30/01/2024 By Daniella Daoud
Biographical feature on the one and only Selena Gomez.
Selena Gomez was born on July 22nd, 1992, and raised in Texas, USA. She is a proud third-generation Mexican and named by the late Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla. Gomez kicked her career off by auditioning for a role in Barney& Friends which was a popular children’s television show. During her success on the light-hearted show Barney, she made her big-screen debut in the movie, Spy Kids 3 in 2003, where she set a proper foot into the acting industry. Continuing after, she was casted the role of the infamous Alex Russo who became one of the most iconic characters to the tweens of the early 2000s and still to this day. Throughout the time of filming on Disney, she was being noticed outside of the bubble of teen world and filmed many films, for example Monte Carlo, where she had the lead role.
Throughout her Disney career, she branched out from acting by singing multiple them theme songs for tv shows. Gomez slowly transitioned from acting to singing, while at the same time trying to balance and differentiate herself from teen star to a role model. She assembled her own pop band, Selena Gomez& the Scene, during her time on Wizards of Waverly Place (WoWP). And released a debut album which went gold as did its 2010 follow-up album. Leaving the Disney scene when she wrapped up the last season of WoWP, her ultimate focus was music and acting. The message Selena wanted to promote in her music since she started was to always uplift young girls and women and make sure everyone knows they are beautiful and each one of us has a place in the world. She took a break from music and returned in 2013 as a solo artist and from then has performed tours, hit number one on the Billboard 200 many times, collaborated with other talented artists and expressed herself in the music she produces and lets out into the world.
With being in the public eye, it always comes with the advantages and disadvantages. One of the cons has always been that the world has their eyes on you and watching your every move leading to nothing being hidden away. For Selena Gomez one of the most exposed parts of her life has been what her relationship status is and the drama revolving round it. Her most talked about ex-boyfriend was and still is Justin Bieber. Despite her relationship always making the headlines, she always used that position to her advantage by using that attention on her activism. From young, she has used her power to create good, starting by being appointed as a UNICEF ambassador. Her end goal has forever been wanting to help individuals and save lives. She has always used her own experiences to help others, especially with her dedication to mental health awareness, diversity, and charity. Gomez is a very admirable woman and continues to have a positive impact on lives.
Unfortunately, in 2015, Selena Gomez announced her diagnosis of Lupus, which has impacted her life heavily, negatively, and positively. It started to damage her kidneys and she needed a transplant. Her best friend, Francia Raisa gave her a kidney and did not think twice about the decision. It saved Selena’s life. A while after, she made it public that she had been working on a cosmetics line, Rare Beauty. She created this brand ‘for everyone’and to make an inclusive company. Her products are specially designed in a way for the individuals who suffer from lupus and its symptoms. Rare Beauty was made to encompass an entire lifestyle, where it is about how you see yourself and not others. Present day, Gomez is living a life that created peace for her and doing the activities she loves, acting, music, makeup, and happiness. She is nearly hitting that billionaire mark.
