Scorecard Research Beacon
Search Icon
Culture November 30, 2020

Selena Gomez fans, Francia Raisa blast 'Saved by the Bell' reboot for kidney transplant joke

WATCH: 'Saved By the Bell' reboot faces backlash from Selena Gomez's fans

The "Saved by the Bell" reboot found itself in hot water over the weekend for seemingly mocking Selena Gomez's kidney transplant, a procedure the singer has claimed saved her life.

The controversial scene from episode 6 features the message "Does Selena Gomez even have kidneys?" spray-painted above lockers in the fictional school's main hallway. This comes after another scene in which two characters argue whether she received a kidney donation from Justin Bieber's mother or Demi Lovato, neither of whom did.

MORE: Selena Gomez posts photo with empowering message about accepting her surgery scar

Now, the person who donated the life-saving kidney to Gomez, Francia Raisa, is speaking out about an unintended side effect of the harmful message: harming organ donors.

PHOTO: "Saved by the Bell" streams on Peacock.
Peacock
"Saved by the Bell" streams on Peacock.

"We need people to become donors," the "Grown-ish" star told ABC News, "and I worry that continuing to dismiss them and minimize their contributions will have a negative impact."

Editor's Picks

She also responded to an apology from NBC Universal, Peacock and the show's executive producers, which reads: "We apologize. It was never our intention to make light of Selena's health. 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."

MORE: Selena Gomez accepts Hispanic Heritage Arts Award: 'To be a voice in the community means a lot'

"As a kidney donor I want to show love and let other donors know that you are not alone," Raisa wrote. "You are seen. You are appreciated. You are so brave and your selfless act is very much appreciated and valued!"

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Selena Gomez (@selenagomez)

Fans leapt to Gomez's defense as well, resulting in "Respect Selena Gomez" trending on Twitter. One account tweeted that "serious health issues should never be a joke."

MORE: 'Saved by the Bell' turns 30: Top 5 most memorable episodes

It was revealed in September 2017 that Raisa was Gomez's kidney donor, with the "Lose You to Love Me" singer -- who has lupus, an autoimmune disease -- sharing at the time, "She gave me the ultimate gift and sacrifice by donating her kidney to me. I am incredibly blessed."

As of this article being published, Gomez has yet to respond to the incident.