Semi-colon tattoos have become extremely popular since about four years ago, when a social media movement spurred individuals all over the world to get inked as an expression of hope and love for those affected by depression, self-harm and suicide, and Selena Gomez joined the movement this week, adding a tiny semi-colon tattoo to her wrist as a nod to her new Netflix series, 13 Reasons Why. Selena’s latest tattoo is inked on the outside of her left wrist, opposite her tiny music note wrist tattoo, and matches the same tattoo two of the Netflix show’s co-stars, Alisha Boe and Tommy Dorfman, also got, as a symbol of suicide prevention and mental health awareness.
Selena Gomez was executive producer on Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why, and while she didn’t actually appear on the show, the pop star was obviously moved by the story behind the series, which focused on the suicide of teen Hannah Baker and the reasons why she was driven to take her own life. Selena has spoken out in the past about mental health awareness and suicide prevention, and when she accepted her award at the 2016 American Music Awards, the singer gave a moving speech about her own struggle with anxiety and depression. Dorfman, too, has struggled with depression and addiction, and so the matching wrist tattoos, inspired by the semi-colon project, which seeks to empower people who suffer from depression, or to show solidarity with those who have struggled with mental health issues, hold a deeply personal meaning for him as well.
Tommy Dorfman posted a photo of the matching semi-colon tattoos on Instagram on April 10, captioning the post:
Today was a magical day. Another day to be grateful to be alive. Alisha, Selena and I went together to get ; tattoos. The ; symbol stands for an end of one thought and a beginning of another. Instead of a period, authors use the semicolon to continue a sentence. For us, it means a beginning of another chapter in life, in lieu of ending your life. I struggled with addiction and depression issues through high school and early college. I reached out and asked for help. At the time, I thought my life was over, I thought I’d never live past the age of 21. Today I’m grateful to be alive, in this new chapter of life in recovery, standing with my colleagues and friends, making art that helps other people. If you’re struggling, if you feel suicidal, I urge you to click the link in my bio. Ask for help. Start a new chapter with the support of others.
