Selena Gomez is officially engaged to Benny Blanco after more than a year of dating – and the couple have a lot in common.
Just like Gomez, 32, Blanco, 36, has a string of hit songs to her name, including Kesha“Tik Tok” and Katy Perry“Teenage Dream,” making him and the Golden Globe nominee a match made in musical heaven.
“Forever Begins Now,” Gomez captioned an Instagram post on Wednesday, December 11, who showed off her engagement ring. Blanco celebrated the milestone by writing in the comments section, “Hey wait… that’s my wife.”
Gomez first confirm your connection with Blanco in December 2023, revealing that they had been together for “six months”.
Selena Gomez’s high-profile relationships have made headlines over the years, from her on-and-off romance with Justin Bieber to her brief fling with The Weeknd. “I’m one of those girls who love incredibly hard. I’ve just always been that girl,” Gomez told Miami’s Power 96.5 FM in May 2017. “I will give my heart and (…)
“He is my absolute everything in my heart,” she wrote in an Instagram comment at the time. “He (was) the best thing that ever happened to me. The end. … He’s still better than anyone I’ve ever been with. Facts.
Now that they’re ready to walk down the aisle and become one of Hollywood’s next power couples, here’s what you need to know about Benny Blanco:
He was mentored by Dr. Luke
Blanco was mentored by a prolific pop music producer Dr. Lukewho has produced hits for Katy Perry, Kesha, Kelly Clarkson, Pink and Britney Spears. Along with Luke, Blanco co-produced and co-wrote Perry’s hit song “Teenage Dream” and Kesha’s “Tik Tok.”
Blanco has worked with A-listers including Ed SheeranKaty Perry, Kesha, Britney Spears, Rihanna and Kanye West. Blanco’s resume also includes songs with two of Gomez’s exes: Justin Bieber and The Weeknd.
Blanco and Gomez first crossed paths in 2015, collaborating on her songs “Same Old Love” and “Kill Em With Kindness.” After reuniting on I Can’t Get Enough four years later, Blanco worked with Gomez again in 2023. He assisted in the production of her pop comeback Single Soon.
Originally he wanted to be a rapper
Born Benjamin Joseph Levin, Blanco always wanted to be involved in the music industry and initially aspired to be a rapper. He said New York Times in 2018 that he later switched to producing when he realized “nobody cares what a chubby Jewish kid from Virginia thinks.”
“I wouldn’t consider myself anything. I think I’m a loser,” Blanco admitted about his career to NME in April 2021 “I don’t think there’s a world where I’m like, ‘Yeah, man, I’m a hitmaker.’ , because if I’m not, then what am I doing in life?’
Blanco explained that he tries to make music that “doesn’t sound like what’s being played” on the radio, but instead fits each individual artist.
He ran 2 record companies
In addition to producing and writing songs, Blanco was head of two record companies under the Interscope Records banner. His labels, Mad Love Records and Friends Keep Secrets, were once home to Tory Lanez, Cashmere cat and Jesse Ware.
“Benny Blanco, he works in really amazing short bursts. I’d be like this belligerent (person) — ‘We really have to be in the studio because it’s 12 o’clock?!’ . Grantland. “I was disappointed, and then I realized that’s the way he worked, and it made him work that much more brilliantly.”
He has his own cookbook
Blanco and The bear star — and real chef — Mattie Mathison contributed to a YouTube series, Matty and Benny eat out in Americain 2020 and a follow-up show, Stupid fucking cooking showin 2021
Earlier this year, Blanco released her own cookbook, Open Wide: A Cookbook for Friendsin which she shares some of her favorite recipes and how to throw a killer dinner party.
The book even has Gomez’s approval. “So proud of @itsbennyblanco – Open Wide is out now!” she shared via Instagram in May.
He was open about his mental health
During the an interview with Howard Stern in May, Blanco opened up about her struggles with anxiety. “I kept it to myself. I was like, ‘Sure, the room’s spinning when you’re about to take a test when you’re 12,'” he said.
“I started doing (cognitive behavioral therapy). It was very important for me to get this toolbox. Whenever I had anxious thoughts, I could reach into this little toolbox and help myself through it. I’ve helped so many artists and people do that,” he continued.
“I struggle with anxiety, with imposter syndrome, I struggle with all these things,” he added.
Blanco’s fiancee has also been open about her struggles with mental health, including in her Apple TV+ documentary, Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me.
