Fans have a lot of reason to want to see Selena Gomez find love. The singer-actress has been open about her struggles with heartbreak in the past, and her on-off relationship with Justin Bieber, as well as their painful final breakup in 2018, was highly publicized.
But while 2023 brought several dating rumors relating to Gomez — including Zayn Malik and The Chainsmokers’ Drew Taggart — they all ended up being fruitless, with the Rare Beauty founder confirming her single status several times with funny posts on social media. That is, until Benny Blanco came along.
The pop producer, who was previously linked to model Elsie Hewitt, proved to be the real deal for Gomez. He started off as one of the “Lose You to Love Me” singer’s collaborators, having also engineered songs for artists such as Ed Sheeran, Katy Perry, Halsey, Kesha, Britney Spears and, ironically, Bieber. The unexpected couple privately started dating midway through 2023, keeping their relationship out of the spotlight for several months before going public.
Since then, the two stars haven’t been shy about sharing sweet photos of each other on social media, as well as showing their love through custom accessories. And in addition to pop music, the pair also has a love of cooking in common; Gomez is the host of Max’s Selena + Chef series, while Blanco is planning to publish his own cookbook, Open Wide, in April 2024.
See a timeline of Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco’s relationship below:
Years before they became an item, Gomez and Blanco collaborated on the producer’s song “I Can’t Get Enough,” which also featured J Balvin and Tainy. In March 2019, the quartet released a music video for the track, complete with flirty shots of the Spring Breakers actress interacting with Blanco in a teddy bear costume.
Though it may have just been a cheeky teaser for her then unreleased song “Single Soon,” Gomez posted a hilarious TikTok announcing her solo status to a team of soccer players. “I’m single! I’m just a little high maintenance,” she yells in the clip.
“Single Soon,” Gomez’s first and only release of 2023, arrived in August, and was co-produced by Blanco and Cashmere Cat. Gomez would later reveal in December that she’d been dating Blanco for about six months, meaning they were likely already dating when the song dropped.
In October 2023, Gomez hosted her inaugural Rare Impact Fund Benefit, which supported youth mental health. And guess who was on the guest list? One Benny Blanco. And though they hadn’t yet gone public with their relationship at the time, the pair was already an item at this point.
Following rumors of the pair’s romance, Gomez confirmed her relationship with Blanco in a series of comments to fans on Instagram. “He is my absolute everything in my heart,” she commented on a since-deleted Instagram post by a fan account, before replying to other commenters. “I don’t understand. If you actually care about me. This is my happiest. If you don’t, feel free to say whatever you want. But I will never allow your words to guide my life. Ever. I’m done. If you can’t accept me at my happiest then don’t be in [my] life at all.”
She also said at the time that she and the producer had already been dating for half a year by that point, telling one fan, “It’s been 6 months bb.”
Gomez followed up her comments about her relationship with a few photos of Blanco on her Instagram Story, as well as a snap of a letter “B” ring — presumably a tribute to her new beau’s initials.
Gomez shared her first pictures with Blanco on her Instagram feed, including one of the couple posing with a group of friends and one of the producer wrapping her in a romantic kiss.
Days after the “Calm Down” singer confirmed her romance with Blanco, her cover story with Vogue México y Latinoamérica went live. In the interview, she revealed that she prioritizes a “special connection” with a partner that “allows for self-respect and holds space for the feelings of others.”
“Honestly, I have to start being attracted to the right kind of people, because it’s a bit of both,” she added at the time. “It’s very hard to find someone who can listen to you and care about you, but I know when it happens it will be great and you will want it to be healthy.”
Just a couple days after Christmas, the Only Murders in the Building star posted snaps from her date with Blanco at what appeared to be Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy, an amusement park-inspired art exhibit in Los Angeles. In addition to a cuddly couple’s selfie in front of a many-mirrored structure, Gomez shared a picture of Blanco admiring the same pink-hued construction (see below).
Gomez and Blanco rang in 2024 together, based on a picture of the couple the “Lose You to Love Me” singer shared on her Instagram Story over New Year’s weekend. In the snap, the producer sweetly wraps his arms around Gomez and appears to kiss her, while she holds his arm and leans her head into him.
Gomez and Blanco kicked off the new year by embarking on their first public outing together, attending a Los Angeles Lakers home game and cuddling up courtside.
Shortly after the 2024 Golden Globes wrapped, Gomez shared a photo on her Instagram Story of her smooching Blanco in what appeared to be a backstage storage room filled with boxes. The singer-actress was still in her crimson Giorgio Armani gown in the snap, while the pop music engineer sported a suit jacket and gold necklaces.
And even though Gomez lost for best TV performance by a female actor, musical or comedy, she definitely left feeling like a victor that night. “I won,” she sweetly captioned her photo with Blanco.