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Selena Gomez
b. 1992 · Musician
Early Life
Selena Marie Gomez was born on July 22, 1992, in Grand Prairie, Texas, to a Mexican-American family. Her mother had her at age 16 and worked multiple jobs to support the family, and Gomez was named after Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla. Largely homeschooled, she developed an early love of performing by watching her mother prepare for stage roles, and describes herself as a proud third-generation Mexican-American.
Gomez began her career on the children's series Barney & Friends in 2002, at age 10, sharing the set with a young Demi Lovato, who became a lifelong friend.
Rise to Fame
Gomez's breakthrough came as Alex Russo on Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place from 2007 to 2012, a role that earned her five consecutive Kids' Choice Awards and established her as a teen idol. After signing with Hollywood Records in 2008, she formed Selena Gomez & the Scene, releasing three albums before the group disbanded in 2012, and she transitioned to mature film roles with Spring Breakers in 2012, a performance she has described as a career turning point.
Her solo music career launched with 2013's Stars Dance, and she built on that momentum with 2015's Revival, featuring top-ten singles "Good for You" and "Same Old Love," establishing the soft, breathy vocal style often described as "whisper pop" that became her signature.
Career Highlights
Gomez has continued to evolve across music, film, and business. Her 2020 album Rare produced her first U.S. number-one single, "Lose You to Love Me," and her 2021 Spanish-language EP Revelación topped the Billboard Latin Albums chart. She currently stars in Hulu's Only Murders in the Building alongside Steve Martin and Martin Short, earning multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, and her 2024 role in Emilia Pérez earned her a shared Best Actress award at Cannes along with BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations.
In 2020, Gomez launched the cosmetics company Rare Beauty, now valued at roughly $2 billion, alongside the Rare Impact Fund, which aims to raise $100 million for youth mental health services and had topped $30 million by 2026. In March 2025, she and husband Benny Blanco released the collaborative album I Said I Love You First, which debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 in the biggest sales week of her career, and in April 2025 she was named Billboard's Latin Woman of the Year.
Personal Life
Gomez has been open about her 2015 lupus diagnosis, a subsequent kidney transplant, and her ongoing struggles with anxiety and depression, becoming a prominent mental health advocate in the process; the 2022 documentary Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me was widely praised for its candor. She has served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2009, when she was appointed at just 17, the youngest ever at the time.
Gomez became engaged to music producer Benny Blanco in December 2024 and married him in a California ceremony in September 2025, with the couple describing themselves as still in the "honeymoon stage" ahead of their first anniversary in 2026.
Net Worth & Legacy
Selena Gomez's net worth is estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars, driven primarily by her stake in Rare Beauty alongside her music, acting, and producing income, making her one of the wealthiest entertainers of her generation.
From a child actress on a local Texas set to a Disney Channel icon, chart-topping musician, Cannes award winner, and billion-dollar beauty founder, Gomez's career spans more industries than almost any of her peers, and her continued openness about health and mental health struggles has made her one of the most influential and relatable figures in entertainment.