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Selena Gomez is taken by someone she has known for years: 35-year-old record producer Benny Blanco. Gomez went public with their relationship on Dec. 7, 2023, first confirming on celebrity fan account PopFaction’s Instagram that she was taken, then later sharing a photo on her Instagram Story of her and what appears to be Blanco together. She also defended him in Instagram comments against users who were critical of her dating him.
Here, what to know about their history.
Before 2019
Blanco became friends with Gomez’s ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber in 2009, a year before Bieber and Gomez started dating for the first time. He has worked with Bieber and a variety of artists Gomez knows, including her other ex-boyfriend The Weeknd and her friend Camila Cabello.
His working history with Gomez goes way back too: He produced her 2015 Revival songs “Same Old Love” and “Kill ’Em With Kindness,” along with her 2017 collaboration with Cashmere Cat, “Trust Nobody.”
March 2019
Gomez and Blanco release their collaboration, “I Can’t Get Enough,” with J Balvin and Tainy. Blanco wears a teddy bear costume in the music video and dances with Gomez.
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco in the “I Can’t Get Enough” music video.
October 2020
Fans theorize that Blanco threw shade at Gomez during an interview he gave while promoting his Justin Bieber collaboration “Lonely.” Gomez’s relationship with Bieber, at this point, had been over for over two years.
Selenators took issue with Blanco talking about “cookie-cutter pop artists” who have a “makeup line.” Gomez had just launched Rare Beauty a month before.
“Justin’s not one of those cookie-cutter pop artists,” he told Zach Sang. “Like you know, they’re like, ‘This is my new single and here’s my makeup line.’ And he’s like, Justin’s like, ‘Yo. I have a pimple and I have anxiety today.’ He’s always been upfront about that stuff.”
He added, “For me, I think he’s really falling into himself as an adult now. It’s brave to put this song out.”
July 2023
Gomez posts on TikTok about being single:
Blanco attends Gomez’s 31st birthday party. He appears with her in one of her photos from the party that she shared on Instagram.
Gomez later confirmed in an Instagram comment on Dec. 7, 2023 that she and Blanco had been dating privately for “six months.” She added, “I will always defend my friends, family, and fans till the day I die.”
August 2023
Gomez releases her song “Single Soon,” which Blanco produced.
At the end of the month, Gomez shares the traits she’s looking for in a partner.
When asked during a SiriusXM Hits 1 LA interview about her being “a little high-maintenance” per her “Single Soon” lyric, she clarified: “I think I have standards. And I think I live in a world right now where boys confuse standards with high-maintenance. It really isn’t [the same thing]. But the line was really fun because I’m not ashamed to say, ‘I actually require x, y, and z for you to be with me.’ So in a way, it was just meant to be for the attitude of the song. And that’s genuinely how I feel.”
Gomez then revealed what her ideal traits are for a significant other: “I mean you gotta be cool, man. Not cool in the sense that people think you’re cool. You just gotta be nice and like, please make me laugh and also just be good to my family and people around you.”
October 2023
Blanco supports Gomez and attends Rare Beauty’s first Rare Impact Fund Benefit on October 4.
November 2023
November 2
Blanco announces he is releasing a cookbook. Gomez likes and comments on the post, sparking dating rumors. She also shares Blanco’s news on her Instagram Story, calling him “one of my favs.”
November 26
A source gives Entertainment Tonight a rare Gomez dating update, saying she is single. “Selena is casually dating and doing well,” the source said. “She is doing her own thing and doesn’t feel any sort of pressure to be in a relationship. She is just focusing on what’s best for her right now and has been very in tune with maintaining her own boundaries. Her friends and family support her and just want her to be happy.”
December 2023
December 4
Gomez leaves a winky face emoji on a Selena Gomez Instagram fan account’s post about her discussing her crush in her Selena + Chef holiday special. The user wondered if things with Gomez’s crush went well since the special was filmed months ago. Gomez’s response suggested they had.
December 7
Gomez likes two Instagrams on celebrity news fan account PopFaction about her being in a relationship (“Selena Gomez Seemingly Confirms That She Is in a Relationship”) and dating Benny Blanco (“Selena Gomez Is Rumored to Be Dating Producer Benny Blanco”). She comments “Facts” on the first post about her not being single.
Gomez then shares an Instagram Story of her seemingly with Blanco:
She also responds to comments on PopFaction’s page and defends Blanco.
PopFaction shares additional screenshots of Gomez praising Blanco’s treatment of her in its comments section.
In one comment, she wrote, “He has treated me better than any human being on this planet.” In another, she shared: “He’s still better than anyone I’ve ever been with. Facts.”
And in response to one commenter questioning her choice to date him, Gomez wrote, “Oh sweetheart, I’ve been in therapy since I was 18. I know what’s best for me and I will fight till I get what I deserve. I appreciate your misguided input, but I’m growing. Don’t feel free to grow with me, just know I’m not going to be with a f***boy ever again. Sorry to disappoint.”
She also reveals they had been dating for six months in a separate comment.
Senior News and Strategy Editor
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.