your selfless act is very much appreciated and valued!"
In light of the outrage, Peacock and NBC Universal issued an apology and made a donationto Gomez's charity. "We apologize. It was never our intention to make light of Selena’s health," the statement reads, according to Variety. "We have been in touch with her team and will be making a donation to her charity, The Selena Gomez Fund for Lupus Research at USC."
Watch the scene and see fan reactions, below.