Selena Gomez Biography: Age, Relationship, Height, Net Worth, Family, Education Background, Personal Life, Music Career, Awards and Nomination

Selena Gomez, born on July 22, 1992, is a multi-talented American individual. She has made a name for herself as a singer, actress, producer, and businesswoman.

Initially starting her career as a child actress, she gained recognition through her role in the popular children’s television series Barney & Friends, which aired from 2002 to 2004.

However, it was her portrayal of Alex Russo in the Disney Channel sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place from 2007 to 2012 that truly propelled her to stardom and established her as a teen idol.

In 2008, Gomez signed with Hollywood Records and took on the role of lead vocalist in the pop rock band Selena Gomez & the Scene.

The band released three studio albums between 2009 and 2011, all of which achieved gold or higher certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Selena Gomez’s talent and success have solidified her position as a prominent figure in the entertainment industry.

Gomez has achieved significant success in her career as a solo artist, with each of her solo studio albums debuting at the top of the U.S. Billboard 200 chart.

Her first album, Stars Dance (2013), featured the hit single “Come & Get It” and was influenced by EDM.

Seeking more creative control, Gomez signed with Interscope Records and released the electropop album Revival in 2015, which included the popular singles “Good for You”, “Same Old Love”, and “Hands to Myself”.

Her latest album, Rare (2020), reached number one in eleven countries and featured the single “Lose You to Love Me”, her first song to top the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and the Canadian Hot 100 charts.

Gomez also explored Spanish-language music with the EP Revelación (2021), earning her first Grammy and Latin Grammy Award nominations.

In addition to her solo work, Gomez has collaborated on several successful singles, such as “We Don’t Talk Anymore”, “It Ain’t Me”, “Wolves”, “Taki Taki”, and “Calm Down (Remix)”.

The latter became the most commercially successful Afrobeats song of all time and the top-selling collaboration of 2023 worldwide.

Gomez has appeared in numerous films, including providing the voice for Mavis in the Hotel Transylvania film series (2012–2022).

On television, she served as a producer for the teen drama series 13 Reasons Why (2017–2020), the documentary Living Undocumented (2019), her cooking show Selena + Chef (2020–present), and the mystery comedy series Only Murders in the Building (2021–present), where she also takes on a leading acting role.

Gomez has received multiple honors, such as an American Music Award, a Billboard Music Award, two MTV Video Music Awards, and 16 Guinness World Records. Additionally, she has been nominated for four Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards.

Beyond her involvement in music and acting, Gomez has actively collaborated with various charitable organizations and advocates for mental health, as well as gender, racial, and LGBT equality.

She has been a UNICEF goodwill ambassador since 2009. In 2020, she launched the cosmetics company Rare Beauty, which was valued at $2 billion in 2024. Furthermore, she established the Rare Impact Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising $100 million over the course of this decade to promote mental health awareness.

Gomez has been recognized in prestigious lists such as the Time 100 (2020) and Forbes 30 Under 30 (2016 and 2020), and was honored as the Billboard Woman of the Year in 2017.

Billboard has ranked her as one of the most successful artists of the 2010s decade. As of 2024, she holds the distinction of being the most-followed woman on Instagram, boasting over 430 million followers.

Early Life

Selena Marie Gomez was born on July 22, 1992, in Grand Prairie, Texas. Her parents are Ricardo Joel Gomez and Mandy Teefey, a former stage actress who was born in Texas.

Selena was named after the late Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla, who passed away in 1995. Her father is of Mexican descent, while her mother, who was adopted, has Italian ancestry.

Gomez’s paternal grandparents immigrated to Texas from Monterrey in the 1970s. Selena proudly identifies as a third-generation American-Mexican.

Despite being raised in a Catholic household and participating in certain traditions like quinceañeras and attending church, her family doesn’t have many other traditional customs except for enjoying park outings and Sunday barbecues.

Selena’s fluency in Spanish declined after she started working in television at the age of seven. Her parents divorced when she was five, and she continued to live with her mother.

Selena has two younger half-sisters, Gracie Elliot Teefey, from her mother’s second marriage to Brian Teefey, and Victoria “Tori” and Marcus Gomez, from her father’s second marriage to Sara.

She completed her high school education through homeschooling in May 2010.

Gomez’s birth coincided with her mother’s teenage years, as she became a mother at the age of 16.

The family faced financial difficulties during Gomez’s upbringing, with her mother struggling to provide for both of them.

There was a time when Gomez remembers having to scrounge for quarters just to afford gas for their car. In order to have dinner, they would often walk to the local dollar store to purchase spaghetti, as recalled by her mother.

Gomez expressed her frustration at her parents’ separation and her inability to see a brighter future where her mother worked tirelessly to give her a better life. She admitted her fear of what her life would have been like if she had remained in Texas.

Additionally, she acknowledged her mother’s strength and the immense responsibility she had in raising her at such a young age.

Her mother made numerous sacrifices, including working three jobs, to support and provide for her. Gomez had a strong bond with her grandparents during her childhood and participated in various pageants.

While her parents pursued their education, her grandparents played a significant role in caring for her, essentially acting as her primary caregivers until she achieved success in the entertainment industry.

Career

Gomez’s interest in pursuing a career in entertainment was sparked by observing her mother’s preparations for stage productions.

In 2002, she embarked on her acting journey by joining the cast of the children’s television series Barney & Friends, where she portrayed the character Gianna.

This marked her first acting opportunity, and Gomez fondly remembers the experience, reflecting on her initial shyness and lack of knowledge about technical aspects such as camera angles and blocking.

She credits Barney for teaching her everything she needed to know. From 2002 to 2004, Gomez appeared in thirteen episodes of the show before being released by the producers due to her age.

During her time on Barney & Friends, she also had small roles in the film Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003) and the made-for-television film Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire (2005).

Additionally, she made a guest appearance in a 2006 episode of the Disney Channel series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.

Gomez landed a recurring role on the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana in 2007 as pop star Mikayla.

During that period, she filmed pilot episodes for two potential Disney Channel series: the first was a Suite Life spin-off titled Arwin!, and the second was a Lizzie McGuire spin-off titled What’s Stevie Thinking?.

Following this, she auditioned for a role in the network’s series Wizards of Waverly Place and secured the lead role of Alex Russo.

Gomez and her mother then relocated to Los Angeles. In Wizards of Waverly Place, Gomez portrayed a teenage girl in a family of wizards who run a restaurant in New York City.

The show quickly became a hit for the Disney Channel, marking Gomez’s breakthrough into the mainstream and earning her “teen idol” status.

She also became one of the top ten highest-paid children’s TV stars of all time, making between US$25,000-30,000 per episode.

The series received numerous awards and nominations, including winning Outstanding Children’s Program at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards.

It was well-received by critics, with Gomez’s performance, in particular, being praised for her comic timing and sarcastic delivery.

In 2008, during the production of the second season of her series, Gomez provided the voice for Helga in the animated film Horton Hears a Who!, alongside Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, and others.

The film was both a commercial and critical hit, earning over US$300 million worldwide. Later that year, Gomez starred in the teen musical comedy film Another Cinderella Story as Mary Santiago, an aspiring dancer.

This film was the second installment of the A Cinderella Story series and was released direct-to-video.

Gomez contributed three songs to the soundtrack album, including the single “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know,” which marked her first entry on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

She received a Young Artist Award for her performance in this role.

Additionally, Gomez recorded the original song “Fly to Your Heart” for the soundtrack of the animated film Tinker Bell. At the age of 16, Gomez signed with Hollywood Records and established her own production company, July Moon Production.

She collaborated with XYZ Films on various projects, enabling her to develop content, hire writers, and pitch talent packages to studios.

Gomez was set to release two films under her production company, including one titled What Boys Want, where she would portray a girl with the ability to hear men’s thoughts.

She also announced plans for a film adaptation of the novel Thirteen Reasons Why, in which she would play a young girl who takes her own life.

Although neither project came to fruition, Gomez later revealed her intention to produce a television adaptation of the novel.

Gomez experienced continued success in the mainstream throughout the following year. In 2009, she made appearances as Alex Russo in a crossover episode of the Disney Channel series The Suite Life on Deck.

She also guest starred as herself on the Disney Channel series Sonny with a Chance.

Additionally, Gomez, alongside Demi Lovato, starred in the Disney Channel film Princess Protection Program, which aired in June 2009.

The film garnered a total of 8.5 million viewers during its premiere. As part of the film’s soundtrack, Gomez and Lovato recorded the song “One and the Same,” which reached number eighty-second on the U.S. charts.

Following this, Gomez took on the lead role in Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie, a television film based on the series. The film premiered in August and attracted an audience of 11.4 million viewers, making it cable’s top scripted telecast of the year.

It was also the second-most watched TV movie on cable, trailing only High School Musical 2. Roxana Hadadi of The Washington Post praised Gomez, David Henrie, and Jake T. Austin for their acting skills in the film.

The movie went on to win the series its second consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Program at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards.

Gomez contributed three songs to the television series and film’s soundtrack, including the single “Magic,” which reached number sixty-one in the U.S.

Furthermore, she lent her voice to the character Princess Selenia in the English-language version of the French animated/live-action film Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard (2009).

In March 2013, despite previous claims of taking a break from music, Gomez made an announcement about the release of her first solo album. The lead single for her upcoming album, “Come & Get It,” was released in April 2013.

This song marked Gomez’s first entry into the top ten of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, reaching number six. It also achieved top-ten positions on the charts in Canada and the U.K.

The album’s second single, “Slow Down,” peaked at number twenty-seven in the U.S. In July 2013, Gomez released her debut solo studio album, Stars Dance.

The musical style of the record was primarily rooted in EDM and electropop. Reviews from music critics were mixed.

August Brown, writing for the Los Angeles Times, described the album as “the kind of album one makes in 2013 if you want to keep the pop sugar of the Disney tween cabal but mix in some broken glass and a club bathroom nosebleed.

Its productions are rooted in today’s pop-EDM default mode…” Billboard’s Andrew Hampp stated that the album is a collection of “11 shinily produced pop songs that find Gomez trying on a series of different personalities with her slight-yet-capable vocals…”

Stars Dance became Gomez’s first album to debut at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling 97,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.

At the age of 21, Gomez became the youngest solo artist to achieve this since Taylor Swift’s Speak Now in 2010. The album also reached number one in Canada.

Inspired by artists like Janet Jackson and Britney Spears, Gomez incorporated choreographed dance routines into the music videos and live performances promoting the album.

The music video for “Come & Get It” won the Best Pop Video award at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards.

In April 2014, Gomez terminated her mother and stepfather’s services as her managers, a role they had held since her Disney career began.

Following this, Gomez entered into agreements with two new talent agencies, WMA and Brillstein, to oversee her professional endeavors.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gomez’s decision to seek new representation was motivated by her desire to transition into more mature projects in both film and music, shedding the image of being solely a “Disney’s Teen Idol.”

This development led to speculation that Gomez’s contract with Hollywood Records was nearing its end.

In November 2014, Gomez surprised fans by releasing her single “The Heart Wants What It Wants” and confirming the release of a compilation album to fulfill her contractual obligations with her label.

The single achieved success, reaching the top ten in both the United States and Canada.

Additionally, Gomez released her first solo compilation album titled “For You,” which featured her greatest hits along with three new tracks.

The album debuted at number twenty-four on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling 35,506 album-equivalent units in its first week.

In December 2014, Gomez officially parted ways with Hollywood Records and subsequently signed with Interscope Records.

Gomez’s second studio album, Revival, was released in October 2015. The album is primarily a blend of dance-pop and electropop, infused with R&B vibes.

Critics reviewed the album positively, praising its production and lyrical content. Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone described it as an audacious name for a young singer’s second album, but acknowledged that Gomez lived up to the title, showcasing her growth and empowerment as a pop artist.

Billboard’s Kristen S. Hé hailed it as one of the most influential pop albums of the late 2010s.

Revival debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling 117,000 album units in its first week. It was later certified platinum by the RIAA.

Notably, it remains Gomez’s highest first-week sales to date. The album’s second single, “Same Old Love,” reached the top of the Mainstream Top 40 chart and peaked at number five in the U.S., tying with “Good for You” as Gomez’s highest-charting single at that time.

It also achieved top-ten success in Canada. The album’s third single, “Hands to Myself,” became Gomez’s third consecutive number-one on the Mainstream Top 40, making her one of only six female artists to achieve this feat with three singles from the same album.

The single also reached the top ten in the U.S. and the top five in Canada. In recognition of her chart performance, Gomez received the Chart-Topper Award at the 2015 Billboard Women in Music event.

Gomez returned to her role as Mavis and also took on the role of executive producer for the fourth and final film in the Hotel Transylvania franchise, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania (2022).

However, due to the increasing cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in the United States, Sony Pictures decided to cancel the film’s theatrical release.

Instead, it was released on Amazon Prime Video in January and received mixed reviews. Gomez’s work as an executive producer earned her a nomination for a Children’s and Family Emmy Award.

She also collaborated with the British band Coldplay on the single “Let Somebody Go”, which was released in February.

Additionally, her featured artist work on Coldplay’s album, Music of the Spheres, earned her a nomination for Album of the Year at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards.

In May, Gomez had the opportunity to host an episode of the NBC late-night sketch comedy show, Saturday Night Live.

Later in December, she made a cameo appearance on the same show. In July, Gomez served as an executive producer for the ViX+ docuseries called Mi Vecino, El Cartel.

She was also featured on the remix of Nigerian artist Rema’s song, “Calm Down”, which achieved international success and reached number three on the Billboard Global 200 chart.

The single became Gomez’s ninth top-ten hit in the U.S., peaking at number three, and her second number-one hit in Canada, spending nine weeks at the top of the Canadian Hot 100 chart.

It also topped the Global Excl. U.S. and Radio Songs charts for two and ten weeks, respectively, marking Gomez’s first number-one on both charts.

“Calm Down” set a record as the longest-running number-one on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart, spending 58 weeks at the summit.

The remix also reached number one on the Billboard U.S. Pop Airplay chart, and Billboard recognized it as Afrobeats’ biggest crossover hit.

At the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, the song received a nomination for Song of the Year and won Best Afrobeats. It also won Top Afrobeats Song at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards.

The remix achieved the top spot on the Billboard U.S. Pop Airplay chart, making it a significant success.

Billboard recognized it as the biggest crossover hit in the Afrobeats genre. At the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, the song was nominated for Song of the Year and won the award for Best Afrobeats.

Additionally, it won the Top Afrobeats Song category at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards. As of 2023, it holds the record for being the most-streamed Afrobeats song on Spotify with over 1 billion plays, and it also has the highest number of views for an Afrobeats music video on YouTube, surpassing 700 million views.

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) recognized “Calm Down” as the second best-selling song globally in 2023.

Selena Gomez was the central figure in the documentary film “Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me,” directed by Alek Keshishian. The film, described as “raw and intimate,” premiered at the AFI Fest in November 2022 and was subsequently released on Apple TV+ and in select theaters two days later.

It received positive reviews from critics, particularly for its transparency regarding mental health. Chris Azzopardi from The New York Times praised it as an “honest portrait study of stardom and mental illness.”

The documentary was nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Programming at the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards and received the Seal of Female Empowerment in Entertainment honor from the Critics Choice Association.

It also won the MTV Movie & TV Award for Best Music Documentary. To coincide with the documentary’s release, Gomez released the song “My Mind & Me,” which was honored as Variety’s “Film Song of the Year.”

Although it was shortlisted for the Best Original Song category at the 95th Academy Awards, it did not receive a final nomination.

In March 2023, Gomez made an appearance in the season finale of the Apple TV+ documentary series Dear….

Following that, on August 25, 2023, she released a standalone single titled “Single Soon.”

According to Gomez, the song is a fun little track she wrote a while back that’s perfect for the end of summer.

She also mentioned that it aligns well with her upcoming fourth studio album, which she is still working on and not quite finished with.

The single debuted in the top-twenty on the Billboard Global 200, as well as in Canada and the U.S.

Additionally, on October 1, 2023, Gomez surprised fans by joining Coldplay on stage during their Music of the Spheres World Tour at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, where she performed “Let Somebody Go.”

Looking ahead to 2024, Gomez had previously revealed that she was working on her next album and hinted at the possibility of a tour.

She described the upcoming record as powerful, strong, and very pop, with themes centered around freedom from relationships and exploring the darkness.

However, in January 2024, Gomez expressed a preference for acting over music and stated that she only has one more album left in her.

She explained that she never intended to pursue a full-time singing career but that her hobby of singing evolved into a profession while working with Disney. On February 22, 2024, Gomez released her single “Love On.”

Gomez has a number of exciting projects lined up for the future. One of them is the musical crime comedy Emilia Perez, where she will be starring alongside Zoe Saldaña.

The film, directed by Jacques Audiard, was filmed in Paris from April to June 2023 and is scheduled for release in 2024.

In addition to this, Gomez is also venturing into producing. She is set to produce and potentially star in the horror thriller film Dollhouse.

Furthermore, she will be executive producing and starring in the biographical film In the Shadow of the Mountain, directed by Elgin James.

This film is based on the memoir of Silvia Vasquez-Lavado, who became the first openly gay woman to complete the Seven Summits.

Gomez’s involvement in the film industry doesn’t stop there. She will also be starring in the psychological thriller Spiral and serving as executive producer for a project called 15 Candles, inspired by Sixteen Candles.

Additionally, Gomez is in talks to produce a reboot of Working Girl on Hulu.

Not only is Gomez expanding her presence in the film industry, but she is also involved in the music world.

She will be producing a music documentary called Won’t Be Silent and has announced that her upcoming studio album will be released before March 2024.

Furthermore, Gomez is set to portray Linda Ronstadt in an upcoming biopic based on her life.

Artistry

Gomez is known for her pop music style. Her music is mainly categorized as dance-pop and EDM, although she has also dabbled in various other genres.

Her first album with the Scene was influenced by electronic rock and pop rock, while her later records with the band leaned towards a dance-pop sound.

“A Year Without Rain” showcased synth-pop elements, and “When the Sun Goes Down” took on a more electropop and electro-disco direction.

Her debut solo album “Stars Dance” was rooted in the EDM-pop genre, with Gomez herself describing it as “baby dubstep,” incorporating elements from electronic, disco, techno, and dancehall.

Tracks like “The Heart Wants What It Wants” and “Good for You” have been noted for their minimalistic and mature sound, introducing a more adult pop vibe to her music collection.

Products and Endorsement

In 2009, Gomez actively participated in Sears’s back-to-school fashion campaign and appeared in television commercials.

She took on the role of hosting the “Sears Arrive Air Band Casting Call,” where she handpicked five winners to form the inaugural “Sears Air Band” and perform at the prestigious 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.

Additionally, she took on the responsibility of being the spokesperson for Borden Milk, showcasing the brand through print ads and television commercials.

In April 2020, Gomez acquired and invested in the ice cream brand Serendipity.

She made an announcement that the Serendipity brands would donate $1 from each sale of ice cream pints and products in May to the Rare Impact Fund.

In September, she introduced her own cosmetics line, “Rare Beauty”.

This makeup line was honored as the Startup of the Year at the 2020 WWD Beauty Inc Awards.

In July 2021, Gomez collaborated with La’Mariette to release a swimwear line.

In November, she co-founded the mental health media platform Wondermind.

The following month, she became an investor in the food delivery company Gopuff.

In May 2022, Gomez partnered with Our Place to create a cookware line called the Summer Collection. A second edition of this collection was launched in June 2023.

Personal Life

Gomez possessed a residence worth $6.6 million in Calabasas, Los Angeles.

Her Tarzana mansion in Los Angeles was sold for $3.5 million in 2014.

In 2015, she acquired a mansion in Fort Worth, Texas, for the same price, and subsequently sold it in October 2018.

In 2020, Gomez relocated to a $5 million mansion situated in the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles.

During that same year, her Studio City house in Los Angeles was sold for $2.3 million.

Religious beliefs

Gomez was brought up in the Catholic faith. At the age of 13, she expressed a desire for a purity ring, which her father then had blessed at the church.

She has mentioned, “He actually used me as an example for other kids: I’m going to keep my promise to myself, to my family and to God.”

Gomez ceased wearing the ring in 2010. In 2017, she expressed her discomfort with the term “religion,” stating that it sometimes “freaks me out,” and added, “I don’t know if it’s necessarily that I believe in religion as much as I believe in faith and a relationship with God.”

In 2014, Gomez revealed that she listened to “Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)” by Hillsong United before performing at the 2014 American Music Awards.

In 2016, she made an appearance at a Hillsong Young & Free concert in Los Angeles, where she led worship by singing her song “Nobody.”

When a fan on Twitter inquired about the lyrics to “Nobody,” Gomez responded that they refer to God.

She also performed a cover of Hillsong Worship’s song “Transfiguration” during her Revival Tour.

As of 2020, she is a member of a different congregation in California, the Hillsong Church, and has stated that she does not identify as religious, but rather focuses on her faith and connection to God.

Health

Gomez received a lupus diagnosis between 2012 and early 2014. In September 2017, she shared on Instagram that she had undergone a kidney transplant from actress and friend Francia Raisa, leading her to withdraw from public events for a few months.

During the transplant, an artery ruptured, prompting emergency surgery to create a new artery using a vein from her leg.

The singer has been transparent about her battles with anxiety and depression, seeking therapy in her early twenties and spending time in treatment centers.

Upon reaching 100 million Instagram followers, Gomez admitted to feeling overwhelmed and has taken multiple breaks from social media due to negative feedback.

In April 2020, she disclosed her diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

In October 2022, Gomez had to cancel an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon after testing positive for COVID-19.

In November 2022, she disclosed experiencing a psychotic episode in 2018.

Relationship

Gomez was romantically involved with singer Nick Jonas in 2008, making an appearance in the music video for his band’s song “Burnin’ Up”.

Following this, she had an on-again, off-again relationship with Canadian singer Justin Bieber from December 2010 to March 2018.

In 2015, Gomez started dating Russian-German DJ Zedd after collaborating on the song “I Want You to Know”, but they ended their relationship later that year.

Subsequently, in January 2017, Gomez began a relationship with Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. They briefly lived together in September but separated a month later.

Finally, in December 2023, Gomez confirmed her relationship with American record producer Benny Blanco.

Discography