Selena Gomez
Singer · Songwriter · Actress · Record producer
b. 1992 · Born in Grand Prairie, Texas, United States · 4 min read
- Verified: 13 November 2026
- Sources: 4
- Independently reviewed
American singer and actress who rose to fame as Alex Russo in Disney's Wizards of Waverly Place, later built a solo pop career with the album Rare, and founded the cosmetics company Rare Beauty.
Early Life
Selena Marie Gomez was born on 22 July 1992 in Grand Prairie, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, to Ricardo Joel Gomez and Mandy Teefey, a former stage actress. She was named after the Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla. Her parents separated when she was young, and she was raised mainly by her mother. She began auditioning as a child and was cast on Barney & Friends at the age of ten.
Education
Gomez was educated in Texas and completed her high-school studies through homeschooling, earning her diploma in 2010 while working on Wizards of Waverly Place.
Career
Gomez began acting as a child on the PBS children's series Barney & Friends from 2002 to 2004. She rose to fame as Alex Russo in the Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place, which ran from 2007 to 2012, and starred in Disney films including Princess Protection Program (2009). With her band Selena Gomez & the Scene she released three albums between 2009 and 2011, all of which reached the top ten of the US Billboard 200. Her solo debut, Stars Dance, came in 2013, followed by Revival in 2015, which included the hit singles 'Good for You' and 'Same Old Love', and Rare in 2020, which gave her a first US number-one single with 'Lose You to Love Me'. She voiced Mavis in the Hotel Transylvania films and took more adult acting roles, including Spring Breakers (2012) and The Fundamentals of Caring (2016). She released the Spanish-language EP Revelacion in 2021 and was nominated for a Grammy Award for it. In 2020 she launched the cosmetics company Rare Beauty, built around a message of self-acceptance, and its charitable arm, the Rare Impact Fund. From 2021 she has starred in and produced the comedy series Only Murders in the Building alongside Steve Martin and Martin Short, earning Emmy nominations as a producer. In 2025 she married music producer Benny Blanco and released the collaborative album I Said I Love You First with him.
Achievements
Gomez's central achievements span acting, music and business. As a teenager she starred in Wizards of Waverly Place, one of Disney Channel's most successful series. Her three solo studio albums, Stars Dance (2013), Revival (2015) and Rare (2020), each debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, and 'Lose You to Love Me' gave her a first Billboard Hot 100 number one in 2019. She returned to television as Mabel Mora in Only Murders in the Building from 2021, becoming the most nominated Latina producer in Emmy Awards history. Her acting work also includes Spring Breakers (2012) and Emilia Perez (2024), whose female cast shared the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival, and she produced the cooking series Selena + Chef. In 2020 she founded the cosmetics company Rare Beauty and its Rare Impact Fund, which supports youth mental-health services.
- Rose to fame as Alex Russo in Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place (2007-2012)
- Released three solo studio albums that each debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200: Stars Dance (2013), Revival (2015) and Rare (2020)
- Scored her first US Billboard Hot 100 number-one single with 'Lose You to Love Me' in 2019
- Founded the cosmetics company Rare Beauty in 2020 and its Rare Impact Fund for youth mental health
- Starred as Mabel Mora in the television series Only Murders in the Building from 2021
- Became the most nominated Latina producer in Emmy Awards history for Only Murders in the Building
- Appointed a UNICEF ambassador in 2009 and has campaigned for children's rights and mental health
- Voiced Mavis in the Hotel Transylvania animated film series
- Released the Spanish-language EP Revelacion in 2021
- Released the collaborative album I Said I Love You First with Benny Blanco in 2025
Legacy
Gomez is remembered as one of the defining Disney child stars of her generation who built a lasting adult career in music, television and business. She moved from children's television to pop stardom and then to producing, and her cosmetics company, Rare Beauty, became a serious business built on a message of self-acceptance rather than a celebrity endorsement. She has spoken openly about her health, including a lupus diagnosis in 2015 and a kidney transplant in 2017, and about mental health, using her public platform and the Rare Impact Fund to support young people's mental-health services. She was appointed a UNICEF ambassador in 2009 and has campaigned for children's rights. Because she is a living person whose public work continues, this profile records only documented milestones and will need regular updating from reliable sources.
Contributions
Gomez's contribution was to show how a child star of the Disney system could build a sustained adult career across television, pop music and business. Her openness about lupus, a kidney transplant and mental health, and the creation of the Rare Impact Fund, made her one of the most prominent young advocates for mental-health support in entertainment.
Notable Works
- Wizards of Waverly Place (2007-2012)
- Stars Dance (2013)
- Revival (2015)
- Rare (2020)
- Only Murders in the Building (2021-)
- I Said I Love You First (2025)
Milestones
- 1992 — Born Selena Marie Gomez in Grand Prairie, Texas Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 2002 — Began acting on Barney & Friends Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 2007 — Wizards of Waverly Place premiered on Disney Channel Source: Wikipedia
- 2009 — Released Kiss & Tell with Selena Gomez & the Scene Source: Wikipedia
- 2013 — Released her solo debut album Stars Dance Source: Wikipedia
- 2015 — Released the album Revival Source: Wikipedia
- 2017 — Revealed she had received a kidney transplant Source: Wikipedia
- 2019 — 'Lose You to Love Me' reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Source: Wikipedia
- 2020 — Released the album Rare; launched Rare Beauty Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 2021 — Only Murders in the Building premiered Source: Wikipedia
- 2025 — Released I Said I Love You First with Benny Blanco; married Benny Blanco Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Timeline
- 22 July 1992
Born Selena Marie Gomez in Grand Prairie, Texas
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 2002
Began acting on the children's television series Barney & Friends
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 12 October 2007
Wizards of Waverly Place premiered on Disney Channel
Source: Wikipedia - 29 September 2009
Released Kiss & Tell, the debut album with Selena Gomez & the Scene
Source: Wikipedia - 23 July 2013
Released her solo debut album Stars Dance
Source: Wikipedia - 9 October 2015
Released the album Revival
Source: Wikipedia - 14 September 2017
Revealed she had received a kidney transplant
Source: Wikipedia - 2019
'Lose You to Love Me' became her first US Billboard Hot 100 number-one single
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia - 10 January 2020
Released the album Rare
Source: Wikipedia - 2020
Launched the cosmetics company Rare Beauty and the Rare Impact Fund
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 31 August 2021
Only Murders in the Building premiered
Source: Wikipedia - 21 March 2025
Released the collaborative album I Said I Love You First with Benny Blanco
Source: Wikipedia - 2025
Married music producer Benny Blanco
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
In Their Words
“I had to stop. Because I had everything, and I was absolutely broken inside.” Source: Selena Gomez, acceptance speech, American Music Awards, Los Angeles, 20 November 2016 — From her acceptance speech at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles, 20 November 2016, after taking a break from public life to focus on her health.
Related Personalities
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Selena Gomez?
Selena Gomez (born 22 July 1992) is an American singer and actress who first became famous as Alex Russo in Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place. She later built a solo pop career and founded the cosmetics company Rare Beauty.
Source: Encyclopaedia BritannicaHow did Selena Gomez become famous?
Gomez began her acting career in 2002 as a child on the PBS children's series Barney & Friends. She rose to fame as Alex Russo in Wizards of Waverly Place, which ran on Disney Channel from 2007 to 2012.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica ; WikipediaWhat albums has Selena Gomez released?
Gomez has released three solo studio albums: Stars Dance (2013), Revival (2015) and Rare (2020), each of which debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200. She also released three albums with her band Selena Gomez & the Scene and the collaborative album I Said I Love You First (2025) with Benny Blanco.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica ; WikipediaWhat is Rare Beauty?
Gomez founded the cosmetics company Rare Beauty in September 2020. Alongside it she created the Rare Impact Fund, which aims to raise funds to expand access to youth mental-health services and education.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica ; WikipediaWhat health conditions has Selena Gomez spoken about?
Gomez was diagnosed with lupus, an autoimmune disease, and revealed the diagnosis in 2015. In 2017 she received a kidney transplant from her friend Francia Raisa. She has spoken openly about both experiences and about mental health.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica ; WikipediaWho is Selena Gomez married to?
Gomez married music producer and songwriter Benny Blanco in 2025. The pair released the collaborative album I Said I Love You First in March 2025.
Source: Encyclopaedia BritannicaSources & References
- Selena Gomez — Encyclopaedia Britannica — Encyclopaedia Britannica (accessed 13 November 2026)
- Selena Gomez — Wikipedia (cross-check) — Wikipedia (accessed 13 November 2026)
- Rare Beauty — Official site — Rare Beauty (accessed 13 November 2026)
- File:Selena-Gomez-SanJose-CA.jpg — Wikimedia Commons (portrait file page) — Wikimedia Commons (accessed 13 November 2026)