Selena Gomez and her fiancé, Benny Blanco, drew plenty of attention when they arrived at the Oscars red carpet on Sunday, though their reasons for turning heads were vastly different.
The celebrated actress, known for her role in Emilia Perez, stunned in a Ralph Lauren gown adorned with Rosemont crystals and over 16,000 glass embellishments, radiating old Hollywood elegance. Blanco, on the other hand, kept things casual, donning his signature white suit, unkempt hair, and what appeared to be a couple of days’ worth of stubble. While Gomez exuded timeless sophistication, Blanco seemed to embrace a laid-back, just-rolled-out-of-bed aesthetic.
At first glance, the two appear to be an unlikely match. Their dynamic was previously highlighted at the Golden Globe Awards, where host Nikki Glaser delivered a biting joke about their relationship.
“Selena Gomez is here with Benny Blanco, her new fiancé. Benny Blanco is here because of the genie who granted him that wish,” Glaser quipped, prompting an awkward chuckle from the couple as the camera panned to them.
Glaser’s joke echoed what many fans and critics have been saying online since Gomez and Blanco made their relationship public over a year ago. Social media has been abuzz with confusion over how a woman as wealthy, conventionally attractive, and successful as Gomez ended up with someone like Blanco. Some users have gone as far as to call him her “ugly husband-to-be.”
However, those who truly know the couple suggest that Blanco brings something to Gomez’s life that she values deeply: stability.
Gomez’s life has been anything but ordinary. Born to a teenage mother, she was thrust into the entertainment industry at a young age, landing a role on Barney & Friends before becoming a Disney Channel star. Her highly publicized relationship with Justin Bieber only added to the scrutiny she faced.
At 21, she was diagnosed with lupus, an autoimmune disease that led to her needing a kidney transplant. Then, in 2018, following her split from Bieber, she suffered a breakdown and sought treatment at a mental health facility. In 2020, she disclosed her diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
Enter Blanco—a successful musician and producer with 11 Grammy nominations to his name. While his estimated net worth of $50 million is a fraction of Gomez’s reported $1.3 billion (largely thanks to her Rare Beauty empire), insiders suggest that his genuine love for her, devoid of ulterior motives, is what won her over. Blanco even signed a prenuptial agreement to demonstrate that he is with her for love, not wealth.
Blanco, born Benjamin Levin, grew up in Reston, Virginia, to parents Sandra and Andrew Levin. While he initially aspired to be a rapper, he pivoted to producing after realizing that, in his words, “no one cares what a chubby Jewish kid from Virginia thinks.” He spent years hustling to break into the music industry, even sleeping in a McDonald’s in Times Square while trying to land meetings with record executives.
Beyond music, Blanco has also delved into the culinary world, publishing a cookbook in 2024 titled Open Wide: A Cookbook for Friends, which pays homage to his Jewish heritage and the role food played in shaping his family connections. Gomez has embraced his traditions, even joining him for Passover last year.
Despite their vastly different backgrounds, Gomez and Blanco have formed a deep connection. Their engagement in December was celebrated with Blanco’s close-knit family, including his parents, brother, and sister-in-law. His family has embraced Gomez wholeheartedly, with his sister-in-law even posting, “I finally got a sister.”
Unlike Gomez, who grew up in the limelight, Blanco had the chance to mature outside of intense public scrutiny. Gomez has spoken about how her early fame left her feeling “stunted” as an adult. Her on-again, off-again relationship with Bieber only amplified that struggle, as their whirlwind romance played out under a media microscope.
Gomez’s journey has been tumultuous, marked by both physical and mental health struggles. At one point, she was even hospitalized for an “emotional breakdown” related to her lupus treatment. She later revealed that she experienced paranoia and heard voices before being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Reflecting on her relationship with Blanco, Gomez has expressed that she sees it as a new chapter in her life. In an interview for Interview Magazine’s March issue—their first joint interview—she shared how their relationship has brought her a sense of security she hadn’t previously known.
“I was alone for five years before we got together, and I think that really helped me appreciate someone like Ben,” Gomez said. “He gets so weirded out by me saying this, but genuinely, 10 years ago, I wasn’t in a space in my life where I could have accepted the kind of patience, the kind of unconditional love that he gives me.”
Though critics may continue questioning why Gomez is with Blanco, those closest to her believe he is exactly what she needs—a steadfast presence in an otherwise chaotic world.