Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco have been romantically linked since 2023, but their shared history dates back much further.
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco can't get enough of each other. Things have gotten quite serious for the couple over the last year, after their relationship appeared to move from platonic to romantic around the singer's July 22 birthday in 2023.
"I used to play a teddy bear in ur music video and now i get to b urs in real life… happy bday bb ! i love u !" Blanco captioned a social media tribute in Gomez's honor this month.
"I love you 🧸," Gomez commented in kind.
The duo started as longtime friends and collaborators before confirming their romance in 2023, with the famed music producer even admitting he's got his sights set on marriage and kids in the near future.
"He is my absolute everything in my heart," Gomez gushed on Instagram in December, responding to speculation that the two had taken their relationship to a new level.
"It’s crazy how your partner could just be sitting there the whole time, right in front of your eyes, and you don’t even notice," Blanco later told WSJ Magazine. "And then you have that Clueless moment where you're like, 'Wait, I'm in love.'"
In fact, the duo's relationship dates even further back than either of them initially realized. Take a walk down memory lane to see how Gomez and Blanco's love story has unfolded.
Mid-2000s -- Industry Meeting
In an April 2024 interview on SiriusXM’s The Morning Mash Up, Blanco revealed that he and Gomez had both forgotten about a long-ago meeting that occurred during the early stages of Gomez's music career. At the time, she was preparing to work on her 2009 debut with her band, Selena Gomez and the Scene, after rising to fame in 2007 on Disney's Wizards of Waverly Place.
"Her mom just reminded me of this," he confessed. "I didn't even remember this. We both met each other almost 16, 17 years ago when she was just getting into music, before we, obviously we made a bunch of songs together, but before we had made any music together, I was one of her first big meetings right around when she was just leaving Disney to make her own music. Neither one of us remembered the meeting, but her mom remembered it and was just like, 'Yeah, you guys were 18,' and everyone was like, 'You can't get a meeting with Benny Blanco,' and this was at the very beginning of her career."
Around that time, Blanco had recently delivered a string of impressive production credits for Britney Spears, Katy Perry and Vanessa Hudgens, among others.
He continued, "It was, I guess, a big meeting at the time and then we wound up making songs after. She's the best."
2010 -- Working with Justin Bieber
Blanco has produced a number of songs for Gomez's ex-boyfriend, Justin Bieber, including 2010's "Eenie Meenie" and "Somebody to Love (Remix)" during their ill-fated relationship. The duo's other credits together include "Love Yourself" and "Lonely."
2015 -- "Same Old Love"
Gomez and Blanco first made magic in the studio together with her 2015 hit, "Same Old Love," which was certified three-times platinum by the RIAA. He also produced her Revival track, "Kill 'Em With Kindness."
The following year, Gomez featured on the Blanco-produced Cashmere Cat song, "Trust Nobody."
2019 -- "I Can't Get Enough"
Gomez and Blanco hit the sheets in the music video for his 2019 single, "I Can't Get Enough," which also featured J. Balvin and Tainy. In the fun clip, Blanco wears a white teddy bear suit and playfully bounces around on an oversized bed with a silk pajama-clad Gomez.
Summer 2023 -- "Single Soon"
Love in the studio? Gomez dropped her song, "Single Soon" -- produced by Blanco -- in August 2023. Just a few months later -- four, to be specific -- she confirmed her relationship with the musician on social media. At the time, Gomez said that they had been an item for six months.
Looks like her song about ditching a relationship for singledom may have, in fact, had the opposite effect on her real life.
For her part, Gomez has said that things turned romantic for her during a birthday party. Blanco was, notably, in attendance at Gomez's 31st birthday bash in July 2023. She even posted a photo with him in her roundup from the evening.
December 2023 -- Going Public
The Rare Beauty founder left the internet buzzing when she took to the comments of multiple Instagram posts speculating on her relationship status.
It started when the "Wolves" songstress left a reply underneath a post with the text "Selena Gomez Seemingly Confirms That She's In a Relationship."
In the comments, the beauty mogul simply wrote, "facts" from her personal Instagram account. On a second post, which had a picture of Gomez and Blanco posing together at her 31st birthday celebration, she wrote, "He is my absolute everything in my heart."
She continued to stir the pot, defending Blanco and calling him "the best thing that ever happened to me." Shortly after, the "Lose You to Love Me" songstress uploaded a black-and-white image of her face with a bearded man -- strongly resembling Blanco -- just out of the frame.
A source told ET, "Selena and Benny have been casually seeing each other for a while and more recently, it became more official. Things have been going really well between them and Selena is happy. She thinks Benny is very funny and of course, extremely talented. Selena is in a great place in her life and feels content and relaxed. She is enjoying where things are going."
Another source told ET that Gomez "finally felt comfortable enough" in their connection to address the speculation about them dating.
"She feels so safe and secure with him, so she felt like it was a good time to share how happy she is with her fans," the source revealed. "Benny is a great communicator, is honest and open with Selena, and listens to her. He's respectful, isn't a player, and not in it for the attention or fame. He doesn't care about any of that and Selena sees that and really trusts him."
Since then, Blanco has become a staple on Gomez's social media accounts. The couple often offers sweet showings of PDA in candid snapshots.
January 2024 -- Stepping Out
The new couple officially went public as they cuddled up courtside at a Los Angeles Lakers game on Jan. 3, 2024.
Shortly after, Gomez expressed her admiration for Blanco in an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1's New Music Daily. She described their relationship as "lovely" and emphasized the sense of safety she feels with him.
"Without getting into too much detail, I think it's just really important to meet someone who respects you," she said. "And I think it's really nice to also lean on someone who understands the world that I live in. But I'd have to say overall it's the safest that I feel and it's been really lovely and I've only grown through it, so it's awesome."
March 2024 -- Birthday Wishes
Gomez paid loving tribute to her boyfriend on his 36th birthday in March, stepping out for a glam party in New York City and sharing a handful of shots on social media.
"Happy birthday baby! Your emotional endurance, positive disposition, unbelievable talent (that blows me away), undeniable humor and loving, kind heart absolutely kill me. I love you @itsbennyblanco 🎂," she wrote in her caption.
April 2024 -- Shared Passions and Getting Serious
Beyond their careers in the music industry, Blanco and Gomez have seemingly bonded over their shared love of cooking. Gomez stars on her own Daytime Emmy-nominated cooking show, Selena + Chef, while Blanco entertains fans with his delightfully zany cooking videos on social media. In April, Blanco released a cookbook titled Open Wide: A Cookbook for Friends.
While gearing up for the book's release, Blanco participated in a livestream on TalkShopLive and dished on his girlfriend's favorite meal.
"She's a huge steak fan, so anything with steak in it," he shared. "She always asks for steak and she always asks for these little perfect fried potatoes."
He added, "We always cook together, it's not like just for her show. She's an incredible cook. We have so much fun. All we do is eat."
A source told ET in April 2024 that Gomez's "friends and family love Benny and his loved ones feel the same about her."
"Everyone can see that they have a loving relationship and both sides couldn't be more encouraging," the source noted of the couple's close circle.
"Selena trusts him more than any other past romantic partner in her life," the source said. "They are very respectful of one another and their relationship is growing in positive ways."
The duo, the source said, feels "like they bring the best out of each other and make an effort to be communicative, honest, and supportive of each other."
"They speak their minds, appreciate each other's art, and lift each other up," the source noted. "They both see a positive future together and have a desire to continue to move forward and have their relationship thrive."
May 2024 -- Baby Fever?
Blanco made headlines after a delightfully candid interview in which he told Howard Stern that he is thinking about marriage and kids.
"I'm predicting marriage," Stern said of Blanco and Gomez's relationship.
"You and me both," Blanco replied, with a serious look in his eyes.
After Stern suggested that the "I Can't Get Enough" producer didn't have time for kids, Blanco quickly shut that down.
"What do you mean? That's, like, my next goal on the box," he shared. "I've got a lotta god kids, I've got a ton of nephews. It's my thing. I love being around kids."
In response, Gomez laughed off his candor in an interview with Time.
"He can't lie to save his life. If he's asked a question, he'll answer it," Gomez said.
The singer also said that she already had her sights set on starting a family before they became romantically involved.
"I was alone for five years, and I got really used to it," she told the outlet. "A lot of people are afraid of being alone and I probably tortured myself in my head for like two years being alone, and then I kind of accepted it. Then I came up with my plan, which was I was going to adopt at 35 if I had not met anyone."
Meanwhile, a source told ET that the couple is "doing great" amid their romance, adding that "they challenge each other in a healthy way and encourage one another to be better people."
While "Benny thinks Selena is so amazing," the "Love On" singer "loves that Benny wants the best for people and is protective of her."
July 2024 - Love On
In July, Gomez revealed that she dropped the L bomb first when she and Blanco took part in the TikTok challenge "Who's Most Likely To: Couples Edition." In the cute video, the couple answered a series of questions ranging from "Who's most likely to fall asleep during a movie?" (they both are) to "Who eats the most?" (he does).
When it comes to who apologizes first after an argument, Gomez and Blanco, sitting comfortably on a pink couch, were iffy on that question. Ditto for who spends more money. But when it comes to who spends the most time getting ready in the morning, Gomez had no qualms about pointing to her beau, who hilariously appeared shocked at her answer.
Blanco, however, took immense pride in being "the most romantic" and the one who "cleans the house." But it was Gomez who proudly pointed to herself -- while mouthing "me" -- when it came time to reveal who said "I love you" first.
Shortly after, the duo exchanged "I love yous" on social media in honor of Gomez's 32nd birthday on July 22.
"i used to play a teddy bear in ur music video and now i get to b urs in real life… happy bday bb ! i love u !" Blanco captioned his social media tribute. He added "happy bday bb" to his Instagram Story.
"I love you 🧸," Gomez commented.
Gomez posted on Instagram for her birthday too, sharing three pictures. In the first photo, she poses on the beach underneath balloons attached to palm trees that read, "Happy Birthday Selena." The next two photos are close-ups of Gomez wearing a dainty "b" initial necklace.
"Thank you so much for your birthday wishes!! I'm very grateful and always thankful 🥰 32," she wrote.
Considering Blanco commented, "i got the hottest chick in the game wearing my chain 😍," it's safe to say that the "b" around Gomez's neck is in support of her boyfriend.
For more on Gomez and Blanco's relationship, check out the links below.
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