The singer and actress found herself in some hot water over the weekend after details about her new relationship status were revealed.
No one does social media drama quite like Selena Gomez. The singer has been known to announce Instagram hiatuses that she may or may not always follow through on (which, relatable) and publicly react to perceived shade. But she recently got into some new hot water online after announcing her relationship with music producer Benny Blanco. So why has this budding romance already caused such a stir? We have all the details on Gomez and Blanco’s drama-inducing relationship so far — and settle in because there’s a lot to discuss.
Who is Benny Blanco?
After Gomez confirmed her romance, the first question on everyone’s minds naturally seemed to be, who exactly is Benny Blanco?
According to Business Insider, Blanco is a prominent music producer who has worked with notable entertainers such as Rihanna, Maroon 5, Halsey, Gomez herself and yes, her famous ex, Justin Bieber (more on that later).
In addition to producing her latest song, ironically titled “Single Soon,” Blanco has worked with Gomez to create some of her biggest hits, including “Same Old Love” and “Kill ‘Em With Kindness,” which were released in 2015 and 2017, respectively.
When did Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco start dating?
The exact timeline of the new couple’s relationship is blurry, but Gomez did let fans in on some details when she publicly announced the romance through a series of Instagram interactions on December 7.
It all began when Gomez liked a post from the celebrity news Instagram account @popfactions which addressed rumours that she had started dating Blanco. This interaction then prompted the media website to share another post stating that Gomez had seemingly confirmed the relationship, to which the singer then commented “Facts.” Enough said.
Soon after, Gomez hard-launched the relationship on her Instagram story, posting a photo that had her snuggling into Blanco’s shoulder. Afterwards, the Rare Beauty founder wrote “[Blanco] is my absolute everything in my heart” in a separate @popfactions post.
After confirming her updated relationship status through both the social media interactions and her own Instagram story post, Gomez responded to a fan’s comment on Instagram revealing that she and Blanco have been together for six months (there seem to be inconsistencies with this timeline — more on that later as well).
Are they engaged?
If news travels fast on social media then rumours must fly at lightning speed, because just a day after Gomez confirmed her new relationship, murmurs of the pair being engaged were already swirling. This began after Gomez shared another Instagram story showcasing a “B” wrap ring on her left hand’s ring finger on December 8.
Though Gomez didn’t respond to any of the engagement comments, she was also seen wearing the ring when she stepped out in New York City that same day. According to Page Six, the piece is a custom Jacquie Aiche design and features .44 carats of pavé diamonds.
Why are people upset with Selena?
Although some fans were happy for the star and her new romance, others didn’t share the same feelings. Fans quickly took to @popcrave’s comment section to voice their disapproval of the relationship, especially since Blanco had allegedly spoken badly about Gomez in the past.
Not one to shy away from an upsetting comment or two, Selena Gomez began responding to the drama and fans’ criticisms, going as far as to respond to some by saying “If you can’t accept me at my happiest then don’t be in [my] life at all.”
@kierabreaugh #selenagomez #bennyblanco ♬ original sound – Kiera Breaugh
Soon after, people began to call out Gomez for what they perceived as hypocrisy. This included fans sharing receipts of when Gomez was caught liking shady comments about the Biebers on Instagram and TikTok. A few followers also brought up an old Instagram screenshot that showed Gomez being critical of Justin for defending his then-girlfriend against haters on Instagram, telling him to “stop posting pictures of your girlfriend” if he couldn’t handle the hate. People quickly noted that Gomez’s defence of Blanco on social media seemed to be in direct opposition to the old advice she gave to Bieber in the screenshot.
Then came the aforementioned timeline issue. Speculation on social media suggested that, if Gomez had indeed been dating Blanco for six months, the star wasn’t actually single while she was promoting her latest song, “Single Soon,” (which, as the title suggests, is about celebrating single life). Why does this matter, you ask? Because Gomez has made being single a fundamental part of her branding — posting TikToks and even selling merchandise that promoted this narrative — many of her followers feel as though they’ve been lied to.
How is Taylor Swift involved?
After confirming her new relationship status on Thursday night, Gomez joined her bestie Taylor Swift as well as other friends Cara Delevingne, Anya Taylor-Joy and Zoë Kravitz for a girls’ night out in New York City.
Why is a dinner causing so much fuss? Well, fans have noticed a trend that has connected many of her recent public outings with Swift. Apparently, after Gomez has been caught in drama on social media, it’s become common for her to be seen hanging out with Swift the next day. Some social media users have speculated that these conveniently timed hangouts are done to benefit Gomez with some positive PR. (It’s worth noting that Gomez and Swift have long been genuinely good friends. So, to be fair, the timing of these outings could be purely coincidental.)
Regardless of all the online drama, Gomez seems to be stress-free IRL. While she was defending her relationship with Blanco under the @popcrave post, the actress shared that she’s planning on taking a break from social media until she has to use her platforms for work purposes again.
Wherever this story goes, we’ll be sure to keep an eye out for new updates on Selena Gomez and any other drama that comes her way in the coming weeks. And in the meantime, perhaps we can all just let her dine out in peace.