Selena Gomez’s fans were startled by a particular aspect of her recent Instagram post commemorating her birthday. On July 22, Selena, who turned 33, used her social media platform to highlight the Rare Impact Fund, an initiative focused on enhancing access to mental health services for young individuals.
In her Instagram message, Selena stated: “5 years ago today – on my birthday – we launched the Rare Impact Fund with a simple goal: to help more young people around the world feel seen, supported, and cared for. Mental health has always been deeply personal to me, and I wanted to build something that could create lasting change.
“Since then, thanks to your support, we’ve reached over 2 million young people and supported 30 incredible organizations around the globe.
”And this is just the beginning. To celebrate this milestone (and my birthday), we just launched the Rare Impact Fund Giving Circle – where people can come together, pool their resources, and support organizations doing life-changing work.
”It’s about believing in the power of community to create lasting change.
”Let’s build a future where every young person has the mental health support they deserve.”
Selena also expressed her gratitude to her supporters: ”Thank you for showing up, for each other, and for the next generation. This is what rare impact looks like.”
”Head to the link in my bio to join us.”
Alongside her heartfelt message, Selena shared an image of herself with a green heart-shaped cake bearing ‘HBD’ in icing. However, it was one quirky detail on the cake that caught fans off guard.
The cake appeared to have a pickle theme, with pickle-shaped candles decorating the frosting.
One fan remarked: “Not sure but ‘pickle-themed birthday cake’ just sounds wrong.”
Another simply stated: “PICKLES.”
A third inquired: “Pickle themed cake?”
And yet another asked: “Why is no one talking about the pickle candles???”
Selena’s fondness for pickles is well-known. In 2024, her fiancé Benny Blanco went as far as getting the label of her preferred pickle brand, Best Maid Pickles, etched onto his toenails.
For Valentine’s Day, Blanco even ordered an enormous jar of these pickles from Texas and shared a TikTok tutorial showing him deep-frying them, inviting viewers to “Take one, dip it, eat it, get laid.”
This Instagram post represents a significant achievement for Selena, who initiated the Rare Impact Fund after her own battles with mental health challenges.
On the Rare Impact Fund website, she elaborated: “Mental health is personal for me. I went a long time without the support I needed because I didn’t understand what I was feeling.
“After experiencing what seemed like endless highs and lows that would take me out for weeks at a time, I finally found the help to see what I was going through. But I’m learning every day that supporting my mental health is a journey.
“Every day isn’t perfect—not for me, not for anyone. And too many people don’t have access to the mental health resources and education they need.”