Singer and actress Selena Gomez has confirmed she is engaged to record producer Benny Blanco, who she has been dating since June 2023.
The Only Murders in the Building and Emilia Peréz star, 32, announced the happy news on Instagram in December 2024, sharing photos of her diamond ring with her 423million followers.
Selena kept her fans guessing when she started dating Benny – sharing photos with his face obscured for months before going public on Instagram in December 2023.
Fans and celebrity friends were quick to congratulate the Hands To Myself hitmaker – with her pal Taylor Swift even commenting that she will 'be the flower girl' at the upcoming wedding.
Although you will have no doubt heard lots of songs Benny has produced – including four of Selena's hits – you may not know too much about him. So, who is Benny Blanco? Get up to speed before his and Selena's big day!
Who is Benny Blanco?
Benny Blanco – whose real name is Benjamin Joseph Levin – is an American record producer who was born in Reston, Virginia but now resides in Los Angeles.
How old is he?
Benny was born on 8 March 1988, making him 36 years old and a Pisces. This makes him four years and four months older than Selena.
How did Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco meet?
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco have known each other for many years. Whilst the origins of their first meeting have not been disclosed, the musical pair have been familiar with one another since at least 2015, when Benny produced tracks Same Old Love and Kill Em with Kindness for her album Revival.
Six years later, they worked together again, this time on a song called I Can't Get Enough. Benny and Tainy, a fellow record producer, produced the track, whilst Selena and Colombian singer J Balvin sang the vocals.
On the single cover, Selena links her arm through a teddy bear-clad Benny, as the four musicians pose propped up in bed.
In 2023, Benny produced another song for Selena, Single Soon, which was a Top 20 hit in the US.
How long have Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco known each other?
They could well have crossed paths before joining forces on Same Old Love. Either way, they have known each other for at least eight years.
Who else has Benny Blanco worked with?
Benny has worked with a number of huge stars across his career, producing songs for the likes of Rihanna, Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber.
He has worked on a whopping 31 number one singles – including Katy's I Kissed a Girl and California Gurls, Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera's Moves Like Jagger and Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello's Señorita.
Is Benny Blanco friends with Justin Bieber?
Why does this matter, you ask? Oh, it might just have something to do with the fact Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber dated - albeit on and off - for eight years until 2018.
Selena's previous exes also include The Weeknd and Nick Jonas, and she was linked to Zayn Malik last year.
Benny Blanco and Justin Bieber's friendship dates back to 2009, the year before the Baby superstar started dating Selena. Benny produced his bop Eenie Meenie that year and is also listed on songs: Somebody To Love (Remix), Love Yourself and Cold Water. Justin collaborated with Major Lazer and MØ on the latter, which was released in 2016.
Benny and Justin's most recent collaborative work, Lonely, landed in 2020.
Speaking about the track to Variety in 2021, Benny said, 'We’re having deep conversations together; I don’t think that many people get to have those with Justin Bieber. We were already boys together. This song is us being brothers and s*it… When you’re both the artists, you’re exposing yourselves. You both have to be really open. You both have to be 100 per cent yourself.'
Why were Selena Gomez fans unhappy she was dating Benny Blanco?
Some fans were unsure when Selena announced she was dating Benny in 2023 due to past comments he had made about the singer.
In 2020, during an interview with Zach Sang to discuss the single Lonely, Benny praised Justin whilst appearing to throw shade at Selena - and any stars who had released make-up lines.
The record producer said, 'Justin's not one of those cookie-cutter pop artists. Like you know, they're like, "This is my new single and here's my makeup line." And he's like, Justin's like, "Yo. I have a pimple and I have anxiety today." He's always been upfront about that stuff.
'For me, I think he's really falling into himself as an adult now. It's brave to put this song out.'
It's worth noting that Selena founded her make-up line, Rare Beauty – which has helped her become a billionaire – the same year the interview aired.
For a bulk of her loyal fans, the thinly-veiled remark was not forgotten when Selena went public with Benny.
'I don't think he's a bad guy, but he clearly said things in the past to hurt her. You don't need to stop talking to the guy, but forgive him to the point of dating. I think it's too much, this is a lack of self-love,' one voiced.
Selena defiantly replied, 'True. Only want people to be happy. If they aren't move forward. That's all. God bless.'
She later defended Benny by saying, 'He has treated me better than any human being on this planet. He is my absolute everything in my heart' and, 'He has been the best thing to ever happen to me.'
Samuel McManus is a senior content creator for Bauer Media, writing celebrity news and features across five of the company’s brands – heat, Closer, Grazia, Bella and Yours. Samuel has worked at Bauer Media since November 2024.