Celebrity Celebrity Relationships Celebrity Friendships Francia Raisa Opens Up About Her Reconciliation with Selena Gomez: ‘We Needed That Time Apart’ "When you come back together, you're better people," the 'How I Met Your Father' actress said By Esme Mazzeo Published on December 29, 2023 04:35PM EST Selena Gomez and Francia Raisa. Photo: Selena Gomez/ Instagram Francia Raisa says there's no real reason she and Selena Gomez fell out, but notes that the estrangement was good for their now-repaired relationship. In an interview with USA Today published Thursday, the How I Met Your Father actor opened up about her reconciliation with the "Single Soon" singer, explaining that "we never really had beef with each other." "Nothing happened, and if you ask either of us, we don't know what happened," Raisa, 35, said. "But we needed that time apart." "Then when you come back together, you're better people," Raisa added. "She and I are still getting to know each other again." Raisa went on to note she finds it "crazy" that people are so invested in their friendship, which has gone through ups and downs since the pair met as teenagers in 2007. About a decade later, Raisa donated one of her kidneys to Gomez, 31. Selena Gomez (L) and Francia Raisa attend Billboard Women In Music 2017. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Selena Gomez and Francia Raisa's Friendship Timeline In 2018, Raisa told former talk show host Harry Connick Jr. that both she and Gomez went through a period of depression when the transplant surgery was complete. Fans began questioning whether there was trouble between the two when, in a 2022 Rolling Stone interview, Gomez called Taylor Swift her "only friend" in the industry. Gomez also didn't mention Raisa in her Apple TV+ documentary, which featured some of her friends. Raisa appeared to take offense, commenting about it in a now-deleted social media remark. Gomez seemingly responded to backlash online in a comment under a TikTok video that speculated about the alleged rift. "Sorry I didn't mention every person I know," Gomez wrote at the time. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Despite the back and forth, all seemed well by July 2023, when Gomez marked Raisa's birthday in an Instagram post. Gomez and Raisa reconnected because of a birthday tribute. Selena Gomez/Instagram In her interview with USA Today, the Grown-ish star confirmed that she didn't talk to Gomez much in 2022, but they met up following Gomez's public birthday message to her friend. "I don't know why the universe decided this timing … then she reached out and said, 'Let's talk,' " said Raisa, adding that the two decided during dinner that "it's no beef, just salsa." Raisa also stressed that even amid their estrangement, she never regretted giving Gomez her kidney. "And obviously, you know, I gave the girl a kidney so everyone felt a certain way and I was asked for years and years and years, 'Do you regret it?' and I was like, 'No, the relationship has always been there,' " said Raisa. "There was just a tiff." Francia Raisa Opens Up About Online Bullying amid Selena Gomez Social Media Drama: 'It's Pretty Bad' In October, Raisa opened up exclusively to PEOPLE about her recent reconnection with Gomez. "Even though we've had our zigzags in life, we could still come together and be friends and still have our old times," Raisa explained. "We got spray tans together. We went to some of our old favorite restaurants together. It's been nice."