Selena Gomez Charity Work, Events and Causes

Selena Gomez is taking the world by storm; she has already gained world-wide recognition for her role in the Emmy Award winning show ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’ on the Disney Channel and has since starred in numerous films such as ‘A Cinderella Story’ and ‘Princess Protection Programme’.
Not only can she act, but the young star can sing as well, fronting her band ‘Selena Gomez & the Scene’, which has had two platinum singles and sold over 1,350,000 albums in America alone. The teenage phenomenon has not only done all this but has also become UNICEF's youngest ever Goodwill Ambassador, when she was made spokesperson for the Trick or Treat campaign which worked to raise awareness of the plight of children in Ghana and has done a huge number of other activities for the charity.

Selena has travelled to the Congo with the ENOUGH Project to witness firsthand the difficulties that Congolese citizens are struggling with due to war, poverty and conflict minerals and made a PSA with Kermit the Frog to raise awareness of endangered amphibians (which can be seen here), half of which will be extinct soon if something isn’t done.

Selena recently joined other celebrities in strutting her stuff down the runway in Beverly Hills in aid of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, where over $1 million dollars was raised for the cause.

She joined fellow Disney Channel superstar Joe Jonas in launching the second closed circuit media centre, “The Voice” in the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia on behalf of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation. It serves as a creative outlet for sick and injured children, where they can try their hand at TV, radio and new media.

As well as all of this, Selena has helped a huge number of smaller charities such as Borden Milk and Island Dogs which helps save Puerto Rican dogs, State Farm Insurance which helps promote safe driving.

It’s safe to say, for a little lady Selena Gomez is packing a huge punch in the philanthropic world and is fast becoming an international role model for kids everywhere.

The Observer The wonderful world of Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez could so easily be a brat. She's the child star whose every move is documented by the paparazzi – not least because she's Justin Bieber's other half. Yet, as Olly Richards discovers, the Disney alumna is growing up with cool, calm cunning

Even by tiny celebrity standards, Selena Gomez is of practically Borrower proportions. Before we meet, we pass in the hotel lobby, and I assume she is someone's nine-year-old daughter until a small clatter of BlackBerry jockeys sweeps behind her. Ask a pre-teen, however, and they'll tell you Gomez is one of the biggest stars in the world. With 15.6m Twitter followers, millions in album sales, tens of millions in box office dollars and countless headlines as the on-off girlfriend of Justin Bieber, she is one of the most successful of the Disney Channel alumni. Not the comparatively ancient generation that once produced Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Ryan Gosling and Christina Aguilera, but the new breed, who are primped and propagated like prize roses; toothy munchkins given TV shows and then slapped on backpacks, pencil cases and, if they can carry a tune without significant wobble, album covers. Gomez has appeared in 106 episodes of Wizards of Waverly Place (a show about magically gifted kids which aired on Disney) and released three albums with her band the Scene. She will shortly turn 21.

Gomez does not look like a woman trying to conquer the world. In a fairly modest hotel room she's curled up in a huge chair, swaddled in an oversized jumper, with her hair scraped back off her make-up-free face. She looks more like someone readying themselves for a DVD and an early night. But we meet as Gomez is in the midst of a global plan to become an adult. Two days previously she was in Las Vegas, performing at the Billboard Music Awards, and a couple of hours after we meet she's off to Paris for more promotion. She has had to cancel most of her other interviews in London due to a mystery illness (she coughs through our interview and insists I wash my hands when I leave). But this is her normal. This is the level of work she's been doing since she was school age. "It's pretty constant, yeah," she says with a shrug. "But I get weekends off now and again."

Where the Miley Cyruses of this world try cropping their hair off and gyrating semi-naked in order to be seen as adults, or the likes of Lindsay Lohan and Amanda Bynes lose all semblance of a plan and spin off into pitiable tabloid notoriety, Gomez's transition has been rather smarter. Earlier this year she appeared in Spring Breakers, playing an innocent Christian getting her first taste of hedonism for the director Harmony Korine, whose films are more likely to feature unsimulated masturbation than a lovely song-and-dance number. OK, she spent most of it in a bikini, but it was a critically acclaimed departure, with the film being nominated for the Golden Lion award at Venice Film Festival. Now she's about to release her first solo album, Stars Dance, the lead single of which, "Come and Get It", is efficient, infectious pop. But with album tracks like "Lover in Me", "I Like it That Way" and indeed "Come and Get It", is she, too, about to go all out on the adult message?

"Now you say them back to back, they do sound a little…" she says, carefully leaving off the final word. "I didn't intentionally do that. 'Come and Get It' was just very up front and outgoing… It's not technically what people will think. Oh God, you're the first person who's made me realise that."

Under a spell: Gomez in Wizards of Waverly Place. Photograph: Rex

Gomez is not so media trained that she can get through an entire interview without seeming to conjure a single independent thought, and she makes engaging company, frequently poking fun at herself. Yet she talks about "the business" as if she's been around for decades and has the air of someone much older. How does she feel about being viewed as a child star at 20?

"Oh, I don't know if that's a bad thing," she says. "In acting it's definitely a good thing that I look younger because I can play younger roles. But, at the same time, I'm becoming a young woman and wanting to dress more mature and getting comfortable in my own body. I'm very conscious that everything is being watched, and so I have to respect that. I'm not going to do anything wearing just a piece of tape."

In the past she has spoken of reading fan feedback on the length of her hair and taking it on board. Is it a recipe for madness, to fall prey to the fanbase? "It's all I've ever known," she admits. "And I don't know if that's sad, but it's my life. So I don't know. I still feel very normal and just like a Texas girl, but then this is how I grew up, in this industry. I don't really know any different."

Gomez was raised in Grand Prairie, Texas, by a 16-year-old mother. Her parents divorced when she was five. When her career took off at the age of 10 – a childhood of performing in the living room led to a stint jollying around with Barney the purple dinosaur in the 90s series Barney & Friends – Gomez's mother, Mandy Cornett, became her manager, a relationship Gomez now describes as "like a Gilmore Girls bond, except the dialogue's not as clever". "We're both growing up," she says. "She's Mom first before she's my manager, but she knows what she needs to do." On this trip to London, Cornett is notably absent. "She gives me space. When I was 18 she let me do things on my own. But she's part of my life every day. I mean, she knows everything! Like last night, I went to eat with my friend Jaden [Smith, son of Will] and I called my mom to check in and she was like: 'Oh, I know already.'"

When I ask Gomez if she needed protection from the potentially sinister world of Disney, she almost laughs. "Oh, it's a machine!" she squeaks. "I've heard all of it. I've heard everything under the sun." She does not believe its stars are exploited too young to have control of their own careers. "But the promo they're very good at," she will say. "The promo aspect was interesting. [Wizards of Waverly] was a small show at the beginning, nobody was watching, and then all of a sudden they sent me overseas. They just passionately broadcast it. And that's that. They don't make you sing as well," she adds. She would hit the recording studio on her weekends, "because that was just a fun thing I loved to do".

 

The big break: with, from left, Ashley Benson, Rachel Korine and Vanessa Hudgens in Spring Breakers. Photograph: Capital Pictures

In this second stage of her career Gomez is aware that her success at Disney may well be the biggest obstacle to her future. Projects like Spring Breakers "are great, because they push me", but "not many people will take the chances, not like Harmony did. They'll say: 'She's just a Disney kid – she doesn't have it.' Whereas Harmony said: 'Oh, she's a Disney kid. So I want to push her to have it.'" On set, there were times when the old and new worlds clashed. Korine was supportive. "There was one day when I had a bit of a meltdown on set – we had about 200 people outside and I was shooting an intimate scene. You're already in a bikini and I'm doing a scene where I'm drunk. And it was… I just started sobbing. I said: 'Harmony, there are kids watching me. I don't know what to do. Sometimes I just want to escape.' And he shoved me in the pool! He said: 'Say everything you just said to me on camera.'"

She has since gone on to make Rudderless, the forthcoming directorial debut of actor William H Macy, but says: "I know they wouldn't have even have looked at me if it weren't for Spring Breakers. They even said that to me." The level of tabloid attention she receives due to her relationships with at least three very famous boys [Justin Bieber, Nick Jonas and Taylor Lautner] – she laughs when I use the word "men" – also has an effect. Barely a week goes by when she won't be papped somewhere, not necessarily doing anything. "There'll be days where I'm not bothered at all and I can just go out with my friends to the movies or walk around the park," she says. "But when it gets frustrating, that's when I call Taylor [Swift]. Or Demi [Lovato, both long-time friends]. Sometimes it will just be, like: 'Urgh, people are talking about me!' But then it feels gross [to complain], because it comes with what I love to do."

'I’m becoming a woman, wanting to dress more mature and be comfortable in my own body': Selena Gomez pictured with Justin Bieber at the Teen Choice Awards last July. Photograph: Rex

She is careful not to mention Bieber's name, even when talking directly about him. How does she deal with the scrutiny that comes with being his girlfriend? "Sure, I knew people would talk about it," she says. "But I can't be afraid to live my life. I had my first 'boyfriend' [Nick Jonas], which wasn't really a boyfriend, at 14, 15. You're young and you don't know how to be. You don't think: 'Now I have a boyfriend – let's keep it super-private and low key,' because that's not what you're thinking about. You're thinking about: 'Oh my God, we're holding hands!' You're just thinking about stuff like that. Everybody falls in love and you would never want to hide something you're so happy about. But I've learned a lot. You keep the things that are super-private to yourself. I definitely want to do that now. But it's so hard."

She mentions wanting to work with Martin Scorsese as an ambition for the future, but is self-aware enough to joke that the feeling might not be mutual. She's not even sure of her career beyond this record. "You can't say what's going to be, because you don't know. I could be gone tomorrow. Nobody would care if I sell another record and nobody would hire me again. It's that simple."

It's a conceivable scenario – it's happened before – but something tells me Gomez is different. She's no Minnie Mouse, that's for sure.

Selena's album Stars Dance is out on 22 July

Here's What Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber's New Songs Sound Like Mashed Up Together

                                                          Photo: Getty Images


Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber both released two of the best albums of 2015, and within a few weeks of each other. (Who hasn't had Revival and Purpose on nonstop repeat at all hours of the day?) But while each singer wrote and recorded their songs with their own teams, they're still exes, and it's hard to ignore the idea that some of the songs on each album could be about the other. (Justin, for his part, admitted that at least three of the songs on his album were about Selena.)

But what would they sound like if they were on a song together? No, not the leaked song that hit the internet earlier this year, but perhaps Justin featuring on "Hands to Myself"? Or Selena chiming in on "Sorry"? Well, Troye Sivan is here to show you exactly what that sounds like...sort of.

The 20-year-old Australian appeared on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon last night, and offered a toned-down mashup of the two hit songs. "Is it too late now to say sorry / because I'm missing more than just your body" and "can't keep my hands to myself" might seem to be contradictory messages, but we have one question for that: Troye, what do you mean?

How Many Songs On Justin Bieber’s Album Are About Selena Gomez?

After months of questionably sincere apologies and unquestionably great bangers, the resurrection of
Justin Bieber is officially complete.

                                                   Def Jam / Schoolboy

Thanks to an unexpected EDM makeover, teen pop’s most noxious bad boy is back and he sounds better than ever. While his long-awaited fourth album, Purpose, doesn’t quite reach the euphoric heights of his pre-release singles, it’s a sure-footed release that suggests the Biebs might just make the transition to adult stardom after all. A remarkable feat considering, well, everything that has happened in the three years since his last album, Believe.

While Bieber is clearly trying to transcend his tabloid persona on Purpose, he’s only marginally successful — you’ll probably forget about that time he pissed in a mop bucket, but you definitely won’t forget about his relationship with Selena Gomez.

In fact, you’ll probably be more interested in #Jelena by the end of the album’s standard edition. Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images
The singer will only admit that three songs on Purposeare about his on-again, off-again relationship with Gomez, but that number seems ~suspiciously low~ for an album filled with reconciliation pleas and songs about love gone awry.

VALERIE MACON / AFP / Getty Images

1. “Mark My Words”
The album opener is the first of many apologies. The fluttery, R&B-inflected track finds the singer begging a long-suffering ex to reconcile. “So you heard it all before,” he acknowledges in the first verse before declaring, “I won’t let me lose you / and I won’t let us just fade away.” It’s so obviously about Bieber’s relationship with Gomez that even he had to admit as much during a recent interview with Ellen DeGeneres.

Could this song be about Selena Gomez?


Grant Lamos IV / Getty Images / Apple / Unicode

2. “I’ll Show You”
This EDM ballad is clearly about the perils of fame, not the ups and downs of a relationship. “Don’t forget that I’m human, don’t forget that I’m real,” Bieber sulks in the chorus. “Act like you know me, but you never will.” Take that, haters!

Could this song be about Selena Gomez?


Grant Lamos IV / Getty Images / Apple / Unicode

3. “What Do You Mean?”
While Bieber denied involvement with the #Jelena Easter egg in the “What Do You Mean?” lyrics, the pop star did confess to Ellen DeGeneres that the song had its roots in his relationship with Gomez.

Could this song be about Selena Gomez?


Grant Lamos IV / Getty Images / Apple / Unicode

4. “Sorry”
Initially, Bieber explained this tropical-house apology as “a kind of the stamp in the end of the apologies that I’m giving to people, to the media.” That didn’t stop speculation that the song was actually intended for Gomez, specifically. Ultimately, he conceded that’s at least “a little bit” true during an appearance on The Ellen Show.

Could this song be about Selena Gomez?


Grant Lamos IV / Getty Images / Apple / Unicode

5. “Love Yourself”
On the one hand, Gomez has “love yourself first” tattooed in Arabic on her back. Additionally, the acoustic, guitar-driven song was co-written by Ed Sheeran, who was also rumored to have had a short fling with Gomez. On the other hand, this song isway harsh. “My mama don’t like you and she likes everyone”? Ouch! While this song is petty AF and doesn’t necessarily jibe with Bieber’s public declarations of love and respect for Gomez, the fact that she has a “love yourself” tattoo seems like too big a “coincidence” to ignore.

Could this song be about Selena Gomez?


Grant Lamos IV / Getty Images / Apple / Unicode

6. “Company”
This one is easy — “Company” isn’t about Gomez or #Jelena. It “ain’t that serious.” Instead, the song is a surprisingly fun banger about hitting on a stranger at a club. Bieber is pretty slick with the girl he’s chatting up, even if he didn’t catch her name: “Just wanna have a conversation,” he sings. “Forget about the obligations / Maybe we can stay in touch.”

Could this song be about Selena Gomez?


Grant Lamos IV / Getty Images / Apple / Unicode

7. “No Pressure” (featuring Big Sean)
This is a tough call. A lot of the lyrics in “No Pressure” sound like they could be about #Jelena, but then, in the second verse, he tells his ex that he thought she was only “in it for the paper.” Which, OK, Gomez obviously has her own money and doesn’t need Bieber’s. Is it a sign that the song is about a different girl? An oblique reference to the fact that the public’s interest in their relationship had financial benefits? Unclear! But, given that it’s one line and the singer continues to talk about wanting to reconcile with Gomez, we’re gonna say this is probably a #Jelena song.

Could this song be about Selena Gomez?


8. “No Sense” (featuring Travis Scott)
Bieber misses an ex. His life doesn’t make sense without her. “It ain’t the same when I’m without you,” he sings. “Been around a million stars / None of them shine brighter than you”? Gomez is a star. She shines bright. Case closed.

Could this song be about Selena Gomez?


Grant Lamos IV / Getty Images / Apple / Unicode

9. “The Feeling” (featuring Halsey)
In a lot of ways, this song plays like the “he said” to the “she said” of Gomez’s songs “Sober” and “Outta My Hands (Loco).” Common themes include not being sure if you’re on the same page with your partner, confusing chemistry and real feeling, and just being an emotional disaster.

Could this song be about Selena Gomez?


Grant Lamos IV / Getty Images / Apple / Unicode

10. “Life Is Worth Living”
There definitely seem to be references to #Jelena in this song (“Relationship on a ski slope / Avalanche comin’ down slow / Do we have enough time to salvage this love?”), but, ultimately, the song is about Bieber turning to his faith during a difficult period of his life.

Could this song be about Selena Gomez?


Grant Lamos IV / Getty Images / Apple / Unicode

11. “Where Are Ü Now” (With Skrillex and Diplo)
Five years ago, baby Biebs would occasionally play a piano ballad called “Where Are You Now” at his live shows. Back then, he told the New York Times that the song was about his dad. However, 2015’s “Where Are Ü Now” doesn’t share a lot in common with the original version; the only overlap is the question “Where are you now?” The final version of the song could, theoretically, still be about his dad, but the romantic overtones make it seem much more likely that the song evolved to be about an ex who did a real number on his heart — i.e., Selena Gomez.

Could this song be about Selena Gomez?


Grant Lamos IV / Getty Images / Apple / Unicode

12. “Children”
First things first, this song — which opens with Bieber asking “What about the children?” — is not about Gomez. More importantly, this song — which opens with Bieber asking “What about the children?” — is not about the legions of ridiculous commenters who implore the singer to “think of the children” every time he steps out of line. Instead, it’s a blandly zippy Skrillex banger about inspiring the next generation to do…something.

Could this song be about Selena Gomez?


Grant Lamos IV / Getty Images / Apple / Unicode

13. “Purpose”
It’s never been a secret that Bieber is a practicing Christian, but lately he’s been especially open about his faith. This delicate piano ballad reiterates what he’s said in the press: He wouldn’t have gotten through the last few years if it weren’t for his relationship with God.

Could this song be about Selena Gomez?

Selena Gomez Is Done With Your Questions About Justin Bieber, Thank You Very Much

 

Selena Gomez at 103.5 KISS FM's Jingle Ball 2015on Dec. 16, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois.

"What I would love to be printed is that I am so beyond done with talking about that, and him"

Remember that time video footage surfaced of Justin Bieberserenading Selena Gomez with “My Girl” in a hotel, prompting a lot of are-they-back-together speculation? Well, we’ll likely never get the full story behind the encounter, because Gomez is no longer talking about her ex in interviews. Over it. Finished. Dunzo. As she recently toldRolling Stone, who inquired about the aforementioned clip: “Honestly, what I would love to be printed is that I am so beyond done with talking about that, and him.”

This is great news for anyone who thinks it would probably be quite boring, if not outright humiliating, to be asked about someone you dated as a teenager every time you wanted to talk about your work. Selena Gomez getting asked about Justin Bieber over and over again is to 2015 what Emma Stone getting asked about the Spice Girls over and over againwas to 2014: all parties involved deserve better.

Sure, stars’ personal and professional lives often intersect, especially when one claims her new album is her most personal yet. But there are plenty of other more interesting things to ask her (and Bieber, for that matter) that don’t involve her dating history: What about her cameo in The Big Short, where she breaks down synthetic collateralized debt obligations with unexpected proficiency? (Odds that Gomez knows more about the financial crisis than you: pretty high.) Or about her new single “Hands to Myself,” which is pretty much a perfect pop song? Or literally anything else?

Top 50 Facts About Selena Gomez

1.   Selena Gomez is an American singer and actress, she was Justin Bieber’s girlfriend until the start of 2013. Read the top facts about Selena!
2.  Selena Marie Gomez is her full name.
3.  She was born on 22nd July 1992.
4.  Her start as an actress was when she was cast onBarney & Friends at the age of seven.
5.  Her mother gave birth to her at the age of 16.
6.  Her parents divorced when she was 5 years old.
7.  Has four dogs – Chip, Willy, Fina and Wallace.
8.  She adopted her dog named Chip from an animal shelter.
9.  Selena was discovered by Disney in a nation-wide casting call.
10.  Her mother, Mandy Cornett, remarried in 2006 to Brian Teefey.
11.  Her name ‘Selena’ means Moon in Greek.
12.  She is a huge fan of Johnny Depp.
13.  Selena is an only child.
14.  Selena received a Mickey Mouse charm necklace as a gift from Disney Channel.
15.  Selena appeared in a few episodes of Hannah Montana as Hannah’s rival, Mikayla.
16.  Selena Gomez is a huge fan of Cheryl Cole and wishes to record a duet with her.
17.  Selena’s Twitter account is @selenagomez.
18.  Selena has said in Go Girl magazine that she would like invent ‘Pickle Flavored Gum’.
19.  Selena’s band members are Greg Garman, Joey Clement, Ethan Roberts and Dane Forrest.
20.  Selena’s favourite movie genre is horror.
21.  Selena’s favourite fruit is mango.
22.  Selena loves to surf and skateboard.
23.  Selena is working on a film What Boys Want which is in the cinemas in 2013.
24.  She starred as Grace in Monte Carlo which was released in October 2011.
25.  Selena Gomez’s album ‘A Year Without Rain’ was released in September 2010.
26.  Selena’s clothing line “Dream Out Loud” launched on 15th July 2010.
27.  Selena had her first kiss when she was 12 years old with Dylan Sprouse.
28.  Selena starred in Ramona & Beezus, which was released on 22nd October 2010.
29.  Halloween is one of Selena’s favourite holidays.
30.  She was dating Justin Bieber until January 2013.
31.  Selena’s favourite Justin Bieber songs are One Time, Love Me, and Never Say Never.
32.  Her Zodiac Sign is Cancer.
33.  Selena and Justin Bieber gave a newly wed couple a wedding to remember – the duo crashed their wedding in Malibu and posed for the camera with the bride and groom.
34.  Selena hasn’t worn her purity ring since she was with Justin Bieber.
35.  During the National Council of La Raza’s ALMA Awards, Selena Gomez won the award for comedy for her performance in Wizards of Waverly Place.
36.  Her favourite sport is basketball.
37.  She took part in Disney Channel’s Earth Day celebration.
38.  Selena has a driving licence
39.  She drives a 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid.
40.  Selena and Justin first met in 2009, when Justin’s manager called Selena’s mother, who’s also her manager, to set up a meeting between the two.
41.  Selena Gomez protects her voice by drinking olive oil!
42.  She and best friend Demi Lovato have matching guitar pick necklaces.
43.  Her previous relationship was with Nick Jonas of The Jonas Brothers.
44.  For her 2011 music video “Love You Like A Love Song”, Gomez had horses spray-painted pink. 45.  This led to accusations from PETA and singer Pink about the treatment of the animals.
46.  In June 2011, she released her album “When The Sun Goes Down”.
47.  She went to Danny Jones Middle School in Texas.
48.  Her favourite band is Paramore.
49.  She is named after the famous Tejano singer Selena.
50.  Her shoe size is 7

Selena Gomez Biography

Selena Marie Gomez was born and raised in Grand Prairie, Texas, to Mandy Teefey, who is of part Italian descent, and Ricardo Gomez, who is of Mexican descent and originally from New Mexico. Her parents divorced in 1997. Giving birth to Selena at 16, her mom Mandy recalls living "paycheck-to-paycheck". Selena started out on Barney & Friends (1992) as "Gianna" in 2001 where she really discovered her talent. Unfortunately, they dropped her from the series after just two years. In 2003, she had a very small role in the movie Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003) and a bit part in 2005 when she played "Julie" in Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire (2005) with Mitchel Musso and in 2006 as "Emily Grace Garcia" in Brain Zapped (2006) when she recorded a song for the movie. She she guest starred as "Gwen" in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody (2005) and as Hannah's rival, the 'evil' "Mikayla", in Hannah Montana (2006). Selena's amazing talent landed her roles in two Disney series, both spin-offs. Unfortunately, neither show was picked up until 2007 when she got the role of "Alex Russo" in the magical series Wizards of Waverly Place (2007) which she auditioned for three times. In March 2008, she made her first animated movie Horton Hears a Who!(2008) and later starred in Another Cinderella Story (2008) with Disney Channel starDrew Seeley for ABC Family. Her two Disney Channel Original Movies Princess Protection Program (2009), with real-life BFF Demi Lovato, and Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie (2009) will both air Summer 2009.

Before landing the role of "Alex Russo" in Wizards of Waverly Place (2007), she wasn't a fan of either magic or the Harry Potter franchise.

Her role model and favorite actress is Rachel McAdams.

While filming the animated movie Horton Hears a Who! (2008), she played Steve Carell's daughter but never got to meet him.

She became interested in acting after watching her mom, Mandy Teefey.

Her favorite band is Paramore.

She adopted her dog named Chip from an animal shelter.

Discovered by Disney in a nationwide casting call.

Sings the theme tune to her Disney Channel show Wizards of Waverly Place (2007).

Has six dogs: Chip, Willy, Fina, Wallace, Chaz and Baylor.

Her mom, Mandy Teefey, remarried in 2006 to Brian Teefey.

Wears a purity ring that says "True Love Waits".

Her father is of Mexican descent. Her mother, who was adopted, is of part Italian ancestry.

Her mom gave birth to her at the age of 16.

Her parents divorced when she was five years old.

She was named after Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, who died almost three years after Gomez was born.

She went to Danny Jones Middle School located in Texas.

Her first name means "moon" in Greek.

She is a huge fan of Johnny Depp and Lady Sovereign.

Both her family and Fernanda Romero are from the same town in Mexico.

Used to do a YouTube show with best friend Demi Lovato called "The Demi and Selena Show".

Has a song about her on YouTube called "Selena Gomez" by Greg Kurka.

Involved with the charity Raise Hope for Congo which helps raise awareness about the violence against Congolese women.

Participated in the "Runway for Life" benefit for St. Jude's Children Research Hospial.

Was named the youngest ambassador to UNICEF at age 17 (2009).

Lead singer of the band Selena Gomez & The Scene.

She and her mom, 'Mandy Teefey' (qav) said good-bye to friends and family in Grand Prairie, TX, to start a new Life in Los Angeles after hearing the life-changing news of Selena's new role on Wizards of Waverly Place (2007).

Is a fan of Britney Spears and considers Britney to be one of her idols.

Huge fan of Fefe Dobson, she covered one of Dobson's tracks "As a Blonde" on her album "Kiss and tell" and Fefe also co-wrote Selena's hit single "Round and Round".

For her 2011 music video "Love You Like A Love Song", Gomez had horses spray-painted pink. This led to accusations from PETA and singer Pink about the treatment of the animals.

Hospitalized with nausea and terrible headaches after appearing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992). She was later diagnosed with physical exhaustion and food poisoning [June 13, 2011].

Is friends with Demi Lovato since they met on July 22, 1999 on a casting for Barney & Friends (1992). Later, they worked together on Princess Protection Program (2009) andSonny with a Chance (2009). Also directed, together, The Demi and Selena Show(2008).

Was in on-off relationship with Justin Bieber from December 2010 to January 2013.

(December 16, 2011) Her mother Mandy Teefey miscarried her future younger half-sister who was due to be named Scarlett J. Teefey at 16 weeks of pregnancy.

Has 2 younger half-sisters - Gracie Elliot Teefey (b.June 12, 2013) via her motherMandy Teefey and her 2nd husband Brian Teefey and Victoria Gomez (b.June 25, 2014) via her father Ricardo Gomez and his 2nd wife Sara Gomez.

Shooting with Lalaine on the set of Lizzie McGuire (2001) television spin-off "Stevie Sanchez" for the Disney Channel. She will play Miranda's kid sister, Stephanie "Stevie" Sanchez.

Appeared in a commercial for Borden milk.

On December 27, 2013 it was reported that she was suffering from lupus for the past several years. On October 9, 2015 she confirmed the diagnosis and underwent chemotherapy.

Ranked #19 on Maxim's "Hot 100" of 2014 list.

Personal Quotes (23)

Be yourself always, there's no one better!

I was never the girl who thought I need to make sure I look like all the other girls. I think you look best when you stand out.

I wanted to be like my friends. I hung out with girls who had blue eyes and blond hair and I thought, "I want to look like them!".

I love Katy Perry! She gave me a song for my second album.

Everyone wants songs written by Katy Perry. I asked her and she was so nice--she just said, "Yeah, you can have it". She was very kind.

I don't actually like dates. I get awkward as I never know what to do.

For me, the person that I really admire because they came from this Disney world would be Shia LaBeouf. He had his own show on Disney Channel. He was really funny and I loved his show. Then he started to do films. Now he is doing really great films and he is respected as an actor. I really like him a lot as an actor. I think he is cute, too, so that helps. I feel that I can relate to him the most.

I'm going to be Katy Perry for Halloween. I'm going to have the blue hair and the ice cream outfit she did. It's going to be awesome.