Discover the defining moments in the early life of Selena Gomez. From birth to education, explore key events.
Selena Gomez is an American actress, singer, producer, and businesswoman. She started her career as a child actress on Barney & Friends before gaining prominence as Alex Russo in the Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place. Gomez signed with Hollywood Records in 2008 and fronted the band Selena Gomez & the Scene, releasing three albums.
2005: Received Blessed Purity Ring
In 2005, at age 13, Selena Gomez wanted a purity ring, and her father had it blessed at church, using her as an example for other kids.
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October 2008: Participated in St. Jude's Children's Hospital's "Runway For Life" benefit.
In October 2008, Selena Gomez participated in St. Jude's Children's Hospital's "Runway For Life" benefit in Beverly Hills, helping raise over $1 million. In that same month, she became UNICEF's spokesperson for the Trick-or-Treat campaign.
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2008: Involved in the UR Votes Count campaign
In 2008, Selena Gomez was involved in the UR Votes Count campaign, encouraging teenagers to learn more about the presidential candidates.
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August 2009: Youngest UNICEF Ambassador
In August 2009, at the age of 17, Selena Gomez became the youngest UNICEF ambassador at the time.
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September 2009: Field mission to Ghana
In September 2009, Selena Gomez traveled to Ghana for one week in her first official field mission as a UNICEF ambassador to witness the conditions of vulnerable children.
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2009: Involved in "Disney's Friends for Change"
From 2009, Selena Gomez was involved in "Disney's Friends for Change", which promoted "environmentally-friendly behavior", and appeared in its public service announcements.
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2009: Ambassador of DoSomething
In 2009, Selena Gomez became the ambassador of DoSomething after being involved with the charity Island Dog in Puerto Rico. Also in 2009, Gomez has been involved with the charity RAISE Hope For Congo, an initiative of the Enough Project, raising funds for war-torn African country.
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2009: UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
Since 2009, Selena Gomez has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
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May 2010: High School Diploma
In May 2010, Selena Gomez earned her high-school diploma through homeschooling.
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2010: Stopped Wearing Purity Ring
In 2010, Selena Gomez stopped wearing the purity ring she had received in 2005.
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February 2011: Traveled to Chile
In February 2011, Selena Gomez traveled to Chile to meet with families of the UNICEF-supported "Programa Puente."
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April 2012: Named ambassador to the Ryan Seacrest Foundation
In April 2012, Selena Gomez was named ambassador to the Ryan Seacrest Foundation.
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2012: Lupus Diagnosis
Between 2012 and early 2014, Selena Gomez was diagnosed with lupus, marking the beginning of her journey with the autoimmune disease.
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December 2013: Tour Cancellation and Hiatus
In December 2013, Selena Gomez canceled the Australian and Asian legs of her Stars Dance Tour, announcing a hiatus to spend time with her family.
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January 2014: Treatment Center Stay
In January 2014, it was reported that Selena Gomez had spent two weeks at a treatment center in Wickenburg, Arizona, to address addiction and trauma.
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April 2014: Management Change
In April 2014, Selena Gomez fired her mother and stepfather as her managers and signed with WMA and Brillstein companies.
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2014: Lupus Diagnosis
Between 2012 and early 2014, Selena Gomez was diagnosed with lupus, marking the beginning of her journey with the autoimmune disease.
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2014: End of Dream Out Loud Collaboration with Kmart
From 2010 to 2014, Selena Gomez collaborated with retailer Kmart to release her Dream Out Loud clothing line.
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2014: Listened to Oceans Before Performing at AMA
In 2014, Selena Gomez said that she listened to Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) by Hillsong United before performing at the American Music Awards.
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2014: Sold Mansion in Tarzana, Los Angeles
In 2014, Selena Gomez sold her mansion in Tarzana, Los Angeles, for $3.5 million.
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2015: Lupus Diagnosis
In 2015, Selena Gomez confirmed her diagnosis with lupus and that after canceling the tour she entered rehab to undergo chemotherapy.
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June 2016: Pride Month "Love Letter" and "Hands" Charity Single
In June 2016, Selena Gomez joined numerous celebrities to write a "love letter" during pride month as part of Billboard's 30 Days of Pride. She also collaborated with 23 other artists for the charity single "Hands", a tribute for the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting, to raise funds for Equality Florida's Pulse Victims Fund, GLAAD, and the GLBT Community Center of Central Florida.
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August 2016: Revival Tour Cancelled
In August 2016, Selena Gomez canceled the European and South American legs of her Revival Tour due to anxiety, panic attacks, and depression caused by her lupus.
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2016: Appeared at Hillsong Young & Free Concert
In 2016, Selena Gomez appeared at a Hillsong Young & Free concert in Los Angeles, leading worship by singing her song Nobody.
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2016: American Music Awards
In 2016, Selena Gomez made her first public appearance since entering rehab at the American Music Awards, where she won Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist.
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September 2017: Revealed Kidney Transplant
In September 2017, Selena Gomez revealed on Instagram that she had withdrawn from public events during the previous few months because she had received a kidney transplant from actress and friend Francia Raisa due to her lupus diagnosis. An artery broke during the transplant, requiring emergency surgery.
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2017: Expressed Views on Religion and Faith
In 2017, Selena Gomez said she did not like the term "religion" and that sometimes it "freaks me out," adding that she believes in faith and a relationship with God. She also began to worship at Hillsong Church in Los Angeles.
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2017: Time's "Women Changing the World" List
In 2017, Time honored Selena Gomez as one of the "women who are changing the world" on its First Women Leaders list.
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2017: Partnership with Step Up
In 2017, during her partnership with Coach, Selena Gomez participated in activities with Step Up, an organization that supports girls in under-resourced communities.
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2017: Repeal of "Bathroom Law"
In 2017, the North Carolina "bathroom law", which Selena Gomez had donated proceeds from her Revival Tour concert to fight, was repealed.
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2018: Attended We Day California
In 2018, Selena Gomez attended the We Day California youth empowerment event in Los Angeles.
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2018: Episode of Psychosis
In November 2022, Selena Gomez revealed that she had an episode of psychosis in 2018, further opening up about her mental health journey.
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2019: McLean Award for Mental Health Advocacy
In 2019, Selena Gomez received the McLean Award for her mental health advocacy.
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April 2020: Ownership and Investment in Serendipity
In April 2020, Selena Gomez became an owner and investor of the ice cream brand Serendipity.
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April 2020: Revealed Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis
In April 2020, Selena Gomez revealed that she has bipolar disorder, marking a significant moment in her openness about mental health.
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December 2020: Left Hillsong Church
In December 2020, Selena Gomez left Hillsong Church due to a scandal involving a pastor.
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2020: Created the Rare Impact Fund
In 2020, Selena Gomez created the Rare Impact Fund by Rare Beauty to help young people gain access to mental health resources.
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2020: Rare Beauty Founded
In 2020, Selena Gomez founded the cosmetic company Rare Beauty and non-profit Rare Impact Fund.
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2020: Moved to Mansion in Encino, Los Angeles
In 2020, Selena Gomez moved to a $5 million mansion in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Encino.
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May 2021: Participation in VAX Live Concert
In May 2021, Selena Gomez participated in the VAX Live: The Concert to Reunite the World concert, organized by Global Citizen to promote the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide.
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2021: Rolling Stone India Recognition
In 2021, Rolling Stone India regarded Selena Gomez as one of the most influential pop culture icons of her time.
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2021: Maintained Christian Faith
In 2021, Selena Gomez maintained her Christian faith and had read the book The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren three times.
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2021: Vulture's Ranking
In 2021, Vulture ranked Selena Gomez third on its "Disney and Nickelodeon Stars Gone Pop" listicle, calling her "perhaps the most effortlessly likable star of her generation".
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May 2022: Mental Health Youth Action Forum at the White House
In May 2022, MTV partnered with Selena Gomez and the Rare Impact Fund by Rare Beauty to host the Mental Health Youth Action Forum at the White House, in coordination with the Biden-Harris Administration.
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June 2022: Response to Roe v. Wade Overturn
In June 2022, following the overturn of Roe v. Wade, Selena Gomez expressed her unhappiness and urged men to speak out against the issue, highlighting the pain experienced by women.
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October 2022: Canceled Appearance Due to COVID-19
In October 2022, Selena Gomez canceled an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon after testing positive for COVID-19.
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November 2022: Revealed Episode of Psychosis
In November 2022, Selena Gomez revealed that she had experienced an episode of psychosis in 2018, further opening up about her mental health journey.
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2022: The Hollywood Reporter's Power 100 List
From 2022 to 2024 consecutively, Selena Gomez was included in The Hollywood Reporter's Power 100 list.
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2022: Mental Health Advocacy Awards
In 2022, Selena Gomez was honored with the Mental Health Innovations Award for Excellence in Mental Health Advocacy by the Stanford Healthcare Innovation Lab and the Morton E. Ruderman Award in Inclusion by the Ruderman Family Foundation.
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2022: Named Number One Positive Influencer on Social Media
In 2022, Selena Gomez was named as the number one positive influencer on social media.
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December 2023: Attended Ramy Youssef's fundraiser for Gaza
In December 2023, Selena Gomez attended Ramy Youssef's fundraiser for Gaza.
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2023: Participation in Los Angeles Pride Parade
In 2023, Selena Gomez and her cosmetics brand Rare Beauty participated in the 53rd annual Los Angeles Pride Parade. Her Rare Impact Fund also continued donating funds to organizations like The Trevor Project and Trans Lifeline.
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January 2024: Prefers acting over music, one more album
In January 2024, Selena Gomez expressed a preference for acting over music, stating she envisions having only one more album. She clarified that she never intended to be a full-time singer, but her "hobby" evolved into a career during her time with Disney.
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April 2024: Speaker at the Time 100 Summit
In April 2024, Selena Gomez participated as a speaker at the Time 100 Summit, discussing important issues related to mental health protection and social media.
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May 1, 2024: Rare Beauty Mental Health Summit
On May 1, 2024, Selena Gomez held a special event, the Rare Beauty Summit, dedicated to mental health awareness. The U.S. Surgeon General Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy joined her at this event, acknowledging her contributions through the Rare Impact Fund.
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September 2024: Revealed Inability to Have Children Naturally
In September 2024, Selena Gomez revealed her inability to have children naturally due to her health issues, and mentioned wanting to explore either surrogacy or adoption in the future.
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September 2024: Billionaire Status Attainment
In September 2024, it was reported that Selena Gomez had become a billionaire, with an estimated net worth of $1.3 billion. Bloomberg News estimated that roughly 81% of it originated from Rare Beauty.
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November 2024: Disclosed Suffering with Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)
In November 2024, Selena Gomez disclosed her suffering with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).
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December 11, 2024: Formally Announced Engagement to Benny Blanco
On December 11, 2024, Selena Gomez formally announced her engagement to record producer Benny Blanco, following a period of media rumors.
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2024: The Hollywood Reporter's Power 100 List
From 2022 to 2024 consecutively, Selena Gomez was included in The Hollywood Reporter's Power 100 list.
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2024: Rare Beauty valued at $2 billion
In 2024, Selena Gomez's company, Rare Beauty, was valued at $2 billion, also in 2024 she became a member of the Order of Arts and Letters by the Government of France
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