SELENA GOMEZ SAYS VAPING NICOTINE PERMANENTLY CHANGED HER VOICE — "IT'S JUST NOT WORTH IT"

Selena Gomez got candid with her fans on Sunday, October 18, 2026, posting a selfie video to her Instagram Stories in which she opened up about vaping nicotine and what she believes it did to her voice. The singer said she doesn't think she will ever get her old voice back, calling the habit "so stupid" and urging anyone thinking about picking up a vape not to start.

Why does it matter? Gomez is one of pop's most recognisable voices, and her comments immediately sparked debate online. She spoke only about her own experience — and with the science on whether vaping can cause lasting vocal damage still unsettled, her personal account is the story here.

What Selena Said

Speaking directly to the camera in the selfie-style clip, Gomez said:

"I'm not gonna be able to change my voice. I vaped nicotine a lot. Nicotine is so hard to quit... if you're even trying to vape, it's just not worth it. It's so stupid, and it's changed my voice."

She also sounded hopeful about staying off nicotine:

"I'm really excited because I stopped, and I just hope I can keep it up"

And she had a blunt reply for anyone critical of how she sounds:

"if you guys don't like listening to my voice, that's totally understandable... Just don't listen to it."

Her Voice, Her Health History

Gomez has been open about her health for more than a decade. She revealed her lupus diagnosis in 2013, and in 2017 she underwent a kidney transplant, with her friend and fellow actress Francia Raisa donating the kidney. She has spoken repeatedly about how lupus and its treatments affected her body and her career.

This isn't the first time she has addressed her voice, either: during an Instagram Live in December 2025, she mentioned her voice, drawing attention from fans who have followed her health journey for years. Like fellow Disney-era stars whose Demi Lovato biography and Miley Cyrus biography trace a similar child-star path, Gomez grew up in the public eye — and her full Selena Gomez biography covers that journey in detail.

Fan and Media Reaction

Outlets including Consequence, iHeart (citing ABC News), NDTV and fashiontimes.co.uk picked up the clip, and fan reaction split quickly. Many supporters took her warning at face value and praised her honesty, while others debated whether lupus, medication or years of performing better explained changes in her voice.

To be clear: Gomez was describing her own belief about her own voice. None of the reporting presents a medical finding that vaping caused permanent vocal damage in her case, and experts consider the science unsettled. Her words were a personal warning to fans, not a diagnosis.

Watch the Official Video

Below is her latest official video appearance — it is unrelated to the Instagram Stories confession:

Her most recent official video appearance — not related to this story.

FAQ

What did Selena Gomez say about vaping?
She said vaping nicotine changed her voice permanently, that quitting nicotine is very hard, and that anyone thinking of vaping should know "it's just not worth it."

When did she post the video?
She shared the selfie video on her Instagram Stories on Sunday, October 18, 2026.

Has she quit vaping?
She said she has stopped and is excited about it, adding that she hopes she can keep it up.

What has she said about her health before?
She revealed a lupus diagnosis in 2013, had a kidney transplant in 2017 with Francia Raisa as the donor, and mentioned her voice during a December 2025 Instagram Live.

What is her latest music?
Her most recent official video appearance is embedded above; Gomez first rose to fame in the early-2010s pop scene alongside peers such as the star of this Justin Bieber biography.

Sources: Consequence, iHeart (ABC News), NDTV, fashiontimes.co.uk.