The past few years have been transformative for Selena Gomez. Last fall, while hosting her first-ever Rare Impact Fund Benefit to raise money for youth mental health organizations, the singer, actress and cosmetics brand founder explained how it was the fulfillment of a dream that “stemmed from some of the darkest moments in my life.”
For a long time, she said, “I struggled with the world inside my head,” leaving her feeling “lost” and “hopeless.” But after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2018, “everything quickly changed,” as she got “answers that I had been desperate for so long.” Armed with knowledge, she added, “I could seek out the support I needed to be myself, to find my joy again.”
Now, she’s not only found that joy — she’s thriving. A big part of that in recent months is because of the love of a wonderful man, Benny Blanco. “This is my happiest,” Selena gushed on Instagram in December after publicly confirming she and the music producer-songwriter are a couple, further declaring Benny “better than anyone I’ve ever been with.”
Their romance, which began last summer, has grown serious quickly. In fact, the speed at which the relationship has progressed has some friends worried it’s too much, too soon. “Selena can’t wait for Benny to propose,” a source exclusively reveals to Life & Style. “She’s been telling friends she’s finally found the right guy and she’s ready to walk down the aisle. There are some who fear she’s rushing into things a little bit, though. They don’t want Selena to get her heart broken.”
Taking the Next Step
An engagement could happen sooner than anyone realizes. “Benny is planning a romantic proposal — he’s just waiting for the right time,” says the source, adding that the Grammy nominees “have talked rings — Benny’s even gone shopping — so he might pop the question any day now.”
Selena’s planned a nuptial celebration before. “I thought I would be married by now, so I threw myself a wedding,” she confessed of her 30th birthday party’s theme in 2022. But for her real walk down the aisle, she’ll take things up a notch. Selena, 31, and Benny (real name: Benjamin Levin), 36, “have already discussed their dream wedding. She wants lots of color and tons of flowers,” the source tells Life & Style, and since both are gourmands — she hosts the Food Network series Selena + Chef while he makes outrageous YouTube food videos with The Bear star Matty Matheson — “the menu will be off the charts. His buddy Matty, the actor and chef, will be in charge of the food, so it’s sure to be wild and unexpected.”
The pop star’s wedding dress, however, will be something more classic. “Selena can’t decide be- tween Valentino, Oscar de la Renta and Armani,” says the source, who believes the fashion-obsessed bride- to-be “will probably end up wearing all three!”
Meanwhile, the guest list is bound to be a who’s who of stars in the music and acting worlds. Taylor Swift “will be there — and probably in the wedding party — and Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon will be invited,” the source dished to Life & Style. Selena’s Only Murder in the Building co-stars are destined to make the cut, too. “There are even whispers Steve Martin will walk her down the aisle,” spills the source, explaining how “they have a special relationship, a mix of mentor and father figure.”
Among those not expected to witness the happy occasion? Selena’s ex, Justin Bieber — with whom Benny has also worked in the past — “won’t get an invite,” confirms the source, while other “big-name snubs” are likely to include Demi Lovato, who’s had “a rocky relationship” with Selena over the years, and Miley Cyrus, seeing as she and her fellow Disney alum “have drifted apart.”
Benny makes Selena feel seen. “It’s just really important to meet someone that respects you,” she told Apple Music 1 host Zane Lowe on February 23, adding that it’s also been nice to “lean on someone who understands the world that I live in.”
That shared experience in the music industry — where Benny’s built up an estimated $50 million net worth working with artists like Ed Sheeran, Katy Perry, The Weeknd, Maroon 5, Britney Spears and Rihanna — means Selena, who’s worth an estimated $800 million, can let her guard down. “She doesn’t want a prenup,” the source tells Life & Style. “She trusts Benny. Despite their own worries about things moving too fast, friends say Selena thinks he’s her soulmate and saved her life.” As Selena herself confessed in February, being with Benny is “the safest that I feel.”
