Selena Gomez responds to criticism over Netflix series '13 Reasons Why'

Singer-actress Selena Gomez, one of the producers behind the wildly popular “13 Reasons Why,” is speaking out about the controversy surrounding teen suicide in the Netflix series.

The Sebastopol-filmed drama, about a high school student who takes own her life and leaves 13 audio tapes on the reasons behind her decision, includes the graphic depiction of the girl's suicide, leading many critics to wonder if the series glorifies teen suicide.

“We stayed very true to the book. That's initially what (author) Jay Asher created, a beautifully tragic, complicated yet suspenseful story, and I think that's what we wanted to do,” Gomez told the Associated Press.

“We wanted to do it justice and, yeah, the (criticism is) going to come no matter what. It's not an easy subject to talk about, but I'm very fortunate with how it's doing.”

Gomez went on to state that she is extremely proud of the work she and her team has done with the show and hopes they can showcase a very important problem.

Netflix has included warnings before episodes 9 and 13 due to graphic depictions of rape and suicide.

The full 13-episode season is available for streaming now.