Selena Gomez Has Had A Stunning Transformation

Selena Gomez is an inspiration. The singer, actor, activist, and makeup mogul has lived most of her life in the spotlight, bravely opening up about the trials and tribulations of being one of the most visible stars in Hollywood. "There was this immense amount of pressure I had growing up that I felt like I needed to be a good role model," she told WWD in 2021. "And then I felt like maybe that was just unrealistic, and my life became very public really quickly, and I didn't know that I was going through my own journey with mental health at the time."

But from her "Barney & Friends" beginnings to her Rare Beauty revolution, Gomez has always been a stellar role model, thanks to her authenticity and desire to help others — no matter if times are good or bad. "I can't be fake, I can't try to pretend I'm good all the time. I can't say I don't care," she told 97.1 AMP in 2019. And it's that good heart and dedication to being her best that's carried Gomez through growing up in the public eye, culminating into one stunning transformation.

Selena Gomez entered the world in 1992. This destined-for-stardom baby was born to Rick Gomez and Mandy Teefey in Texas, but life wasn't always easy in the Lone Star State. Gomez's parents divorced when she was 5 years old, and Teefey, who was just 16 when she became a mom, struggled financially. "I remember my mom would run out of gas all of the time and we'd sit there and have to go through the car and get quarters and help her get gas. Because she never liked to ask my grandparents for money," Gomez shared during a 2011 "E! Entertainment Special" (via Hollywood Life). But Teefey worked hard to provide for her little girl. "My mom gave up everything for me and had, like, three jobs. She supported me, sacrificed her life for me," Gomez said.

But the future star was still dreaming big, despite difficult circumstances. Teefey told The New York Times in 2017 she knew her daughter was destined to act when the then 6-year-old gave her notes after tagging along to a rehearsal. Gomez admitted to Rolling Stone in 2022 she pursued acting because of her mom's passion for it. "I was like, 'Mom, I want to do what you want to do.' And she's like, 'Okay, well, maybe we can put you in theater classes.' And I was like, 'Nope. I want to be on TV,'" she said.

Life changed for Selena Gomez in 1999, when she landed her first big TV gig on "Barney & Friends," aged 10. The budding superstar filmed in her home state and told Vogue in 2021 that she had the time of her life as a young thespian. "You're on set with a big purple dinosaur and dancing and having a great time," she recalled. 

Gomez didn't know it at the time, but the gig helped her perfect the craft that would shape the rest of her life. "I didn't know what 'camera right' was. I didn't know what blocking was. I learned everything from Barney," she told People in 2008, adding that being on the beloved children's show also helped with her shyness.

But while Gomez was living her dream, she admitted in 2024 that she would have waited a few more years to chase the bigtime if she was doing things over. "I have no regrets and I have a fantastic family and there were rules laid down by my parents and I'm appreciative of that. However, I don't think I would've done it very young if I was thinking of myself now. There were a lot of things that I felt stunted by," she told Elle.

In 2006, a 13-year-old Selena Gomez left Texas behind for the bright lights of Los Angeles. The young teen starred in TV commercials and played smaller roles in a handful of movies and established Disney Channel shows before getting her big break in 2007, when she landed the role of Alex Russo on Disney Channel's "Wizards of Waverly Place." 

"I felt like I was the happiest I had been my whole life ... it was definitely the happiest times for me," Gomez said of the gig on "Wizards of Waverly Pod" in 2023. "I recognize that obviously it's because I have this different attention on me that I just didn't have then, and that was a really pure time, and I miss that," she added. The series became a huge hit and launched Gomez to superstardom. She'd later return to the show to executive produce (and appear in the pilot episode of) a spin-off, "Wizards Beyond Waverly Place," which debuted in 2024.

The year after the debut of "Wizards of Waverly Place," the beauty's career also started blowing up beyond her acting credits. At age 16, she created the production company July Moon Productions and signed a record deal with Disney subsidiary Hollywood Records.

Selena Gomez became the talented multi-hyphenate we know today when she officially launched her music career in 2009. She fronted the band Selena Gomez & The Scene, telling MTV News the year prior that she wasn't interested in a solo career. "I'm going to be in a band — no Selena Gomez stuff ... I think that I don't want my name attached to it," the lead singer said, noting she also wanted her music to be upbeat. 

The band released their debut single "Falling Down" and album "Kiss & Tell" within a four month span. Gomez also expanded her acting repertoire that year. She appeared in a feature-length version of "Wizards of Waverly Place" and a slew of other TV shows and movies, including the Disney Channel Original Movie "Princess Protection Program" alongside her then bestie and former "Barney & Friends" co-star, Demi Lovato.

But Gomez's rapidly rising star also made her tabloid fodder. Rumors circulated she was dating Nick Jonas, and speculation about her personal life hit fever pitch when she was spotted with Justin Bieber.

Things looked a little different for Selena Gomez in 2012. Her transitional year kicked off after "Wizards of Waverly Place" aired its final episode that January. "It's extremely bittersweet. I mean, I owe a lot to my show. It gave me everything in my platform, and my family, my crew. It's like my home, I feel very safe there. So it's going to be hard. But I think it's time," she told Sirius XM.

Gomez didn't waste time distancing herself from her Disney image. She raised eyebrows by starring in the edgy "Spring Breakers" alongside Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Benson, a movie about four teen girls on spring break who get entangled in crime and drugs. "It was the first thing I did right after my Disney show, and it was such a crazy detour. That's when I knew I was going to fall in love with filmmakers and really gritty, fun stuff that was a little too graphic," Gomez told Elle in 2024. 

She also stopped making music with The Scene and branched out into a solo career, later hinting she didn't have a lot of control over the band's songs. "I think if you're 14, 15, 16 and you're trying to sing about situations in life that you haven't experienced, I don't really know if that qualifies you as an artist," the singer told Ask Anything Chat in 2017. Gomez also experienced a tough first breakup with Bieber amid intense scrutiny over their relationship. People claimed she ended things in November, with a source sharing, "She had some trust issues. It's not easy, but the relationship needed to end."

Selena Gomez continued her transition from teen idol to Hollywood icon in 2014 and '15 by making some big changes. Gomez fired her mom as her manager and ended her recording contract with Hollywood Records, instead signing with Interscope. "I wanted to be a little uncomfortable. That's why I made all of these decisions within a year," she told Elle in 2015. "I wanted to be my own person. I wanted to test myself. I wanted to see if I could really do it." And her friend Taylor Swift watched with pride as she took control. "[Seeing her] take ownership of her life and her creative decisions in a new way has been a really beautiful thing to watch," Swift said.

But despite the former Disney Channel star making her own decisions, Gomez still struggled with life in the spotlight. "Adding a lot of pressure from a lot of people didn't help me develop a sense of self in my twenties. It was a very difficult time. I live with it every day," she told Elle in 2024. Her personal life was also under the microscope as rumors swirled around her on-and-off romance with Justin Bieber. The star allegedly penned the heartfelt track "The Heart Wants What It Wants" about their relationship. "He thought it was beautiful. I think it was really hard," she said of Bieber seeing the personal music video, in a November 2014 interview on "On Air With Ryan Seacrest."  When asked where she stood with her ex, she added, "I support him. I think I always will. I'm upset when he's upset. I'm happy when he's happy."

We saw less of Selena Gomez in the run up to 2017 as she stepped back from the spotlight to focus on her health. The Grammy nominee previously confirmed she'd been diagnosed with lupus (and is one of the celebrities speaking out about chronic illnesses), then announced she'd undergone a kidney transplant thanks to her friend and doner, Francia Raisa. 

"It was what I needed to do for my overall health," Gomez captioned an Instagram photo of herself and Raisa holding hands. The star also got candid about her personal life with Vogue that year, confirming she'd been to rehab in 2016 after canceling her "Revival" tour. "My self-esteem was shot. I was depressed, anxious. I started to have panic attacks right before getting on stage or right after leaving the stage," she said.

But despite taking some well-deserved time off for her health, this superstar didn't rest on her laurels. Also in 2017, the Netflix series "13 Reasons Why," which Gomez executive produced and described as a "passion project" on Instagram, aired. Gomez was also crowned Billboard's Woman of the Year, with president of The Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group, John Amato, sharing, "Not only is Selena soaring on the charts, but she continuously inspires young women everywhere to be authentic, give back and to not be afraid to use their voice. She is never afraid to speak her mind and has used her platform to advocate for the needs of others."

2020 was another pivotal year for Selena Gomez. The star got more candid than ever about her mental health struggles, telling NPR in January that she believed she'd found the right medication and was benefiting from therapy. "I fully believe in just making sure you check in with your doctors or therapist. [Taking care of mental health,] that's forever. That's something I will have to continue to work on ... I don't think I just magically feel better. I have days where it is hard for me to get out of bed, or I have major anxiety attacks," she shared. In April, Gomez spoke to Miley Cyrus about her bipolar diagnosis during an Instagram Live.

But the star was also ready to expand her empire even more. She released the album "Rare" in January, then put her iconic beauty looks to good use when she launched one of her most successful ventures ever, her accessible and inclusive Rare Beauty makeup line. The business focused on the Gomez's passion for giving back, with 1% of sales donated to mental health charities via her Rare Impact Fund. "I really found such purpose and understanding. Before Rare Beauty even existed, this was a dream of mine. I just didn't know how I was going to do it," she told Vogue Australia in 2024. "Then it happened to be Rare Beauty. From there, we created the Impact Fund."

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

Despite some tough public struggles, Selena Gomez was stronger than ever in 2021. "My lupus, my kidney transplant, chemotherapy, having a mental illness, going through very public heartbreaks — these were all things that honestly should have taken me down," she told Elle that year. But Gomez used her struggles to help others and raise awareness. That included releasing her extremely candid documentary, "Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me," in 2022.

Gomez was also back at the top of her music game. The Golden Globe nominee went back to her roots with the Spanish album "Revelación," which was something she'd wanted to do for a decade, she told Apple Music. "I'm so, so proud of my heritage, and just genuinely felt like I wanted this to happen. Just with all the division in the world, there's something about Latin music that globally just makes people feel things," she said. 

And it wasn't just her music career that was thriving. Gomez also began executive producing the Hulu series "Only Murders In The Building," which she also starred in alongside Martin Short and Steve Martin. "Even when I'm on set, sitting, waiting around for something to happen and they're playing a game, I find some comfort in that. I feel very safe and protected around them," Gomez told Numero in 2024 of her co-stars.

Just when we thought things couldn't get better for Selena Gomez, her gorgeous transformation saw her become an engaged billionaire. In September 2024, Bloomberg confirmed she was worth a billion dollars, largely thanks to Rare Beauty. The year got even better when Gomez's astrologically compatible boyfriend Benny Blanco proposed that December. The "Come And Get It" singer confirmed the news on Instagram and even joked about making Martin Short and Steve Martin ring bearers on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" in January 2025. 

In addition to wedding planning, the star was also thinking hard about her career. She hinted to The Hollywood Reporter in November 2024 that music was no longer a priority. "I think I've done just as much as I wanted to do in music, but it's exciting because I feel like I haven't even started in film and TV, even though I know I've been a part of some great projects and I'm really proud of them," she said. Gomez has also continued to be a brave role model for women, speaking candidly in an October 2024 interview with Vogue about her choice to avoid a high-risk pregnancy , and sharing she wouldn't be able to safely carry her own children due to medical issues.

The most important thing, though? She seems happy. Speaking to People at the Golden Globe Awards in January 2025, Gomez gushed, "I'm genuinely happy where I am and I feel great. People tend to question every part of my life, but that's okay."