Selena Gomez’s most well-known relationship was with fellow musician Justin Bieber. After dating him, she found love with a new man who cooks for her and prepares surprises for her birthday. Sadly, not all her fans think the new man is worthy of her, but she feels differently.
Selena Gomez dated another celebrity on and off for a couple of years. When their relationship concluded, she stayed single for some time. The songstress eventually found love again with someone she’s known for a couple of years. Let’s start with her relationship with Justin Bieber.
Gomez’s Relationship with Justin Bieber
When Gomez was 18, she was dating one of the most sought-after stars of her time, Justin Bieber. The pair dated quietly for months before officially appearing as a couple in February 2011. They broke up and reconciled several times during their relationship.
In May 2011, when asked if there was a reason she was more open about dating the singer, Gomez had a candid answer. The actress explained how she doesn’t like hiding but still prefers keeping certain things to herself.
Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber at the American Music Awards on November 20, 2011, in Los Angeles, California | Source: Getty Images
Being 18, she was okay with the fact that she was bound to fall in love, hang out with some people, and explore herself. In July 2011, the couple faced rumors that they’d broken up, and the speculations resurfaced again the following month.
Bieber and Gomez squashed the rumors by appearing happy together at a haunted house on September 30. In an Oprah Winfrey interview that aired on November 25, 2011, Bieber opened up about his decision to go public about his relationship. He did so despite the backlash he got from fans.
Bieber explained, “I don’t ever want her to feel like I’m ashamed of her.” Sadly, by November 2012, the pair had broken up. A source confirmed that Gomez had ended the relationship “about a week ago.”
The insider explained that things got complicated for the duo because they were apart a lot. Gomez allegedly had trust issues, and although it wasn’t easy for the pair, their relationship had to end. After some time, the actress found love again.
Selena Gomez at WE Day California on April 19, 2018, in Inglewood, California | Source: Getty Images
Gomez’s New Man
In December 2023, Gomez opened up about her love life in an interview. She revealed that she honestly needs to “start being attracted to the right kind of people because it’s a bit of both.” The star noted how hard it was to find someone who listens and cares about her.
But she knew that when it finally happened, it would be “great,” and she wanted it to be healthy too. In a May 2024 interview, the star confessed that she was “alone for five years” and got used to it.
She noted how many people feared being alone. The star admitted that she tortured herself in her mind for two years while being alone before finally accepting it. After accepting things for what they were, the pop singer made a plan.
She decided that at age 35, if she still hadn’t met anyone, she was going to adopt. The new man in her life is Benny Blanco, a music producer, and songwriter. The pair have known each other for a long time. In March 2019, Blanco shared the new music video of her song “I Can’t Get Enough.”
Blanco was one of the featured musicians, and he also appeared in the video wearing a white bear costume. Gomez once confessed that at first, she thought the music producer was a friend. She was so comfortable with him that she even asked if he knew someone to set her up with.
Blanco obliged and brought her along to a birthday party to meet a friend of his. That is when she realized she liked him, stating, “It just happens when you least expect it.” When the star celebrated her most recent birthday, her boyfriend paid tribute to her in the cutest way.
Blanco Honors Gomez on Her Birthday
On July 22, 2023, Gomez celebrated her 32nd birthday by posting images on Instagram. The first photo showed her posing at a beachfront establishment with a banner that had the words “Happy Birthday Selena” written on them.
The next two pictures were close-ups of the celebrity. In the post’s caption, the songstress wrote, “Thank you so much for your birthday wishes!! I’m very grateful and always thankful 🥰 32.” One of the people who wished her a happy day was Blanco.
Taking to his Instagram, the songwriter shared two images of his girlfriend. The first picture showed the pair cuddled up on what looked like a mattress in their “I Can’t Get Enough” music video. Blanco wore the same bear costume and looked content with his arm around Gomez.
The second photo showed the actress smiling while cuddling a large white teddy bear. Blanco captioned the post, noting how he used to play a teddy bear in her music video and “now I get to b urs in real life… happy bday bb! I love u!” Sadly, some netizens don’t think the pair are well suited but others approve.
Netizens Expressed Mixed Reactions about Gomez’s New Boyfriend
In May 2024, Blanco had an interview on the “Today” show. There he spoke about his relationship with Gomez and his new book “Open Wide.” The record producer’s cookbook is said to teach everything one needs to know about enjoying life, cooking, and “throwing the greatest dinner party of all time.”
The book’s title also describes it as “a cookbook for friends.” Blanco explained that he learned to cook when his mother worked in a different state. He cooked meals and prepared them for when his mother came home.
The month before his interview, in an Instagram video titled “the perfect steak,” the artist showed how he cooked for Gomez. In the clip, he said he woke up wanting to make something nice for his girlfriend.
The “Dave” star explained that whenever he wished to put a smile on her face or “get laid,” he made her steak. During his “Today” interview, he joked, “How can anyone not love you if you’re making them a huge steak with potatoes and salad?”
Since Gomez was working on the day he made the meal, that is “the best steak dinner she’s ever had.” He’d hoped to surprise her with the meal at her workplace but discovered she got a day off and went to her house instead.
The actress was sleeping when he got there, so he wrote a note and left the meal where she’d find it. When Daily Mail covered the story, people who read the publication jumped to the comment section to share their views.
Instead of focusing on the romantic gesture, several people zoomed in on the couple’s looks and whether they are compatible or not. One person wrote, “Selena is beautiful, this guy might be a great bloke but it’s not a pairing you’d put together.”
Someone else felt, “She could do better than him surely.” A shocked reader said, “Good God!! Is she really that desperate?” A critic added, “He seems repulsive to me. Maybe he’s good to her in some way, but I don’t get it.”
Another person believed, “He is vile. It’s unfortunate that Selena Gomez doesn’t realize her self-worth. This should be a wake-up call.” The reader continued, “No one had ever heard of this guy until she started dating him.”
Later that month, Gomez shared a black-and-white Instagram Story photo of her boyfriend kissing her temple. A Daily Mail reader replied to the article comment section, writing, “I mean he is really not attractive.”
Benny Blanco at the Inaugural Rare Impact Fund Benefit Supporting Youth Mental Health on October 4, 2023, in Los Angeles, California | Source: Getty Images
The “Only Murders in the Building” star has been vocal about defending her man. In a December 2023 Instagram post, she replied to the naysayers, stating, “He’s my absolute everything in my heart,” and questioned, “Then why has he been the best thing that’s ever happened to me …”
Gomez wasn’t the only person who had nice things to say about the 2013 Hal David Starlight Award winner. In replying to the Daily Mail’s article about Blanco kissing the actress’s temple, someone supported the couple saying, “They are madly in love :).”
Another supportive reader wrote, “this seems to be the happiest and healthiest relationship Selena has ever been in.” Someone else stated, “He is no pretty boy; he is a good guy who cares for her deeply and looks after her. Justin needed someone to look after him.”
A fan had a good response to a July 2024 Daily Mail article about Blanco sharing a throwback photo to celebrate Gomez’s 32nd birthday. The reader wrote, “I can only imagine he’s a really lovely guy who thanks his lucky stars every day. They look really happy.”
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco at his book launch on May 1, 2024 | Source: Instagram/selenagomez
A few months before Daily Mail’s article got published, Gomez interviewed about why she disabled public comments on her Instagram. The star said she is owning her power and being conscious of who she surrounds herself with.
One of the people she allowed into her circle is her boyfriend, whom she described as “wonderful.” Besides cooking meals for Gomez, Blanco also sees a future with her.
What Blanco Said about His Future with Gomez
During his “The Howard Stern Show” interview in 2024, Blanco was asked when he’ll propose. The songwriter confessed that whenever he looks at Gomez, he can’t imagine a world better than what they have.
When Blanco revealed that they have been dating for almost a year, Howard Stern suggested he get an engagement ring to mark their first anniversary. The producer said he had “good stuff” planned for the occasion that happens to fall close to her birthday.
Benny Blanco on “The Howard Stern Show” on May 15, 2024 | Source: YouTube/The Howard Stern Show
Blanco shared how he and the Rare Beauty founder celebrated Valentine’s Day. He focused on doing and giving her the things she loved the most for the romantic holiday. Due to her love for movies, the Songwriter of the Year Award winner at the 2012 BMI Pop Awards rented out a film theater.
Gomez’s love for a comfortable couch caused her boyfriend to get the front seats removed and replaced with a huge sofa. He spoke to his girlfriend’s mother, grandmother, and best friend to find out what her favorite foods were, and got them.
At the venue, he deep-fried pickles, got her one of her favorite foods, Taco Bell, hot Cheetos, and movie theater nachos. They also watched her favorite childhood movie, “Almost Famous.” Stern praised Blanco for being an impressive boyfriend for his efforts.
The television personality said he predicted marriage for the couple and the record producer confidently responded, “you and me both.” When asked if he has a ring, Blanco said he didn’t have anything, joked about not having shoes on, and needing to get his act together.
The artist also told Stern that he wants to have children with his girlfriend. When his statements on the Stern interview were mentioned to Gomez, she laughed and revealed that her boyfriend “can’t lie to save his life.”
She noted that when he’s asked something, he’ll answer because people’s public opinions don’t faze him. The songstress said right now she is cherishing every moment she has with him and doesn’t know what the future holds.
“But I do know that he’s not going anywhere any time soon,” she shared. The couple has since supported each other in different ways, and below we also cover what else is known about the music producer.
Gomez and Blanco’s Supportive Ways and What We Know About the Former
When Blanco’s cookbook came out, he hosted a gathering with some of his loved ones. His girlfriend was one of the attendees. She shared several images from the occasion, including a picture of her boyfriend hugging her from behind. “So proud of @itsbennyblanco – Open Wide is out now!!” was the post’s caption.
In January 2024, a month after they went public about their relationship, Gomez attended the Golden Globes alone. Taking to her Instagram Story, the actress shared an image of her kissing Blanco at the end of the night.
She was still dressed in her red Giorgio Armani Privé dress in the photo. The post captioned, “I won,” noted how their relationship was her real accolade. At the time, the star got a nomination for best performance in a musical or comedy series for “Only Murders in the Building.”
On March 8, 2024, it was Gomez’s turn to honor her boyfriend on his birthday. Sharing several images and footage of them kissing, cuddling, and more on her Instagram, the vocalist wished him a “Happy birthday baby!”
She noted, “Your emotional endurance, positive disposition, unbelievable talent (that blows me away), undeniable humor, and loving, kind heart absolutely kill me. I love you @itsbennyblanco 🎂🥹.”
In July, Gomez took to TikTok to share a video of them playing a game. In it, the couple answered different questions for the “Whose Most Likely To: Couples Edition.” They both pointed at themselves when asked who is most likely to fall asleep during a movie.
The couple both thought Blanco ate the most, but they weren’t so sure who apologized first during an argument. They also didn’t know who spent the most money. The songwriter got surprised when his girlfriend pointed at him for taking the longest to get ready in the morning.
The pair shook their heads when asked who snores the loudest, while Blanco thought he was more romantic and cleaned the house. It seemed they mutually liked being the “big spoon,” as none answered. But Gomez, who accepts herself as she is, was the clear winner when it came to who said “I love you” first.
For their last question, the duo said neither of them was likely to forget Valentine’s Day. In 2018, the “Eastside” music video came out. The song featured Blanco, Halsey, and Khalid. What was interesting about the clip is that it revealed unknown things about Selena Gomez‘s boyfriend.
Showing Blanco in action, it revealed that he makes music, loves food and basketball, but is terrified of flying. He grew up in Virginia, and the condo he lived in got shown. The park where he played as a child also appeared, and his fans got to see his junior high school.
A picture of the first girl he once asked out also featured, including the place where she said “yes.” A classroom was described as where Blanco pooped himself after getting the girl’s answer. Showing him in 2018, his part in the video concluded with him running home with his hand on his behind.
