Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco are engaged: Here’s where it all began

Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco are engaged after publicly confirming their romance just one year ago.

On Wednesday (December 11), the Emilia Pérez star announced her engagement on Instagram, revealing a stunning marquise diamond ring set on a gold band accented with tiny diamonds. The ring appeared to be a nod to Gomez’s 2015 hit song “Good For You,” in which she sings the lyrics “on her marquise diamonds.”

Taking to Instagram, Gomez captioned the post: “Forever begins now.” Blanco affectionately commented, referring to Gomez as his wife.

The pair’s engagement was met with a flurry of excitement from Gomez’s celebrity friends, who took to the comments section to share their well-wishes for the couple.

“Ahhhhhhhh yes yes yes!!” Emily in Paris star Lily Collins wrote. “Best news ever. Couldn’t be more happy for you both”

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“HONEY!! Congratulations sweet mama!” Jennifer Aniston gushed.

Pop star and longtime friend Taylor Swift even chimed in, playfully declaring: “Yes I will be the flower girl.”

Despite their year-and-a-half-long romance, the pair’s journey to the altar began years earlier with a creative collaboration.

The pair first teamed up professionally on the 2019 single “I Can’t Get Enough” with Tainy and J Balvin. The music video showcased Gomez dancing on an oversized bed in silky pajamas, while Blanco appeared in a giant teddy bear suit.

In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, the producer reflected on how they were in sync throughout the collaboration process.

“Everything kind of just fell into place,” he recalled. “This record was just one of those ones where it’s like, ‘Oh man, we should have Selena do this,’ and then it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, Selena’s down. Let’s do it.’ And then, ‘Oh man, we should have Balvin do it.’ And then it’s like, ‘Oh, he’s in!’”

After years of collaborating together, Gomez and Blanco transitioned their relationship to something more romantic. During a May 2024 appearance on The Howard Stern Show, Blanco confirmed that their romance began around Gomez’s birthday in July 2023.

“When we went out on our first date, I didn’t even know it was a date,” he admitted to Stern. “I remember sitting there and she’s like, ‘Well, I would have worn something different for this date,’ and I was like, ‘What? We’re on a date?’”

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Gomez later confirmed in an Instagram comment that she and Blanco had been dating for six months. At the time, she liked a post from celebrity news fan account PopFaction, which included the headline: “Selena Gomez Seemingly Confirms That She Is in a Relationship.”

She commented “Facts” on a fan post speculating about their relationship, and shared a photo featuring a “B” ring on her left hand.

The couple made their first public appearance at the 2024 Golden Globe Awards. Gomez shared a heartfelt moment on her Instagram Story, posting a photo of herself kissing Blanco backstage with the caption, “I won.”

The pair were seen attending a Grammy Awards after-party together. Although Gomez did not attend the main ceremony, the couple was photographed arriving at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood for the event.

In an interview with Lowe that month, the Only Murders in the Building actor reflected on their relationship, emphasizing mutual respect and understanding.

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“Without getting into too much detail, I think it’s just really important to meet someone that respects you,” she explained. “And I think it’s really nice to also lean on someone who understands the world that I live in. But I’d have to say overall it’s the safest that I feel and it’s been really lovely and I’ve only grown through it, so it’s awesome.”

Throughout the year, Gomez continued to share glimpses at her relationship with Blanco on social media. For his birthday, she shared a heartfelt Instagram carousel, writing: “Happy birthday baby! Your emotional endurance, positive disposition, unbelievable talent (that blows me away), undeniable humor and loving, kind heart absolutely kill me. I love you @itsbennyblanco.”

In April, Gomez showed her support for Blanco’s cookbook, Open Wide, by sharing photos of a cake modeled after the book’s cover. “So proud,” she captioned the post.

During an appearance on The Howard Stern Show, Blanco revealed that he could see marriage in his future with Gomez.

“When I look at her… I’m always just like, I don’t know a world where it could be better than this,” he said, later adding: “People always said this to me, when you know you meet your best friend, she truly is my best friend.”

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Amid celebrations for her 32nd birthday, Gomez took a moment to publicly express her love for Blanco. Taking to her Instagram Story, Gomez posted a sweet photo of the 36-year-old producer hugging and kissing her on the forehead. Across the image, she wrote: “Love of my life.”

The “Wolves” singer also reposted her boyfriend’s sweet birthday message on her Instagram Story. The post contained a behind-the-scenes photo of the two cuddling during the filming of their 2019 music video for “I Can’t Get Enough.”

“I used to play a teddy bear in ur music video and now I get to b urs in real life… happy bday bb! I love u!” he wrote.

While appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the talk show host asked Gomez if she and Blanco were planning on taking their romance to the next level.

“If you don’t mind me asking, where is this relationship going?” he said.

“Uhh, whoa!”Gomez replied in shock before laughing. “I thought you were going to ask where this picture was taken.”

She then answered: “I’m not sure, but I’m having a great time.”