'We're Family': Francia Raísa Dishes on Her 'Sisterly' Bond With Selena Gomez and How They Hashed Out Their 'Beef'

After Selena Gomez said that she doesn't have many friends in the entertainment industry in an interview, Francia Raísa, who previously donated a kidney to the actress in 2017, was hurt by the remark, leading them to not speak for a year.

"I was really surprised when she posted me on her birthday this past year, and I was like, 'She's trying.' I never wanted to talk about our friendship, and I would always say, 'There's no beef!' At the time, I was like, 'Oh, I could have said feud or we're not fighting, but then beef went everywhere.' When I did Josh Peck's podcast in August, they set me up, and I said, 'Guys, there's no beef! Let's talk about that.' The next day it was everywhere," the 35-year-old exclusively tells OK! while talking about her new partnership with the LA VICTORIA® brand, a salsa maker with a century-long tradition of quality, in which they created LA VICTORIA® Salsa Crafted by Francia Raísa.

"Coincidentally, Selena and I had dinner for the first time a week after our birthdays, and I told her everything. The first thing I said was, 'Look, I don't know who started this rumor that you went to rehab because I got mad,' but then she goes, 'That's a rumor?' I was like, 'Let me tell you about the last six years of my life!' I even showed her the 'no beef, just salsa' headline and my idea. I was like, 'I am going to make merchandise and we're going to take a picture,' and she goes, 'Absolutely. I love this. I can't wait,'" she explains of reuniting with the Disney Channel alum, 31. "I don't know how this all happened, but I am happy about it!"

These days, the pals have "no beef," but she's grateful that Gomez is so candid about what's going on in her life, especially when it comes to her mental health. "I am now open about my mental health. In January, I revealed I've been on Zoloft and mental health has a lot to do with my family but also relationships. You usually think about it with a partner, but in this case, it was a friendship, and that's so real. There's also growing pains amongst friendships, too," she says.

"Do I have a guard up? Absolutely. Have I told her? Absolutely. Does she get it? Of course. She doesn't blame me and vice versa. I'm sure she has her guard up with me too. At that dinner, I was like, 'You just turned 31, and things will change.' I am the 35-year-old version of me, and you don't know me anymore because we hadn't really hung out since I was 29, so I was like, 'We're going to start to get to know each other again.' The trust is always there and that is always going to be there," she explains. "It's like with sisters. You guys fight and the next day you're fine. At the end of the day, we're family and there's this unconditional love and trust there. We still have to build a real friendship again, but the love is there. As soon as we hashed things out, she was telling me all the things and I was telling her all the things — but that will stay between us!"

When the How I Met Your Father alum and the makeup mogul first met, the former introduced her to Mexican food, as the singer "always wanted to be more in touch with her Latin side."

"I would cook for her all the time and salsa was probably the first thing I made her and taught her how to make. She doesn't make it like me, though! When I told her I wanted to venture into the food industry, she was excited for me, and she loved the whole story of how I flipped the narrative. She was super all in on the idea. We went bowling, and she was like, 'Let's take our picture!' I'm grateful for it and I appreciate it because it's a new venture that she truly believes in for me. I have been in the kitchen slaving away for that girl many times!" Raísa says.

Raísa, who is Mexican-Honduran American, is excited to venture into the food industry with her new collaboration, LA VICTORIA® Salsa Crafted by Francia Raísa, a limited time offering of two versatile and flavorful salsa varieties, meticulously designed to resonate with millennials in Los Angeles and beyond.

The offering includes two distinct salsa varieties: Fire Roasted Salsa and Fire Roasted Salsa Verde, designed to elevate any dish and awaken your taste buds.

"It has a little taste of home to me. I haven't tasted anything like it before. I don't measure anything; my grandma just kind of tells me what to do. It's a little taste of my grandmother in each jar. It has incredible flavors, and it's inspired by my Mexican roots," she notes. "I worked with a wonderful chef who helped me bring all the flavors to life."

"This is a whole new world for me, and I don't know what I am doing. I am just kind of going with the flow. It's been really fun," she adds of her new project. "I didn't even start learning how to cook until I was 18 years old. I'm excited to keep learning about the business!"

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For a limited time, LA VICTORIA® Salsa Crafted by Francia Raísa will be available nationwide on Amazon and MexGrocer.com. The Limited Time Offer will be sold as a 2-pack and priced at $16.64 MSRP.

For more information, please visit www.lavictoria.com.