Selena Gomez Fans Slam 'Saved by the Bell' for Joking about Her Kidney Transplant
Fans took to social media to criticize Peacock for mocking Selena Gomez's kidney transplant in a recent episode of the reboot of the show, "Saved By The Bell."
There is a huge uproar among fans on social media after a recent episode of Peacock's "Saved By The Bell" reboot joked about singer Selena Gomez's kidney transplant.
In one scene from the series, two students from Bayside High argue over who donated a kidney to Gomez. One of the teens suggested it was her ex-boyfriend, Justin Bieber's mom, Pattie Mallette, while the other teen said it was her former best friend, Demi Lovato.
Selena Gomez at Regency Village Theatre on January 11, 2020. | Photo: Getty Images
In another scene, two characters from the show are talking before they start kissing. Behind them is a white marker board with the words, "Does Selena Gomez even have kidneys?" written on it.
Fans have not taken kindly to Gomez's perceived mocking on the show and took to Twitter to vent their anger toward Peacock. One fan wrote:
"I wonder what was going through their minds when they wrote this, did they actually think this was funny?? Respect Selena Gomez."
Another fan said their father cried when they explained why Gomez was trending because his grandmother died due to Lupus; and stated it was awful for people to make jokes about it.
A medical student also said they had seen many patients suffering from Lupus, which is a severe disease, The student also questioned why people would make fun of Gomez.
"Saved By The Bell" creators have apologized for joking about Gomez's kidney transplant via a joint statement to USA Today.
Gomez's fans are not stopping at criticizing the show on Twitter. They have also started a petition to Peacock TV on Change.org, seeking "Saved By The Bell's" cancellation.
In its petition, fans noted Lupus is a disease affecting over five million people worldwide and almost took Gomez's life. Hence, making fun of such a condition is disgusting and awful.
Fans added that it represented unprofessionalism and a total lack of human empathy of the show. They also suggested that its creators and writers should be taken off the air immediately.
Meanwhile, "Saved By The Bell" creators have apologized for joking about Gomez's kidney transplant via a joint statement to USA Today. The creators said it was never their intention to make fun of Gomez's health.
They also revealed they have been in touch with Gomez's team and would be making a donation to her charity, "The Selena Gomez Fund for Lupus Research" at the University of South California.
The "Saved By The Bell" reboot debuted on Peacock on November 25, 2020, with all of its ten episodes dropping at once. The reboot features many new faces and some returning characters from the original series, which aired from 1989 to 1992.