Selena Gomez on the media's obsession with her exes: I felt 'defeated'

It's one thing to go through a breakup, but it's another thing to have your professional highs undercut by it.

Selena Gomez would know.

In an excerpt from her forthcoming cover story for Marie Claire, the singer-actress touches on the struggle of being defined by her relationship highlights as opposed to her career highlights. "I would try to promote something that I loved, and the entire interview would be about my personal life," Gomez told the magazine. "I would leave a room feeling defeated, feeling embarrassed, but I would always make sure to put that smile on my face because I wasn't going to let them get to me."

And while Gomez shares that she's dating again — "I've been having the best time" — she maintains that her focus is on her Revival Tour and promotion for Neighbors 2 (out May 20), in which she stars opposite actress Chloë Grace Moretz. "I finally just wanted to go for it," she told Marie Claire. "I wanted to do things that I knew were going to be me. I don't want people to look at me as someone who is just this celebrity person."

Catch the full interview on newsstands May 17.