Entertainment Music How the Weeknd Helped Selena Gomez Recover from Her Kidney Transplant: 'One of Her Biggest Supports' Says Source Selena Gomez shocked her fans when she revealed on Instagram that she underwent a kidney transplant over the summer By Melody Chiu Melody Chiu Melody Chiu is an Executive Editor at PEOPLE overseeing music, events and emerging content. She has been with the brand since 2009, editing, writing and reporting across all entertainment verticals. She has written cover stories on Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Melissa McCarthy, Blake Shelton, Jordan Turpin and Sandra Oh. The Los Angeles native graduated from the University of Southern California and has appeared on Extra!, The Talk, Access Hollywood and Good Morning America. People Editorial Guidelines and Char Adams Char Adams Char Adams is a former reporter at PEOPLE. She left PEOPLE in 2019. People Editorial Guidelines Published on September 15, 2017 05:30AM EDT Selena Gomez had a strong support system during her recent kidney transplant, including boyfriend The Weeknd. A source close to the 25-year-old tells PEOPLE that the R&B star — born Abel Tesfaye — did all he could to help his girlfriend recover after she underwent surgery following complications from the chronic autoimmune disease Lupus. “Abel has been one of her biggest supports. She had been traveling with him on his tour and he was off during her surgery and right after during her recovery,” the insider says. “He’s been very caring and it’s meant a lot to her to have him by her side.” The pair were seen out and about on Friday in New York City. BACKGRID Gomez revealed the transplant news in an Instagram post on Thursday, sharing a photo of herself and her friend, Francia Raisa — who donated a kidney — next to each other in hospital beds. “I’m very aware some of my fans had noticed I was laying low for part of the summer and questioning why I wasn’t promoting my new music, which I was extremely proud of,” Gomez wrote in the post. “So I found out I needed to get a kidney transplant due to my Lupus and was recovering. It was what I needed to do for my overall health.” The insider says that Gomez is “feeling much better” in the wake of the operation. Selena Gomez Instagram “She was feeling really lethargic and worn out before the surgery,” the insider tells PEOPLE. “The surgery was a couple months ago so she’s been recovering and is in a much healthier place now. Her close group of girlfriends have all been there for her” Earlier this week, another source told PEOPLE that The Weeknd scheduled performances around Gomez’s medical emergency. Meet Francia Raisa, Selena Gomez’s Actress BFF Who Gave Her a Kidney The Weeknd was in between dates of his Starboy: Legend of the Fall Tour from July 22 through Aug. 6, then again until Sept. 6. The Grammy winner’s Grey Goose-sponsored show was canceled last-minute on Aug. 26 — and though he was initially announced as a performer for the 2017 MTV VMAs, he was a no-show Aug. 27 at The Forum in Inglewood, California.