Selena Gomez is opening up about the friendship that’s defined her adult life, and the teenage breakup that unexpectedly sparked it all.
On a new episode of the Therapuss podcast, the Only Murders in the Building star, 33, broke down how she and Taylor Swift, 35, first bonded. Spoiler alert: it all started with the Jonas Brothers.
“We were young… and it was really sweet”
Gomez and Swift were just teens when they first met. Selena was dating Nick Jonas, while Taylor was seeing his older brother Joe.
“It was cute. We were young. We didn’t know what we were doing,” Selena recalled, laughing. “I was about 15, she was about 18, and that’s when it was the crazy curly Taylor, and she had all these bracelets that went all the way up.”
Despite both relationships fizzling out in 2008, something else stuck — a best friendship that would last more than 16 years.
“We like to say the best things we got out of those relationships was each other,” Selena said. “We bonded over the breakup. As girls do.”
“Love Story” — and the hotel room moment she never forgot
In one of the episode’s most emotional moments, Selena revealed that she was one of the first people to ever hear Swift’s now-iconic hit Love Story.
“I was in a hotel room, and I remember it vividly,” Selena said. “She was like, ‘OK, I just want to play you this song. But I don’t know… I think it’s going to be the first single.’”
The track, which would go on to define a generation, struck Selena instantly. “It was one of the most beautiful songs I had ever heard.”
She described Swift as an “incredible chameleon,” adding that the Grammy winner’s ability to evolve while staying grounded is part of what’s made their friendship endure.
A birthday bash, a fiancé, and Taylor right by her side
Now in 2025, Selena and Taylor’s friendship is still going strong, and it was on full display at Gomez’s recent 33rd birthday bash in Los Angeles.
Held at the iconic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, the 70s-style celebration featured sequins, disco balls, and a sweet snapshot of the two stars sitting together in a ball pit. Selena in a silver jumpsuit, Taylor sporting her signature red lip and what appeared to be a black mini dress.
“This past year has truly been the most beautiful year of my life,” Selena shared on Instagram. “And I owe so much of that to all of you.”
Also in the room? Her fiancé Benny Blanco, who shared a kiss with Selena during the party. The pair, who first met when Selena was just 16, went public in 2023 and got engaged the following year.
Selena called herself an “excited” bride-to-be, but added that she and Blanco are waiting to finish some personal goals before diving into wedding planning.
Through every high and heartbreak, Taylor stayed
From their earliest days of pop stardom to award-winning careers and new chapters in love, Gomez and Swift have seen it all, together.
“We just stuck around for all the ups and downs that came after,” Selena said. “And here we are now, 16 years later.”
