Childhood and Education Journey of Selena Gomez in Timeline
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, songwriter, producer, and businesswoman. She started as a child actress on Barney & Friends and gained prominence as Alex Russo on Disney's Wizards of Waverly Place. Gomez signed with Hollywood Records in 2008 and formed Selena Gomez & the Scene, releasing three albums: Kiss & Tell, A Year Without Rain, and When the Sun Goes Down.
1995: Selena Quintanilla's Death
In 1995, Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla, after whom Selena Gomez was named, died.
2002: Influence on Revival
Selena Gomez's second album, Revival, was mainly inspired by Christina Aguilera's album Stripped from 2002, as well as Janet Jackson and Britney Spears.
2005: Purity Ring
In 2005, at age 13, Selena Gomez received a purity ring blessed by her father at the church.
2007: Recurring Role on Hannah Montana and Move to Los Angeles
In 2007, Selena Gomez was given a recurring role on the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana as pop star Mikayla and moved to Los Angeles with her mother after landing the lead role in Wizards of Waverly Place.
October 2008: Participation in St. Jude's "Runway For Life" and Named UNICEF Spokesperson
In October 2008, Selena Gomez participated in St. Jude's Children's Hospital's "Runway For Life", and she was named UNICEF's spokesperson for the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign, which encouraged children to raise money on Halloween for children around the world.
2008: Fundraising for UNICEF
In 2008, Selena Gomez raised over $700,000 for the UNICEF Trick-or-Treat campaign.
2008: Involvement in UR Votes Count Campaign
In 2008, Selena Gomez was involved in the UR Votes Count campaign, which encouraged teenagers to learn more about the 2008 presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain.
August 2009: Youngest UNICEF Ambassador
In August 2009, Selena Gomez, then 17 years old, became the youngest UNICEF ambassador.
September 2009: UNICEF 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. She witnessed the conditions of vulnerable children lacking necessities such as clean water, nourishment, education and healthcare.
2009: Involvement in "Disney's Friends for Change"
From 2009 to 2012, Selena Gomez was involved in "Disney's Friends for Change", an organization that promoted environmentally-friendly behavior, and appeared in its public service announcements. She also recorded the charity single "Send It On" with other Disney stars, donating proceeds to the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund.
2009: Ambassador of DoSomething and Involvement with RAISE Hope For Congo
In 2009, Selena Gomez became the ambassador of DoSomething and also became involved with the charity RAISE Hope For Congo, raising funds to address conflict minerals and violence against women and girls in the Congo.
2009: Spokesperson for UNICEF's Trick-or-Treat Campaign
In 2009, Selena Gomez was named spokesperson for UNICEF's Trick-or-Treat campaign for the second year in a row, with a goal to raise US$1 million. She participated in auctions and webcasts to support the campaign.
2009: UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
Since 2009, Selena Gomez has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
May 2010: High School Graduation
In May 2010, Selena Gomez earned her high-school diploma through homeschooling.
2010: UNICEF Spokesperson and Benefit Concert
In 2010, Selena Gomez returned as the UNICEF spokesperson for the 60th anniversary of the Trick-or-Treat campaign. She and the Scene held a benefit concert, donating all proceeds to the campaign, and raised $4 million with Gomez's help.
2010: Charity Concerts for UNICEF
In 2010, Selena Gomez started organizing charity concerts to benefit UNICEF, raising funds to provide children with essential resources like therapeutic foods, medicines, clean water, education, and immunization.
2010: Stopped wearing purity ring
In 2010, Selena Gomez stopped wearing the purity ring she received in 2005.
2010: Wax Figure at Madame Tussauds
Since 2010, a wax figure of Selena Gomez has been exhibited at Madame Tussauds Wax Museums, including locations in Hollywood and New York City.
February 2011: Visit to Chile with UNICEF
In February 2011, Selena Gomez traveled to Chile with UNICEF to meet with families supported by the "Programa Puente", which helped families understand and develop skills related to early childhood education and development.
April 2012: Named Ambassador to the Ryan Seacrest Foundation
In April 2012, Selena Gomez was named ambassador to the Ryan Seacrest Foundation.
2012: Lupus Diagnosis
Sometime between 2012 and early 2014, Selena Gomez was diagnosed with lupus.
December 2013: Cancellation of Stars Dance Tour and Hiatus
In December 2013, Selena Gomez canceled the Australian and Asian legs of her Stars Dance Tour, citing a need to take a hiatus and spend time with her family.
2013: Charity Concerts for UNICEF
In 2013, Selena Gomez organized charity concerts to benefit UNICEF, raising funds to provide children with essential resources like therapeutic foods, medicines, clean water, education, and immunization.
2013: Influence on Stars Dance
In 2013, Selena Gomez's debut solo album Stars Dance was prominently influenced by Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, and EDM producer Skrillex.
2013: Birth of Half-Sister Gracie Elliot Teefey
In 2013, Selena Gomez's mother and her second husband, Brian Teefey, had a daughter, Gracie Elliot Teefey, making her Selena's half-sister.
April 2014: Firing of Managers
In April 2014, Selena Gomez fired her mother and stepfather as her managers and signed with WMA and Brillstein companies.
2014: Listened to Hillsong United before AMA
In 2014, Selena Gomez said that she listened to "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" by Hillsong United before performing at the 2014 American Music Awards.
2014: Sale of Tarzana Mansion
In 2014, Selena Gomez sold her mansion in Tarzana, Los Angeles for $3.5 million.
2014: Lupus Diagnosis
Sometime between 2012 and early 2014, Selena Gomez was diagnosed with lupus.
2015: Lupus Diagnosis
In 2015, Selena Gomez confirmed that she had been diagnosed with lupus and that she entered rehab to undergo chemotherapy after canceling the Stars Dance tour in 2013.
2015: Purchase of Fort Worth Mansion
In 2015, Selena Gomez purchased a mansion in Fort Worth, Texas, for $3.5 million.
June 2016: Support for LGBTQ community
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.
August 2016: Cancellation of Revival Tour
In August 2016, Selena Gomez canceled the European and South America legs of her Revival Tour due to anxiety, panic attacks, and depression caused by her lupus.
2016: Hillsong Young & Free Concert Appearance
In 2016, Selena Gomez appeared at a Hillsong Young & Free concert in Los Angeles, leading worship by singing her song "Nobody".
2017: Repeal of North Carolina's bathroom law
In 2016, Selena Gomez donated proceeds of her Revival Tour concert in North Carolina to fight the state's recent legislation known as the "bathroom law," which was repealed in 2017.
2017: Views on Religion
In 2017, Selena Gomez expressed that she did not like the term "religion" and preferred to focus on faith and a personal relationship with God.
2017: Partnership with Coach and Step Up activities
In 2017, Selena Gomez partnered with Coach and participated in activities with Step Up, an organization supporting girls in under-resourced communities by attending events and gifting Coach bags to girls in Los Angeles high schools.
October 2018: Sale of Fort Worth Mansion
In October 2018, Selena Gomez sold her mansion in Fort Worth, Texas, for $3.5 million, which she had purchased in 2015.
2018: Attendance at We Day California
In 2018, Selena Gomez attended the We Day California youth empowerment event in Los Angeles and introduced Nellie Mainor, a young fan with a rare kidney disease.
2018: Psychosis episode
In 2018, Selena Gomez experienced an episode of psychosis.
2019: Recipient of the McLean Award for mental health advocacy
In 2019, Selena Gomez received the McLean Award for mental health advocacy.
April 2020: Bipolar Disorder Revelation
In April 2020, Selena Gomez revealed she has bipolar disorder.
2020: Creation of the Rare Impact Fund and Selena + Chef debut
In 2020, Selena Gomez created the Rare Impact Fund by Rare Beauty, aiming to raise US$100 million over ten years for mental health resources for young people. Also in 2020, for each episode of her HBO Max cooking show Selena + Chef (2020–2023), $10,000 was donated to the charity of the chef's choice.
2020: Rare Beauty Foundation and Time 100
In 2020, Selena Gomez founded the cosmetic company Rare Beauty and non-profit Rare Impact Fund. She also appeared in the Time 100 list.
2020: Real Estate Transactions in Los Angeles
In 2020, Selena Gomez moved to a $5 million mansion in Encino, Los Angeles and sold her house in Studio City, Los Angeles for $2.3 million.
May 2021: Participation in VAX Live concert
In May 2021, Selena Gomez participated in the VAX Live: The Concert to Reunite the World concert to promote the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide.
June 2021: Signed UNICEF open letter urging G7 donations
In June 2021, Selena Gomez signed a UNICEF open letter urging the G7 nations to donate more coronavirus vaccines to the international COVAX initiative.
2021: Christian Faith and Book Reading
In 2021, Selena Gomez claimed to maintain her Christian faith and having read three times the book 'The Purpose Driven Life' by Baptist Christian pastor Rick Warren.
2021: Donations from Selena + Chef and Cookware line with Our Place
In 2021, over the first two seasons of Selena + Chef, $360,000 was raised for nonprofit organizations. Also in 2021, Selena Gomez donated 10 percent of the net proceeds from her cookware line with Our Place to the Rare Impact Fund, focusing on mental health awareness.
May 2022: MTV and Rare Impact Fund host Mental Health Youth Action Forum
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.
May 2022: Serendipity Brands donation to Rare Impact Fund
In May 2022, Serendipity Brands—which Selena Gomez is a co-owner and investor of—donated $1 from every ice cream pint and product sold to the Rare Impact Fund.
June 2022: Statement on Roe v. Wade being overturned
In June 2022, Selena Gomez stated she is "not happy" about Roe v. Wade being overturned and called for men to also speak against the issue.
September 2022: End of Selena + Chef
In September 2022, Selena + Chef concluded after running for four seasons and receiving a nomination for Outstanding Culinary Series at the 50th Daytime Emmy Awards.
November 2022: Psychosis revelation
In November 2022, Selena Gomez revealed she had experienced an episode of psychosis in 2018.
November 2022: Premiere and Release of Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me
In November 2022, the documentary film "Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me", directed by Alek Keshishian, premiered at AFI Fest and was subsequently released on Apple TV+ and in select theaters. The film received positive reviews for its transparency regarding mental health.
December 2022: Donation to the 2nd Annual ASCAP Foundation
In December 2022, Selena Gomez donated exclusive items to the 2nd Annual ASCAP Foundation, which supports music education and talent development programs across the US.
2022: Honored with Mental Health Innovations Award
In 2022, Selena Gomez was honored with the first ever Mental Health Innovations Award for Excellence in Mental Health Advocacy by the Stanford Healthcare Innovation Lab.
October 2023: Signing of Artist4Ceasefire letter
In October 2023, Selena Gomez signed an Artist4Ceasefire letter calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and condemning the killing of Palestinian and Israeli civilians.
December 2023: Attendance at Ramy Youssef's fundraiser for Gaza
In December 2023, Selena Gomez attended Ramy Youssef's fundraiser for Gaza.
2023: Sephora and Gomez donation to Rare Impact Fund
From 2023 to 2024, Selena Gomez and Sephora donate all 100 percent of global Rare Beauty sales to the Rare Impact Fund in honor of World Mental Health Day.
2023: "Send It On" Listed Among Greatest Disney Songs
In 2023, Billboard included the song "Send It On", which Selena Gomez performed on, in their list of The 100 Greatest Disneyverse Songs of All Time.
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, as well as her Rare Impact Fund has been donating funds since the foundation for The Trevor Project and in 2023 for Trans Lifeline who focus on LGBTQ+ youth.
January 2024: Statements on Music Career
In January 2024, Selena Gomez expressed a preference for acting over music, suggesting she only has "one more album in me". She clarified her statements later, indicating that "music isn't going away."
April 2024: Speaker at Time 100 Summit
In April 2024, Selena Gomez participated as one of the speakers at the Time 100 Summit, discussing mental health protection and social media.
May 1, 2024: Rare Beauty Summit for mental health awareness
On May 1, 2024, Selena Gomez held a special event dedicated to mental health awareness called the Rare Beauty Summit, where she also offered resources to solve mental health problems, the U.S. Surgeon General Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy joined her at this event.
September 2024: Rare Impact Fund raises over $16 million
As of September 2024, the Rare Impact Fund has raised over $16 million since 2020, and distributed grants to support 26 mental health-focused organizations across five continents.
September 2024: Inability to have children naturally
In September 2024, Selena Gomez revealed her inability to have children naturally due to her health issues and expressed her desire to explore surrogacy or adoption.
November 2024: SIBO Disclosure
In November 2024, Selena Gomez disclosed that she suffers from small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).
December 11, 2024: Engagement announcement
On December 11, 2024, Selena Gomez formally announced her engagement to record producer Benny Blanco.
January 2025: Donations and volunteering during 2025 Southern California wildfires
In January 2025, Selena Gomez volunteered to help distribute basic necessities to those displaced by the 2025 Southern California wildfires. Additionally, Rare Beauty and Gomez made donations to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and World Central Kitchen, and all proceeds from sales of Rare products during the anniversary of her album Rare were donated to fight the wildfires.
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