Selena Marie Gomez (/sÉ™ËˆliËnÉ™ mÉ™ËˆriË ËˆÉ¡oÊŠmÉ›z/ sÉ™-lee-nÉ™ mÉ™-ree goh-mez;[3] Spanish pronunciation: [seËˆlena ËˆÉ£omes];[4] born July 22, 1992) is an American actress and singer. She was first featured on the children's series Barney & Friends in the early 2000s. In 2007, Gomez came to prominence after being cast in the Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place, in which she starred as the lead character, Alex Russo, until its conclusion in 2012. She formed the band Selena Gomez & the Scene after signing a recording contract with Hollywood Records in 2008; they released the studio albums Kiss & Tell (2009), A Year Without Rain (2010), and When the Sun Goes Down (2011) before beginning a hiatus in 2012. Gomez entered the film industry with star billings in feature films including Ramona and Beezus (2010), Monte Carlo (2011), and Hotel Transylvania (2012). She embraced an increasingly mature public image with her star billing in the film Spring Breakers (2013) and her 2013 debut solo studio album, Stars Dance. The latter project debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and included the Billboard Hot 100 top-ten single "Come & Get It." Gomez was released from her recording contract with Hollywood Records following the completion of her compilation album For You (2014). She subsequently signed with Interscope Records to continue work on her sophomore studio album, Revival (2015). It debuted at number one in the US and featured the top-ten singles "Good for You", "Same Old Love" and "Hands to Myself." Beyond entertainment, Gomez has ventured into other endeavors. She has worked with numerous organizations for charitable causes, and has most notably worked with UNICEF for several years. She formed her own production company, July Moon Productions, in 2008. In late 2010, Gomez launched a clothing line she called "Dream Out Loud" through Kmart. Selena Marie Gomez was born in Grand Prairie, Texas on July 22, 1992,[5] to Ricardo Joel Gomez and former stage actress Amanda Dawn "Mandy" Cornett.[6][7][8] Gomez was named after Tejano singer Selena.[9] Her father is of Mexican descent while her mother, who was adopted, has some Italian ancestry.[10][11][12] Regarding her Hispanic heritage, Gomez has stated, "My family does have QuinceaÃ±eras, and we go to the communion church. We do everything that's Catholic, but we don't really have anything traditional except [that we] go to the park and have barbecues on Sundays after church."[13] Gomez's parents divorced when she was five years old, and she remained with her mother.[6][14] Gomez has two siblings. Her sister, Gracie Elliot Teefey, was born to Amanda and her second husband Brian Teefey on June 12, 2013.[15][16] Gomez has a second sister, Victoria Gomez, born to Ricardo and his wife Sara on June 25, 2014.[17] She earned a high school diploma through homeschooling in May 2010.[18] When Gomez was born, her mother was sixteen years old.[19] The family had financial troubles during Gomez's childhood, with her mother struggling to provide for the pair.[20] At one point, Gomez recalled the pair had to search for quarters just to get gas for their car.[20] Her mother later recalled the two would frequently walk to their local dollar store to purchase spaghetti for dinner, though got by.[20] Gomez stated, "I was frustrated that my parents weren't together, and never saw the light at the end of the tunnel where my mom was working hard to provide a better life for me. I'm terrified of what I would have become if I'd stayed [in Texas]."[21] She later added that "(My mom) was really strong around me. Having me at 16 had to have been a big responsibility. She gave up everything for me, had three jobs, supported me sacrificed her life for me."[22] Gomez had a close relationship with her grandparents as a child, and appeared in various pageants growing up.[23][unreliable source?] Her grandparents often took care of Selena while her parents finished their schooling, and the pair went as far as stating that they "raised her" up until she found success in the entertainment industry.[24][unreliable source?] Selena first gained an interest in pursuing a career in the entertainment industry watching her mother prepare for stage productions.[25] She began auditioning for various roles, meeting Demi Lovato during an audition for Barney and Friends.[26][27] Both girls were later selected to appear on the series in 2002,[28][29] with Gomez portraying the character of Gianna.[30] The show was her first experience in acting, with Gomez recalling, "I was very shy when I was little [...] I didn't know what 'camera right' was. I didn't know what blocking was. I learned everything from Barney."[31] Gomez appeared in fourteen episodes of the show between 2002 and 2004, though the show's producers released her as she was getting "too old" for the series.[32] While working on the series, Gomez had a cameo role in the film Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003) and the made-for-television film Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire (2005). With experience now under her belt, Gomez auditioned for roles under the Disney channel company along with Lovato.[34] Gomez made a guest appearance in a 2006 episode of the Disney series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, which starred Dylan Sprouse and Cole Sprouse.[35] The following year, Gomez was given a recurring role on the Disney series Hannah Montana; she made three appearances on the series spanning two seasons.[36] During this time, Gomez filmed pilot episodes for two potential Disney Channel series; the first, titled Arwin!,[37] a spin-off of the Suite Life series, while the second was a spin-off of the series Lizzie McGuire.[38] She later auditioned for a role in the Disney series Wizards of Waverly Place, ultimately winning the lead role of Alex Russo.[32] Upon receiving the role, Gomez and her mother moved to Hollywood; Lovato and her family also moved with the pair, hoping to achieve similar success to Gomez.[39] Wizards of Waverly Place saw Gomez portraying a teenage girl in a family of wizards who own a restaurant in New York.[40] The series quickly became a hit for the network, propelling Gomez to more mainstream success.[41] The series received numerous nominations and awards.[42][43] Gomez recorded the theme song for the series, titled "Everything is Not What It Seems."[44] With Gomez achieving mainstream success, the media began to compare her to fellow Disney star Miley Cyrus; both had hit shows on the network.[45] Various bloggers and sites began to depict the two as rivals, with rumors of a feud between the two continuing for multiple years.[46][47] Despite this, both parties denied that there was any drama between the two.[48] Following Demi Lovato's rise to fame through the Disney channel shortly afterwards, the three became referred to as the "Disney girls" and their careers were frequently compared to one another.[49][50][51][52] Forbes magazine later listed Gomez as one of the "Eight Hot Kid Stars to Watch" in 2008.[53] Gomez later appeared in the music video for the song "Burnin' Up", which the Jonas Brothers had recorded and released,[54] and later, she also appeared in an episode of the reality series Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream.[55] While working on the second season of Wizards of Waverly Place, Gomez appeared on the Disney channel special Studio DC: Almost Live alongside various other Disney stars.[56] She contributed a cover of the song "Cruella de Vil" to the compilation album DisneyMania 6,[57] and later recorded the original song "Fly to Your Heart" for the soundtrack of the animated film Tinker Bell.[58] She had a leading role, as an aspiring dancer, in the musical film Another Cinderella Story that same year.[59] The film was released to generally positive reviews, and won the 2010 Writers Guild of America Award for Children's script-long form or special.[60] Gomez recorded three songs for the soundtrack, and released one of them, "Tell Me Something I Don't Know", as a promotional single.[61] Later that year, Gomez had the supporting role of Helga in the animated film Horton Hears a Who![62] The film was a commercial success, and went on to gross nearly three hundred million dollars worldwide.[63] At 16 years of age, Gomez was signed to a recording contract with the Hollywood Records label, which had already signed both Cyrus and Lovato.[64][65] Gomez formed[when?] her own production company, which she called July Moon Productions.[66][67] She partnered with XYZ Films for the project, giving Gomez the opportunity to option articles, hire writers and create talent packages to shop to studios.[68][69] Gomez was slated to release two films under the company. The first, titled What Boys Want, with Gomez as a girl who could hear the thoughts of men.[70] She later announced the film Thirteen Reasons Why, in which she was to play a young girl who commits suicide. But ultimately, neither film was released. Gomez continued to have mainstream success throughout the following year, appearing as Alex Russo in a crossover episode of the Disney series The Suite Life on Deck that reunited her with the Sprouse brothers.[72] She later made a guest appearance on the Disney series Sonny With a Chance, starring Lovato.[73] She appeared in a remix of the Forever the Sickest Kids's single "Whoa Oh! (Me vs. Everyone)", released as a single in April of that year.[74] The song peaked at number 78 on the Pop 100 chart in the United States.[75] Gomez, along with Lovato, starred in the Disney Channel film Princess Protection Program, which aired in June 2009. The film was a critical success,[76] and had a total of 8.5 million viewers during its premiere.[77] For the film, Gomez and Lovato recorded the song "One and the Same", which was later released as a promotional single.[78] She later provided the voice of Princess Selenia in the animated film Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard.[79] On August 28, 2009, Gomez starred in Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie, a television film based on the series.[80] The film premiered to an audience of 11.4 million viewers becoming cable's No. 1 scripted telecast of 2009 and Disney Channel's second most-viewed film premiere after High School Musical 2.[81] The film won the series its second consecutive Emmy for "Outstanding Children's Program" at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards.[82] Gomez attending the sixth annual "Hollywood Style Awards" in 2009 Hoping to achieve a successful crossover into music, Gomez formed the pop-rock band Selena Gomez & the Scene through her record deal with Hollywood Records.[83] The name of the band is an "ironic jab" at the people who called Gomez a "wannabe scene."[84] The group released their debut studio album in August 2009[85] which went on to receive a Gold certification from the RIAA[86] and was met with mixed reception, some critics praised the album for its "fun" nature, while others criticized Gomez for her vocal performance.[87][88][89] The band's lead single, "Falling Down", was released on August 25, 2009 for digital download, and it had minor commercial success;[90][91] however, the second single, "Naturally", was more successful.[92] This helped Gomez achieve mainstream music success.[93] Gomez was part of Sears's back-to-school fashion ad campaign,[94] as part of which Gomez was featured in the television commercials. In August 2009, Gomez also hosted the "Sears Arrive Air Band Casting Call" â€“ to select five people for the first-ever "Sears Air Band", which performed at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.[95] Gomez was a spokesperson for Borden Milk, and was featured in the campaign's print and television ads.[96] She was also a spokesperson for State Farm Insurance and appeared in numerous television commercials, which aired on the Disney Channel, to raise awareness of being a safe driver.[97] In 2009, Gomez signed on to star as one of the two female leads (Joey King being the other) in Ramona and Beezus, a film adaption of the children's novel series by Beverly Cleary.[98][99] Gomez stated that she felt no pressure in taking more adult roles, saying, "I think I'm fully aware of my audience and I'm still just a kid myself. I wouldn't do a role I don't feel comfortable doing or that my audience wouldn't feel comfortable seeing."[100] The film premiered on July 23, 2010, and it was met with generally positive reviews.[101] In the same year, Gomez's band the Scene released its second studio album, A Year Without Rain, which became Gomez's and the Scene's second album to be certified by the RIAA.[86][102] It debuted on the US Billboard 200 at number 4 with sales of a little over 66,000.[103] The album received mixed to positive reviews where some noticed that Gomez's vocals contained the Auto-Tune effect.[104] The record's two singles both achieved moderate success.[105][106] Having previously announced plans to launch a fashion line, Gomez launched "Dream Out Loud by Selena Gomez" in 2010.[107][108] The collection consisted of, and featured, bohemian dresses, floral tops, jeans, skirts, jackets, scarves and hats, all of which were made from recycled or eco-friendly materials.[109][110] Gomez said that the line reflected her own personal style and described the clothing as being "pretty, feminine, and bohemian." She was later quoted as saying, "With my line, I really want to give the customer options on how they can put their own looks together [...] I want the pieces that can be easy to dress up or down, and the fabrics being eco-friendly and organic is super important [...] Also, the tags will all have some of my inspirational quotes on them. I'm just looking to send a good message."[107][110] To design the actual items, Gomez teamed up with designers Tony Melillo and Sandra Campos, both of whom had previously worked with big-name fashion houses.[108] Gomez said of the partnering, "When I met Tony and Sandra, I was instantly comfortable with them and now they are just like family to me ... They are so creative and I love how I can just call them up whenever and talk to them about everything, even if it's just about changing a button ... They've been so cool about everything."[107][108][109][110] Melillo and Campos teamed with New York-based Adjmi Apparel to manufacture the brand, which was formed by Adjmi CH Brands LLC, the holding company for the brand.[111] Gomez appeared in the film Monte Carlo that same year, starring as a girl who's "mistaken for a socialite while on a trip to Paris."[112] To prepare for the role, Gomez learned how to play polo and also took two weeks of vocal training to learn two different British accents.[113][114] Gomez appeared in a cameo role in the film The Muppets[115] and appeared in the Disney shows So Random! and PrankStars.[116] Selena Gomez & the Scene released its third and, to date, final studio album that same year; it received mixed reviews,[117] with the album's second single receiving a 4x Platinum certification from the RIAA.[86] However, the album's lead single and last single both achieved moderate success.[118][119] It was announced on July 14, 2011, that Gomez had signed a license agreement with Adrenalina, an extreme sports and adventure-themed lifestyle brand, to develop, manufacture, and distribute the actress's fragrance. Chairman and C.E.O. of Adrenalina, Ilia Lekach, said, "We are incredibly enthused to be working with Ms. Gomez and will reveal more details pertaining to the fragrance as we get closer to the launch date."[120] Gomez later released the self-titled perfume. Gomez confirmed in January 2012 that she would take a musical hiatus, opting rather to focus on her acting career.[121] That year, Wizards of Waverly Place officially ended its run on the Disney channel after four successful seasons.[122][123] She co-headlined Hotel Transylvania, an animated film, voicing the character of Mavis, alongside Adam Sandler and Steve Buscemi. The film premiered at the 37th annual Toronto International Film Festival and was released on September 28, 2012.[124] Gomez had a role in the controversial Harmony Korine film Spring Breakers alongside James Franco.[125] The film saw Gomez in a more mature role than her previous works, and reportedly led to Gomez having a "bit of a meltdown on set." Despite her earlier statements that she would be focusing on her acting career, Gomez confirmed that she was working on her debut solo studio album.[126][127][128] The album's lead single, "Come & Get It",[129] became her first top 10 single in the U.S.[130][131] Her debut album, Stars Dance, was released on July 23, 2013.[132] It became her first album to top the Billboard 200, and gave Gomez the highest first-week sales of her career.[133] The album declined on the chart the following week.[134][135][136] As of September 2014, the album had sold an estimated 400,000 copies in the U.S., making it her lowest selling studio album to date in the country.[137] It is her only studio effort to not receive a certification from the RIAA yet.[138] The record was met with mixed reviews where some music critics noticed her inability to create her own musical identity and her vocal abilities on the album "doesn't help."[139][140][141] The album's second single, "Slow Down", failed to match the success of its predecessor.[93] Gomez embarked on her Stars Dance Tour throughout 2013.[142] She made a cameo appearance in the film Aftershock, and had a role in the film Getaway; the latter of which was panned by film critics and received a negative commercial reception,[143][144] including a nomination for a Razzie for Worst Actress.[145] She also starred in the Disney channel special The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex that year.[146] Gomez initially stated she hoped to take a second musical hiatus following the tour,[147][unreliable source?] though she later opted to focus on both music and acting.[148] Gomez performing at the Stars Dance Tour in 2013 Gomez canceled the Australian and Asian leg of her Stars Dance Tour in December 2013, stating that she would be taking a hiatus to spend time with her family.[149] The following month, Gomez spent two weeks at Dawn at The Meadows, a treatment center in Wickenburg, Arizona that specializes in treating addiction and trauma in young people.[150][151][152] Her representative stated that she had spent time there "voluntarily [...] but not for substance abuse."[153][154] In April of that year, it was reported that Gomez had fired her mother and stepfather as her managers; the two had managed Gomez since her career began.[155] Gomez later signed with the WME and Brillstein companies to manage her career.[156][157] The news of Gomez's new management also fueled rumors that her recording contract with Hollywood Records was ending, and that Gomez was searching for a new label.[158][159] Gomez starred in the film adaption of the Ric Browde novel While I'm Dead... Feed the Dog alongside Dylan McDermott and Nat Wolff.[160] Titled Behaving Badly, the film received a negative critical and commercial reception.[161][162][163][164] She later appeared in the film Rudderless, the directorial debut of William H. Macy.[165][166] Gomez recorded a song for the soundtrack of the film, and received praise from the film's director.[167] The independent film received a mixed reception from critics.[168][169] On November 24, 2014, Gomez released a compilation album, For You,[170] to finalize her deal with Hollywood Records.[171] From it was released "The Heart Wants What It Wants", her second top-ten single on the Hot 100. In December 2014, Gomez signed a recording contract with Interscope Records, ending her partnership with Hollywood Records, under which she had released three albums fronting Selena Gomez & the Scene, one studio album, and one best-of album. In 2015, Gomez had been working with Dreamlab and the LA-based producer Ruffian on her second solo album.[173][174] She provided vocals on Zedd's song "I Want You to Know", released on February 23.[175] On June 22, Gomez released her sophomore album's lead single, titled "Good for You", featuring rapper ASAP Rocky. It peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her highest-charting single in the U.S. to date.[176] Her second studio album, Revival, was released on October 9,[177] featuring the singles "Good For You", "Same Old Love", "Hands To Myself" and "k** 'Em with Kindness".[178] The album received positive reviews from music critics, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, and was later certified Gold by the RIAA, denoting 500,000 equivalent units sold in the U.S.[179] Gomez performed during the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in December.[180] Aside from music, Gomez became the face of hair-care brand Pantene.[181] In August 2015, Gomez appeared in the documentary Unity among many other actors and actresses.[182] She reprised the role of Mavis in Hotel Transylvania 2, which was released on September 25.[183] She also had a role in the film The Big Short, which was released on December 11 by Paramount Pictures.[184] In May 2016, Gomez will embark on her second solo tour entitled Revival Tour.[185] In 2016, Gomez headlined the drama film The Fundamentals of Caring, alongside Paul Rudd,[186] was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live for the episode dated January 23, alongside host Ronda Rousey,[187] and in May, appeared in the sequel film Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising.[188] It was also announced that she will star in In Dubious Battle alongside her Spring Breakers co-star James Franco.[189] In October 2015, it was announced that Gomez would be the executive producer in the Netflix miniseries 13 Reasons Why, based on Jay Asher's 2007 novel of the same name. Gomez is described as a pop singer,[191][192] showcasing the genre in form of dance-pop[192][193][194][195][196][197] and incorporating EDM[192][198] into her sound. She is also noted to feature prominent influences of Eurodance,[199][200] being also described as Europop.[201] As her career has been progressing, she has been experimenting with a large number of music genres. While her debut album with The Scene was inspired in electronic rock and pop rock,[202][203] her following records with the band opted for a more electropop-focused[204][205][206] and dance-pop[207][208] sound. A Year Without Rain noted a Eurodance feel and When the Sun Goes Down went into a more electro-disco- and teen pop-influenced musical direction.[209][210] Her debut solo record Stars Dance was rooted in the EDM-pop[211][212] genre, and Gomez herself described it as "baby dubstep",[213] featuring elements from multiple genres as electronic, disco, techno or dancehall.[214][215] Her songs "The Heart Wants What It Wants" and "Good for You" have been described as "minimalistic" and "grown-up",[216][217][218][219] transitioning her sound into adult pop. Early in her music career, Gomez named Bruno Mars as her main influence, saying that she was influenced in everything he does from "his style of music, his style in general, the way he performs, the way he carries himself."[221] Gomez also cites Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, BeyoncÃ©, and Rihanna as influences.[222][223][224][225] The singer also stated that she finds English singer Cheryl Cole as a significant influence to her artistry, "She made me feel better, I just love her music and I think she's a really nice person. She's been through a lot, but she carries herself with a lot of cla** and I love that."[226] Gomez's debut solo album Stars Dance (2013) was prominently influenced by Spears, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, and American electronic producer Skrillex.[227] Her sophomore album, Revival (2015), was mainly influenced by Christina Aguilera's album Stripped (2003) and singer Janet Jackson. Gomez was involved in the UR Votes Count campaign which encouraged teenagers to learn more about 2008 presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain.[229] In October 2008, Gomez participated in St. Jude's Children's Hospital "Runway For Life" benefit.[230] That same month, Gomez was named UNICEF's spokesperson for the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign, which encouraged children to raise money on Halloween to help children around the world.[231] She said that she was "extremely excited" to "encourage other kids to make a difference in the world."[231] In August 2009, a 17-year-old Gomez became the youngest UNICEF amba**ador ever, pa**ing fellow songstress Hayley Westenra, who was 18 when she was chosen. In her first official field mission, Gomez traveled to Ghana on September 4, 2009 for a week to witness first-hand the stark conditions of vulnerable children that lack vital necessities including clean water, nourishment, education and healthcare.[232][233] Gomez explained, during an interview with Associated Press correspondents, that she wanted to use her star power to bring awareness to Ghana: "That's why I feel very honored to have a voice that kids listen to and take into consideration [...] I had people on my tour asking me where IS Ghana, and they Googled it [...] and because I went there, they now know where Ghana is. So it's pretty incredible."[233][234] Gomez said, of her role as amba**ador, that "Every day 25,000 children die from preventable causes. I stand with UNICEF in the belief that we can change that number from 25,000 to zero. I know we can achieve this because every moment, UNICEF is on the ground providing children with the lifesaving a**istance needed to ensure zero becomes a reality."[232] Selena became the amba**ador of DoSomething.org after being involved with the charity Island Dog, which helped dogs in Puerto Rico.[235] She began her involvement while filming Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie in Puerto Rico.[236] Gomez is also involved with the charity RAISE Hope For Congo, an initiative of the Enough Project, which helps raise awareness about conflict minerals and violence against Congolese women.[237] Gomez was named spokesperson for UNICEF's 2009 Trick-or-Treat campaign, for the second year in a row.[238] Gomez, who raised over $700,000 for the charity in 2008, stated that she hopes to be able to raise 1 million dollars in 2009.[233] Gomez participated in a celebrity auction[239] and hosted a live web cast series on Facebook in support of the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign.[240] From 2009 to 2012, Gomez was involved in "Disney's Friends for Change", an organization which promoted "environmentally-friendly behavior", and she appeared in its public service announcements.[241] Gomez, Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus, and the Jonas Brothers, as the ad hoc musical team "Disney's Friends For Change", recorded the charity single "Send It On", all of whose proceeds were accepted into the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund.[242] It debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 20.[242] Gomez returned as the UNICEF spokesperson for the 60th anniversary of Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign in 2010.[243] In celebration of the organization's 60th anniversary, Gomez and her team, The Scene, held a benefit concert donating all proceeds to the campaign.[244] In February 2011, Gomez traveled to Chile to witness and meet with the families of UNICEF's supported program, "Programa Puente", which helped families better understand, and developed sk**s to deal effectively with, early childhood education, development and other issues related to raising children. From her field trip experience, Gomez said, "UNICEF is helping Chilean families get out of poverty, prevent violence within the home and promote education. To witness first hand these families' struggles, and also their hope and perseverance, was truly inspiring."[245] In March 2011, Gomez participated in the UNICEF Tap Project's "Celebrity Tap Pack" limited-edition, custom-made water bottles which featured tap water from the homes of each celebrity advocate, in order to raise funds and increase profile for the clean water and sanitation programs.[246] She was also featured in videos that promoted the campaign.[247][248] In April 2012, Gomez was named amba**ador to the Ryan Seacrest Foundation.[249] It was announced on July 30, 2012, that Gomez would partner with Case-Mate as part of its upcoming "Right Case, Right Occasion" marketing campaign show less