Who Is Raquelle Stevens? – Meet Selena Gomez’s Greatest Good friend Featured in ‘My Thoughts and Me’
Whereas Selena Gomez is the topic of her new documentary My Thoughts and Me, her longtime buddy Raquelle Stevens steadily seems alongside her. She even particulars what Gomez’s scariest psychological well being second was like when Gomez suffered from an episode of psychosis in 2018.
“If anyone noticed what I noticed within the state that was she in on the psychological hospital, they wouldn’t have acknowledged her in any respect, and I used to be devastated as a result of psychosis can final from days to weeks to months to years to life,” Stevens says.
Within the documentary, Stevens travels with Gomez to Kenya then London and Paris, performing as a real blue buddy and voice of purpose to Gomez throughout some more durable moments. Stevens’ historical past with Gomez is years lengthy, and the 2 have spoken on Stevens’ personal present Giving Again Era about their friendship.
Right here, what to learn about Stevens and her ties to Gomez.
Stevens is a podcast host and inventive primarily based in Los Angeles who’s Gomez’s age.
Stevens, 30, began her podcast video collection Giving Again Era in 2019. The second season of the TaTaTu present got here out this yr.
Stevens truly opened as much as ELLE.com about creating season 2 of of the collection, which options interviews with Gomez, creator Jay Shetty, vegan chef Radhi Devlukia-Shetty, TV persona Giulia De Lellis, Group USA heptathlete Chari Hawkins, and extra.
“After filming season 1 of Giving Again Era, I used to be trying ahead to persevering with the collection in 2020, then the pandemic hit,” she stated. “It was a time of a number of uncertainty and reflection. As life began to considerably normalize once more, I used to be having so many conversations with associates who have been feeling anxious and uncertain about what was forward. I used to be studying articles with staggering statistics about folks fighting their psychological well being. By way of all of those conversations and analysis, I needed to maintain the collection the identical the place I discuss to folks about their life journeys and the way they use their life to offer again, however I believed it was extraordinarily vital for seasons 2 and three to focus particularly on speaking to people that use their platforms to make a distinction within the psychological well being area. All the conversations in each seasons are uplifting and provoking, but additionally provide sensible methods to raised our psychological well being in these unsure occasions we live in. My hope is at all times that individuals will probably be inspired and know that they don’t seem to be alone.”
Stevens and Gomez have been associates for over 10 years.
In 2019, they spoke about their friendship on Giving Again Generation alongside their two shut different associates Ashley Prepare dinner and Courtney Lopez.
“Once we determined to do that, it’s as a result of I need there to be extra friendships like this,” Gomez stated of the group’s choice to debate their relationship collectively. “I feel there must be as a result of I do know after I was rising up, I went to highschool for a bit bit till I used to be residence schooled. Individuals have been—if my cousin wasn’t captain of the cheerleading group, I’d have been destroyed. As a result of I used to be simply, , I used to be form of a nerd, and I simply frolicked with like one particular person, and that’s exhausting as a result of folks—at the least when I’ve meet and greets or discuss to folks they at all times discuss friendships. They’ll at all times say , “I don’t have a number of associates,’ they usually don’t really feel comfy with speaking to folks as a result of they’re afraid they’re going to get burned. That’s what I like, even my followers, all of them know your title, they usually really feel a connection to you guys. I simply needed to share that as a result of I hope what the takeaway from that is as properly is that we simply need—I need to be an instance of friendship and what it might appear to be and the significance.”
“I need to see extra friendships like this,” Stevens added later. “I need to see folks embrace qualities like forgiveness, and vulnerability and authenticity. I simply suppose it’s so vital.”
Gomez credit Stevens and their different two shut associates Ashley Prepare dinner and Courtney Lopez for serving to save her.
Gomez and Prepare dinner did one other interview with Stevens about friendship on the second season of Giving Again Era. When discussing how her associates have helped her psychological well being, Gomez stated, “I feel what I’ve realized over my journey particularly—and by the way in which, it’s been up and down—you guys have been my associates for over a decade now so that you perceive these moments in my life, and I’ve to say that my friendships actually did save me in an enormous method and it was as a result of, A, I used to be conscious of who I’m surrounding myself with. So the folks in my life are beautiful folks, individuals who have substance, who reside regular lives and have priorities and obligations that I won’t have. I’ve completely different units of obligations, and it’s so fantastic and so vital to have the ability to decide up the telephone and name somebody who you respect, that you simply honor their opinion and that aren’t simply going to inform you the stuff you need to hear. They’re going to inform you the issues that—, they’re going to listen to you, after all. They’re going to inform you how a lot they love you, however on the finish of the day, if I make a mistake or I really feel like I’m taking place a flawed path mentally, it’s actually vital for me to choose up the telephone and name somebody that I do know and belief. And it’s actually modified my life by way of this complete pandemic. I feel we obtained so shut and all we had was one another, and that was sufficient for me, and that’s after I realized, ‘Oh, life is lots, ,’ and it’s important to have the folks that you simply reside it with be good for you.”
Stevens and Gomez have matching “4” tattoos.
In August 2018, Gomez shared that she, Stevens, Prepare dinner, and Lopez obtained tattoos collectively to mark their friendship. “#4 as a result of these ladies have stayed by my aspect for 7 years (@ashley_cook 12 years) 4, since you are my 4 for the remainder of my life,” Gomez wrote. “I like you girls. You all encourage me to be higher, stronger, nearer to god and we’ve lived probably the most INSANE story collectively already. Can’t look forward to 50 extra!! Ps @raquellestevens had an precise panic assault 🙄 it’s a dot! 🤦🏽♀️”
Stevens has appeared on My Thoughts and Me with Gomez together with Selena + Chef.
Stevens mirrored on the documentary, writing, “Grateful to have been part of this undertaking the previous few years. Thanks @selenagomez for having the braveness to be so susceptible and @alekkeshishian our friendship has been such a blessing all through this complete course of. Can’t wait for everybody to see it Nov 4 on @appletvplus #MyMindAndMe.”
She additionally mentioned her time showing on Selena + Chef‘s newest season:
Stevens is an creator, together with her first e-book The Sunshine Thoughts popping out on January 31, 2023.
The e-book blends religion (Stevens is Christian) with psychological well being. Per its web site, “The Sunshine Thoughts is your information to discovering hope and pleasure in day-after-day and embracing the attractive particular person God made you to be. Actual, sincere, and shared from private expertise, Tanya Rad [Stevens’ co-author] and Raquelle wrote The Sunshine Thoughts with at this time’s girl on their hearts. Every of the 100 inspiring readings gives religion, hope, energy, and peace to encourage you to turn into the attractive particular person God made you to be.”
Stevens introduced the e-book information on her Instagram on the finish of October. “I’m so excited to announce I’ve a e-book popping out with my superb buddy @tanyarad !! This previous yr we’ve put a lot love and thought into our writing and I’m so grateful to see all of it come to life. ☀️🙏🏻😭” she wrote.
HarperCollins Christian Pub. The Sunshine Thoughts: 100 Days to Discovering the Hope and Pleasure You Need
HarperCollins Christian Pub. The Sunshine Thoughts: 100 Days to Discovering the Hope and Pleasure You Need
Stevens is a Sort 7 on the Enneagram.
Stevens revealed her Enneagram kind on Giving Again Era: kind 7, the fanatic. Gomez is kind 4, the individualist. As Gomez stated of the check, “It’s fairly correct lots. It’s not religious. It’s not something. It’s truly only a widespread check that individuals take. It’s actually a vital device.”
Stevens added, “The extra that we will study one another, even the annoying traits we every have, we will meet one another the place we’re at.”
Stevens’ Instagram is filled with journey pictures and occasional photographs of her friendship with Gomez, Prepare dinner, and Lopez.
Stevens shared photos from her and Gomez’s December 2019 Kenya journey to her Instagram, one of many documentary’s most poignant segments.
This March, she shared attractive pictures from her journey to Egypt:
She has additionally shared some behind-the-scenes seems to be at her friendship with Gomez, Lopez, and Prepare dinner. For Gomez’s thirtieth birthday, she celebrated their decade of friendship. “Decade of life collectively, so grateful! Completely happy thirtieth Selly we love you a lot ❤️,” she wrote.
Alyssa Bailey is the senior information and technique editor at ELLE.com, the place she oversees protection of celebrities and royals (significantly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She beforehand held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves operating round Central Park, making folks take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York Metropolis.