Pop singer and actress Selena Gomez has fans buzzing this week after she posted a rather cozy-looking photo with producer Benny Blanco, apparently confirming recent rumors that the two are dating. Blanco has a long history of working with Gomez’s ex, Justin Bieber, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the budding relationship.
The speculation about Gomez and Blanco’s coupling sprang from an Instagram post that Gomez shared on December 5th. The photos show Gomez and Blanco cuddling under a blanket, with Blanco sticking his tongue out playfully in one shot. “This makes me happy,” Gomez declared in the caption—an instead telling statement about her feelings for the producer.
While Gomez did not outright declare that she and Blanco are an item, many fans and media outlets read the intimate photos as an unofficial confirmation that the two musicians are indeed dating. The snaps seem to capture genuine romantic chemistry between the “Only Murders in the Building” star and the Grammy-winning producer.
Gomez and Blanco have worked together musically a number of times over the past seven years, first collaborating on her 2015 album “Revival.” But this week’s Instagram post indicates that their professional relationship has apparently blossomed into a full-fledged romance of late.
Fans have been quick to point out the irony that Blanco has a long history of working closely with Gomez’s famous ex, Justin Bieber. Blanco co-wrote Bieber’s smash hits “Love Yourself” and “Cold Water,” among others, and has maintained a friendship and creative partnership with the pop icon in recent years. Bieber is himself happily married to model Hailey Bieber nee Baldwin.
But Gomez and Bieber have a complicated romantic history spanning over a decade, on and off from their teenage years until 2018. Some fans have speculated that Gomez could be trying to make Bieber “jealous” with her very public display of affection for his well-known producer collaborator. Others have noted, however, that both Gomez and Bieber have clearly moved on and matured tremendously in the years since their last breakup.
At age 30, Gomez seems thrilled to be starting a fresh romance—and flaunting newfound happiness after years of being tight-lipped about her dating life. Since her 2018 split from Bieber, Gomez has been famously discreet about her relationships, even keeping a low profile with rumored former flames like The Chainsmokers’ Drew Tagnetti.
So, while Gomez did not explicitly state, “Benny Blanco is my boyfriend,” she says enough by cuddling up to him enthusiastically on her massively public Instagram page for her 348 million followers to get the message.
As for how Blanco feels about Gomez broadcasting their cuddle session to the world, he re-posted her photos on his own Instagram page a few days later—seemingly confirming that he is just fine with the spotlight on this new Hollywood relationship.
The ballad-friendly pop star and the hip-hop-oriented producer do seem an unexpected match at first glance. The 33-year-old Blanco has worked with substantial rap stars from Ed Sheeran to Rihanna, while Gomez first found fame as a Disney Channel teen actress alongside future pop diva Demi Lovato.
But the singer-actress and producer clearly share an artistic connection—having first worked together when Gomez was transitioning away from her Disney roots into mature pop stardom at age 22. Now entering a new era of her professional and personal life, Gomez seems thrilled to be rediscovering her chemistry with Blanco in a romantic sense as well.
The days and weeks ahead will tell whether Gomez and her “new man” Blanco take more formal steps to announce their official coupledom. But in the meantime, Selena seems happier than her fans have glimpsed on her social media pages in quite some time—thanks to this cozy new romance that has everyone talking this week.
