McKenzie Lynn Tozan has been a part of the George Takei family since 2019 when she wrote some of her favorite early pieces: Sesame Street introducing its first character who lived in foster care and Bruce Willis delivering a not-so-Die-Hard opening pitch at a Phillies game. She's gone on to write nearly 3,000 viral and trending stories for George Takei, Comic Sands, Percolately, and ÜberFacts. With an unstoppable love for the written word, she's also an avid reader, poet, and indie novelist.
As much as we might consciously try to do good in the world, there's really no telling how much of an impact we might be having on a person's life.
Unless you have the unique opportunity to hear that testimonial directly from someone, that is.
In 2022, singer and actress Selena Gomez released a documentary called My Mind and Me, which followed her struggles with stardom, relationships, identity, Bipolar Disorder, and her diagnosis of Lupus. The documentary is a powerful examination of the pressures to be productive and successful, especially in the spotlight, while also struggling with invisible illnesses.
Little did Gomez know UK comedian and writer Miranda Hart watched the documentary, and while her struggles were not exactly the same, she related to Gomez's struggles dealing with an invisible illness, in her case Lyme Disease, while trying to keep up a productive and successful schedule.
Seeing the documentary challenged Hart to think about her diagnosis in a different way, and to recognize the importance of sharing it and being a representative figure for those who watch her.
So when Hart had the opportunity to appear on The Graham Norton Show opposite Selena Gomez, she took a moment to shout out all that Gomez and her documentary had done for her on her journey.
Hart said:
"I have to say, it's extraordinary that I'm on the show with Selena, because it makes me quite emotional."
"When I saw your documentary on Apple about your illness struggles, I was thinking, 'Do I share? Is this something I should do?' Because it feels quite vulnerable, and it's not something that I had done before."
"But then I watched your documentary, and I just thought, 'Absolutely, yes,' and that's what kept me writing."
At this, Gomez became visibly emotional, covering her face with one of her hands. Hart continued to reflect:
"So the fact that I'm on this show with you, honestly, truly, I'm so [emotional]."
"To witness somebody that was in the pain that I was in, the conditions that we, we know what a chronic condition is like, and it's always rumbling there..."
"I know what it's like in a very different way [than Selena], and I'm also not experiencing this as a pop star."
"But when I was working with the BBC, not knowing how to go on or whether to go on, it's amazing seeing Selena here."
You can watch the touching moment here:
The staff behind The Graham Norton Show soon shared the special moment on their Instagram, where fellow Instagrammers applauded Hart's comments to Gomez.
Later, the moment spread to X (Twitter), where fans continued to applaud the special connection between the two women.
Since we often forget the bravery it takes to share personal stories of invisible illnesses, it's heartwarming to see Gomez praised for her courage and vulnerability. The moment likely felt "full circle" to Hart, who just released I Haven't Been Entirely Honest with You, a memoir of her own reflections on living with her diagnosis.
And since Gomez's documentary helped keep Hart going, the two women meeting at interview while Hart tours with her new book must be a sign that it was meant to be out in the world.