Biography of selena gomez 2013 kids
Selena Gomez
American actress and singer (born 1992)
Selena Marie Gomez (sə-LEE-nə GOH-mez; born July 22, 1992) is an American actress, singer, producer, and businesswoman. Gomez began her career as a child actress, appearing on the television series Barney & Friends (2002–2004), and emerged as a teen idol for her leading role as Alex Russo on the Disney Channel sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place (2007–2012). She signed with Hollywood Records in 2008 and formed the band Selena Gomez & the Scene, which released three albums: Kiss & Tell (2009), A Year Without Rain (2010), and When the Sun Goes Down (2011).
Gomez has since released three solo studio albums that debuted atop the US Billboard 200. Her EDM-infused debut record, Stars Dance (2013), yielded the international top-ten single "Come & Get It". She moved to Interscope Records and released the electropop album Revival (2015), supported by the top-ten singles "Good for You", "Same Old Love", and "Hands to Myself". Its follow-up, the dance-pop-influenced Rare (2020), contained her first Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "Lose You to Love Me". Gomez then released the Spanish-language EP Revelación (2021), which earned her nominations at the Grammys and Latin Grammy Awards. She has released many collaborative singles, including "We Don't Talk Anymore", "It Ain't Me", "Wolves", "Taki Taki", and "Calm Down (Remix)", the last of which is the most successful Afrobeats song.
Gomez has starred in films such as Another Cinderella Story (2008), Monte Carlo (2011), Spring Breakers (2012), The Fundamentals of Caring (2016), and The Dead Don't Die (2019). She voiced Mavis in the Hotel Transylvania film franchise (2012–2022). Gomez has produced series such as 13 Reasons Why (2017–2020), Living Undocumented (2019) and Selena + Chef (2020–2023), and has played a lead role in Only Murders in the Building since 2021. Her accolades include an American Music Award, a Billboard Music Award, a Cannes Film Festival Award, two MTV Video Music Awards, and 16 Guinness World Records. She has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA Award for her acting role in film Emilia Pérez.
Gomez has worked with charitable organizations. She advocates for mental health, and gender, racial, and LGBT equality, and has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2009. She founded the cosmetic company Rare Beauty in 2020, valued at $2 billion in 2024,[2] and non-profit Rare Impact Fund. She has appeared in listicles such as the Time 100 (2020) and Forbes 30 Under 30 (2016 and 2020), was named Billboard's Woman of the Year (2017), and was made a member of the Order of Arts and Letters by the Government of France in 2024. She is one of the wealthiest musicians and is the most-followed woman on Instagram.
Early life
Selena Marie Gomez was born on July 22, 1992, in Grand Prairie, Texas,[3] to Ricardo Joel Gomez and Texas-born[4] former stage actress Mandy Teefey.[5] She was named after Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla, who died in 1995.[6][7] Her father is of Mexican descent, while her mother, who was adopted, has Italian ancestry.[8][9][10] Gomez's paternal grandparents emigrated to Texas from Monterrey in the 1970s.[11] Of her heritage, Gomez has called herself "a proud third-generation American-Mexican"[12] and once said "My family does have quinceañeras, and we go to the communion church. We do everything that's Catholic, but we don't really have anything traditional except go to the park and have barbecues on Sundays after church."[13] Gomez's Spanish fluency waned after age seven, when she began working on television.[11] Her parents divorced when she was five years old, and she remained with her mother.[5][14] Gomez has two younger half-sisters and a younger stepbrother: Gracie Elliot Teefey, through Mandy and her second husband, Brian Teefey,[15][16] and Victoria "Tori" and Marcus Gomez, through Ricardo and his second wife, Sara.[17] She earned her high-school diploma through homeschooling in May 2010.[18]
Gomez was born when her mother was 16 years old.[19] The family had financial troubles throughout Gomez's childhood, her mother struggling to provide for the pair. At one point, Gomez recalls that they had to search for quarters just to get gas for their car. Her mother later recalled that the two would frequently walk to their local dollar store to buy spaghetti for dinner.[20] Gomez has said, "I was frustrated that my parents weren't together, and never saw the light at the end of the tunnel where my mom was working hard to provide a better life for me. I'm terrified of what I would have become if I'd stayed [in Texas]."[21] She later added that her mother "was really strong around me. Having me at 16 had to have been a big responsibility. She gave up everything for me, had three jobs, supported me, sacrificed her life for me." Gomez had a close relationship with her grandparents as a child and appeared in various pageants. Her grandparents often took care of her while her parents finished their schooling, and she has said they "raised her" until she found success in show business.[22]
Career
2002–2006: Career beginnings
Gomez first gained an interest in pursuing a career in entertainment watching her mother prepare for stage productions.[23] In 2002, she began her acting career on the children's television series Barney & Friends,[24][25] portraying the character Gianna.[26] The show was her first acting gig. Gomez recalled of the experience, "I was very shy when I was little [...] I didn't know what 'camera right' was. I didn't know what blocking was. I learned everything from Barney."[27] Gomez appeared in thirteen episodes of the show between 2002 and 2004; the show's producers released her as she was "too old" for the series.[27] While working on Barney & Friends, Gomez had bit part roles in the film Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003) and the made-for-television film Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire (2005).[28][29] She guest starred in a 2006 episode of the Disney Channel series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.[30][29]
2007–2012: Breakthrough with Disney and Selena Gomez & the Scene
Gomez was given a recurring role on the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana in 2007 as pop star Mikayla.[27] During this time, Gomez filmed pilot episodes for two potential Disney Channel series; the first was a Suite Life spin-off titled Arwin!,[31] and the second was a Lizzie McGuire spin-off titled What's Stevie Thinking?[32][33] She later auditioned for a role in the network's series Wizards of Waverly Place, ultimately winning the lead role of Alex Russo.[27] Gomez and her mother subsequently moved to Los Angeles.[25]Wizards of Waverly Place saw Gomez playing a teenage girl in a family of wizards who own a restaurant in New York City.[34] It quickly became a success for the Disney Channel and marked Gomez's breakthrough into the mainstream.[35] The role brought Gomez "teen idol" status,[36][37] making her one of the ten highest-paid children's TV stars of all time.[38][39] The series received numerous awards and nominations,[40][41] and won the Outstanding Children's Program at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards.[42] It garnered positive reviews[43][44] and particular praise for Gomez's comic timing and sarcastic delivery.[43][45][46]
In 2008, while working on the second season of Wizards of Waverly Place, Gomez voiced Helga in the animated film Horton Hears a Who![47] The film became a commercial and critical success,[48] grossing over US$300 million worldwide.[49] Gomez then starred as an aspiring dancer Mary Santiago in the teen musical comedy film Another Cinderella Story, the second installment of the A Cinderella Story series, released on direct-to-video.[50] This role earned her a Young Artist Award.[51][52] She contributed three songs to the soundtrack, including the single "Tell Me Something I Don't Know",[53][54] which became her first entry on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.[55] She also recorded the song "Fly to Your Heart" for the soundtrack of the animated film Tinker Bell.[56] That same year, at age 16, Gomez signed with Hollywood Records,[57][58] and formed her own production company, July Moon Production.[59] Gomez was slated to release two films under the company. The first, titled What Boys Want, would feature Gomez as a girl who could hear the thoughts of men.[60] She later announced a film adaptation of the novel Thirteen Reasons Why, in which she was to play a young girl who commits suicide; ultimately, neither film was made,[61] but Gomez later produced a television adaptation of the novel.[62]
Gomez continued to enjoy mainstream success throughout the following year, appearing as Alex Russo in a crossover episode of the Disney Channel series The Suite Life on Deck in 2009.[63] She later made a guest appearance on the Disney Channel series Sonny with a Chance.[64] She appeared in a remix of the Forever the Sickest Kids' single "Whoa Oh! (Me vs. Everyone)" in April of that year.[65] Gomez, along with Demi Lovato, starred in the Disney Channel film Princess Protection Program, which aired in June 2009.[66] The film had a total of 8.5 million viewers during its premiere.[67] The pair recorded the song "One and the Same" for the film's soundtrack.[55] She next starred in Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie, a television film based on the series.[68] The film premiered in August to an audience of 11.4 million viewers, becoming cable's number-one scripted telecast of the year and was the second-most watched TV movie on cable, behind High School Musical 2.[69][70][71] Roxana Hadadi of The Washington Post credited all three performers—Gomez, David Henrie and Jake T. Austin—for their "acting skills that carry the film".[72] The film won the series its second consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Children's Program at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards.[73] Gomez recorded three songs on the television series and film's soundtrack, including the single "Magic".[74][75] She later provided the voice of Princess Selenia in the English-language version of the French animated/live-action film Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard.[76]
Hoping to cross over into the music industry, Gomez formed the pop rock band Selena Gomez & the Scene under her deal with Hollywood Records.[77] The name of the band is an "ironic jab" at the people who called Gomez a "wannabe scene".[78] The group's debut studio album, Kiss & Tell, influenced by pop rock and electronic rock, was released in September 2009.[79][80] It debuted at number nine on the Billboard 200 albums chart in the U.S. with first-week sales of 66,000 copies.[81] The album received mixed reviews, with some critics praising its "fun" nature and others criticizing Gomez's vocal performance.[82][83][84] Although the lead single was not commercially successful,[55] the second single, "Naturally", became a breakthrough hit, reaching number twenty-nine in the U.S. and number seven in the United Kingdom.[55][85]
In 2010, Gomez starred alongside Joey King in Ramona and Beezus, a film adaptation of the children's novel series by Beverly Cleary, in which she portrayed Beezus Quimby.[86][87] The film was well received by critics;[88]Roger Ebert described it as "a sweet salute," and found both actresses "appealing".[89] Additionally, Gomez reprised the voice role of Princess Selenia in Arthur 3: The War of the Two Worlds.[90] That same year, Selena Gomez & the Scene released their second studio album A Year Without Rain,[91] which debuted on the U.S. Billboard 200 at number four with sales of over 66,000.[91] The album received mixed to positive reviews, where some critics reacting negatively to Gomez's Auto-Tuned vocals.[92] Both of the record's singles, "Round & Round" and "A Year Without Rain", achieved moderate success.[55] The band was awarded Favorite Breakout Artist at the 37th People's Choice Awards.[93] The band's third and final studio album, When the Sun Goes Down, was released the following year, to mixed reviews.[94] It debuted at number four on the U.S. Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 78,000 copies, and peaked at number three the following week.[95] The album's lead single, "Who Says", was the band's highest charting effort, peaking at number twenty-one in the U.S.[55] Its second single, "Love You like a Love Song", went on to become the band's highest performing single in the U.S. to date,[96] peaking at number twenty-two on the Billboard Hot 100, where it spent 38 weeks,[55] and reached the top ten in Canada,[97] topping the chart in Russia.[98] Alex Frank from Pitchfork called the song "a cult karaoke classic".[99] In 2022, Billboard ranked the song as the biggest song that peaked at number twenty-two.[100]Billboard featured Gomez on their 21 Under 21 list in 2010,[101] 2011,[102] and 2012.[103]
Gomez starred in the comedy film Monte Carlo (2011), with Leighton Meester and Katie Cassidy;[104][105] she played the lead role of Grace, a teenager "mistaken for a socialite" named Cordelia, also portrayed by Gomez, "while on a trip to Paris".[104][105] In preparation for the role, she learned to play polo and received dialect coaching to speak in two different British accents;[106][107] Gomez's accent was described as "unconvincing".[108] The film received mixed reviews from critic.[109] Nick Schager from Slant Magazine found Gomez "cute, but too bland to lend the proceedings any vivid character, except for the few scenes that allow her to indulge her cold, sarcastic, nasty side as Cordelia".[110] Gomez appeared in a cameo role in the film The Muppets.[111] She also hosted in June the MuchMusic Video Awards, and in November the MTV Europe Music Awards.[112][113]
2012–2014: Stars Dance and films
Gomez confirmed in January 2012 that she would be taking a break from music, placing Selena Gomez & the Scene on hiatus.[114] The hiatus eventually became a permanent split. Gomez described her time with the band as an "exploratory period" as a musician, after which she decided to pursue a solo music career: "And there was a moment when I felt like I could do it and I wanted to try it on my own".[115] That year, Wizards of Waverly Place officially ended its run on the Disney Channel after four seasons.[116][117]
Gomez starred in the controversial exploitation Harmony Korine-directed Spring Breakers (2012), alongside James Franco, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson and Rachel Korine.[118] The film premiered in September at the 69th Venice International Film Festival,[119] and was released the following year.[120] The story followed four college-aged girls who decide to rob a fast food restaurant in order to pay for their spring break.[121] It saw Gomez playing a more mature character than she did previously and reportedly led to her having a "bit of a meltdown on set".[14]Spring Breakers received generally positive reviews from critics,[122] with some called it a potential cult classic.[123] The film entered various retrospective "best of" lists,[124] including the BBC's 100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century.[125]Manohla Dargis from The New York Times wrote this role gave her "the chance to simulate the behavior that feeds the tabloids without the humiliations and career-crushing price paid".[126]
Gomez played the voice role of Mavis Dracula in the animated film Hotel Transylvania,[127] which premiered in September at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival,[128] and was released in theaters the same month to mixed reviews.[129][130]Hotel Transylvania was commercially successful, grossing US$358 million worldwide.[131] In 2013, Gomez starred alongside Ethan Hawke in the actionthriller filmGetaway, in which she played a young hacker.[132] The film was a critical and commercial failure,[133] and earned Gomez a nomination for Worst Actress at the 34th Golden Raspberry Awards.[134]Christopher Orr of The Atlantic described her as "a kid trying desperately to act like a grownup, but with no real idea what that might entail".[135] She also served as executive producer and starred in the television special The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex on the Disney Channel.[136]
Despite earlier claims that she would be taking a break from music,[137] Gomez released "Come & Get It" in April 2013; it served as the lead single of her solo debut album.[138] It became Gomez's first top-ten entry on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, reaching number six,[139][140] and also reached the top-ten in Canada and the U.K.[141]Stars Dance was released in July.[142] The record is musically rooted in EDM and electropop.[143][144] It became her first album to debut at number one in the U.S., selling 97,000 copies in its first week,[95][145] and also reached number one in Canada.[146] It received mixed reviews from music critics, with some noticing her inability to create her own musical identity and panning her vocal abilities.[147][148] The album's second single, "Slow Down", achieved moderate success.[139] Gomez incorporated choreographed dance routines into the album's music videos and her promotional live performances, having been inspired by artists such as Janet Jackson and Britney Spears.[149][150] The video of "Come & Get It" won the Best Pop Video at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards.[151]
Gomez embarked on her Stars Dance Tour in August 2013.[152] After performing in North America and Europe, Gomez canceled the Australian and Asian legs of the tour in December 2013, claiming that she would be taking a hiatus to spend time with her family.[153] In January 2014, it was reported that Gomez had spent two weeks at Dawn at The Meadows, which is a treatment center in Wickenburg, Arizona, that specializes in treating addiction and trauma in young people.[154] Her representative stated that she had spent time there "voluntarily [...] but not for substance abuse".[155][156] Gomez confirmed in 2015 that she had been diagnosed with lupus and that after canceling the tour she entered rehab to undergo chemotherapy.[157][158] Gomez played Nina Pennington, an innocent straight-A student, in Behaving Badly (2014).[159][160] The project, filmed prior to Gomez's stint in rehab, was released in August to a generally negative critical and commercial reception.[161][162] However, critics deemed Gomez's performance superior to the film.[163][164] Gomez also had a supporting role in the drama Rudderless (2014), the directorial debut of William H. Macy.[165][166] The independent film premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival,[165] and received a mixed reception from critics.[167][168] At the 2014 Teen Choice Awards, Gomez was honored with the Ultimate Choice Award for her "contributions to the entertainment world".[169]
In April 2014, Gomez had fired her mother and stepfather as her managers, who had served in those roles since her career at Disney.[170] Gomez later signed with the WMA and Brillstein companies to manage her career.[171]The Hollywood Reporter informed: "Selena's desire to find fresh handlers is part of a strategy to "move on into more adult-oriented fare in film and music"", and finally get rid of the image of the "Disney's Teen Idol".[172] This change fueled rumors that her contract with Hollywood Records was coming to an end.[173] In November 2014, Gomez surprise-released her new single "The Heart Wants What It Wants", and confirmed after months of speculation that she would be releasing a compilation album to complete her contract with her label.[173] The single became her second top-ten hit in the U.S.,[55] and reached the top-ten in Canada.[97] That same month, Gomez released her first greatest hits album, For You.[174] The compilation album debuted at number twenty-four on the U.S. Billboard 200,[175] earning 35,506 album-equivalent units in its first week.[176] Gomez officially parted ways with Hollywood Records and later signed with Interscope Records in December 2014.[177]
2015–2016: Revival
While working on her second studio album, Gomez collaborated with German DJ Zedd on "I Want You to Know", released in February 2015,[178] and debuted at number-seventeen in the U.S.[55] In May, she appeared in Taylor Swift's music video for "Bad Blood".[179] Gomez released "Good for You" featuring rapper ASAP Rocky as the lead single from her second studio album, in June.[180] The song debuted at number-one on the Digital Songs chart with first-week sales of 179,000 copies—the best sales week in Gomez's career for a single.[181] "Good for You" became Gomez's first top-five single on the Billboard Hot 100, and her first single to top the Pop Airplay chart.[182] It also reached the top-ten on charts in Australia and Canada.[183] Gomez later reprised the voice role of Mavis in Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015); the film was met with a positive critical reception and commercial success upon release,[184] grossing US$474 million worldwide.[185] She was awarded Favorite Animated Movie Voice at the 42nd People's Choice Awards.[186]
Gomez released her second studio album, Revival, in October 2015.[187] It is primarily a dance-pop and electropop record with R&B vibes.[188][189] The album was reviewed positively by critics, who praised its production and lyrical content.[190] Writing for Rolling Stone, Brittany Spanos stated that "Revival is an audacious name for a 23-year-old singer's second album, but from start to finish, Gomez earns it," noting that "[t]his is the sound of a newly empowered pop artist growing into her strengths like never before."[191] Kristen S.Hé of Billboard called it "one of the most influential pop albums of the late 2010s."[192] Rob Sheffileld from Rolling Stone Australia called it "one of the past decade's most influential pop albums. (You could say it did for the 2010s what Blackout did for the 2000s.)".[193] The album debuted at number-one on the U.S. Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 117,000 album units,[194] and was certified platinum by the RIAA.[195] It remains Gomez's highest first-week sales to date.[194] "Same Old Love" was released as the album's second single and topped the Pop Airplay chart.[196][197] It also peaked at number-five in the U.S., tying with "Good for You" as Gomez's highest-charting single at the time,[55] and reached the top-ten in Canada.[97] "Hands to Myself" served as the album's third single and became her third consecutive number-one on the Pop Airplay,[198] making Gomez the sixth woman to score at least three number-one singles on the Pop Airplay chart from a single set.[199] The single also peaked within the top-ten in the U.S.,[55] and the top-five in Canada.[97] "Kill Em with Kindness" was released as the Revival's fourth and final single four months later.[199] For her performance on Billboard's music charts, Gomez received the Chart-Topper Award at the 2015 Billboard Women in Music event.[200]
Gomez was a key advisor during the ninth season of the reality singing competition The Voice.[201] She made a cameo appearance in Adam McKay's film The Big Short (2015).[202] In 2016, Gomez starred as Dot, a young runaway hitchhiker, in the comedy-drama The Fundamentals of Caring with Paul Rudd,[203][204] which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, and was released on Netflix five months later.[205] The film received a positive critical response;[206] Tristram Fane Saunders of The Daily Telegraph described Gomez's performance as "impressive" and "mature".[207] Gomez performed as the musical guest on an episode of the NBC late-night sketch comedy Saturday Night Live in January 2016.[208] Gomez played the president of a sorority in the comedy Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016);[209] the film grossed US$108 million worldwide,[210] and received mixed to positive reviews.[211]
Gomez embarked on her worldwide Revival Tour in May 2016.[212][213] She claimed that the tour would focus solely on her as an artist and would feature less choreography and fewer effects than her previous tour.[213] Gomez began working on her third studio album while touring and added a new song titled "Feel Me" to the setlist of her Revival Tour.[214] The song was later released in February 2020, due to high demand from fans.[215] After touring in North America, Asia and Oceania, she canceled the European and South America legs in August 2016 due to anxiety, panic attacks and depression caused by her lupus.[216]
Gomez featured on Charlie Puth's single, "We Don't Talk Anymore".[217] The song was an international success,[218] and reached the top-ten in the U.S., Australia, France, Spain, and topped the charts in Italy;[219] and was certified 5× platinum by the RIAA.[220] The music video became the most-viewed music video published in 2016 on YouTube,[221] with over 3 billion views.[218] Gomez had a supporting role in In Dubious Battle (2016) starring and directed by James Franco.[222] The film had its world premiere at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival,[223] and was met with underwhelming reviews.[224] She also guest starred in the Comedy Central variety sketch series Inside Amy Schumer.[225] Gomez and Canadian singer Tory Lanez were featured on Norwegian DJ Cashmere Cat's single, "Trust Nobody".[226]
Following the cancelation of her tour, Gomez rechecked into rehab to focus on her mental health and was noticeably absent from social media.[227] At that time, she was the most followed person on Instagram,[228] and became the first person to reach 100 million followers on the platform.[229] In February 2023, she regained her status as the most-followed woman on the platform,[230] and became the first woman to reach 400 million followers the following month.[231] Gomez made her first public appearance since entering rehab at the 2016 American Music Awards,[232] where she was nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist and Artist of the Year, the first of which she won.[233] And her spirited speech became one of the most-powerful awards show speeches in recent history.[234] At the 2016 iHeartRadio Music Awards, Gomez won Biggest Triple Threat,[235] and at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards, she was nominated for two awards including Top Female Artist.[236] In the same year, she was named to Forbes'30 Under 30 list in the music category,[237] and again in 2020 in its "All-Star Alumni" category.[238]
2017–2019: Standalone releases and 13 Reasons Why
Gomez and the Norwegian DJ Kygo released a single together, "It Ain't Me", in February 2017.[239] The collaboration reached top ten of most major music charts worldwide, including the U.S. and the U.K.,[240][85] and attained top five peaks in Australia, Canada, Germany and many European countries.[241] The song received nominations at major awards around the world,[242] including Top Dance/Electronic Song at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards,[243] and it also her best-selling song in the UK, selling over 1.4 million chart units.[244]
Gomez served as executive producer for the series adaptation of the novel Thirteen Reasons Why.[62] The show premiered on Netflix in March 2017.[245] The series drew backlash from various mental health charities and suicide prevention communities over "dangerous content", with some people feeling the show glamorized suicide. Gomez addressed the controversy, saying that "We stayed very true to the book and that's initially what [author] Jay Asher created was a beautifully tragic, complicated yet suspenseful story and I think that's what we wanted to do. We wanted to do it justice and, yeah, [the backlash is] gonna come no matter what. It's not an easy subject to talk about, but I'm very fortunate with how it's doing.[246] Despite the controversy, the first season was a critical success.[247] However, the other three seasons received generally negative reviews.[248][249][250]13 Reasons Why was the most tweeted about show of 2017, and the most-watched original streaming series of 2018.[251][252] The series ended after four seasons in June 2020.[253] Gomez recorded a cover version of the song "Only You" for the series' first season soundtrack.[254]
In May 2017, Gomez released the single "Bad Liar", alongside a vertical music video which was available for streaming only through Spotify;[255] it was the first-ever music video to premiere on Spotify.[256] The song received universal acclaim from music critics,[257]