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Selena Gomez’s Surprising Choice: Why She Chose Benny Blanco for Lasting Love

BBG News

On Sunday’s Oscar event, Selena Gomez and her fiance Benny Blanco drew attention not just due to a single reason but for completely distinct ones.

Actress Emilia Perez sparkled radiantly in a Ralph Lauren dress adorned with thousands of Rosemont crystals and over 16,000 glass beads, making her shine like a precious jewel.

Blanco donned his well-known white attire, disheveled hair, and a scruffy beard that suggested he hadn’t shaved in two days. In contrast to Gomez who exuded classic Hollywood elegance, Blanco’s appearance seemed as though he had just rolled out of bed.

Indeed, at a glance, they couldn’t seem a more unlikely pair. 

It was tough not to remember the duo’s showing at the Golden Globes earlier in the year, as they were mercilessly teased by the host, Nikki Glaser.

As a lifestyle connoisseur, I’d like to share an amusing anecdote that transpired recently. On stage, someone quipped playfully, “Selena Gomez is here with Benny Blanco, her new partner, and Benny Blanco just happens to be here thanks to a genie granting him a wish.” The camera then focused on Selena and Benny, both of them laughing uneasily in the audience.

The comedian’s quip wasn’t far off from what many people online have been saying. 

For quite some time now, followers and analysts have found it hard to grasp the appeal that a traditionally attractive billionaire like Gomez seems to find in someone as ordinary-looking as Blanco.

User A commented on platform X, “I can’t understand why she likes him,” regarding their shared image of the couple. User B added, “She deserves someone more outstanding.” Some users have even labeled him as her potential ‘unattractive spouse.’

But perhaps they’re not giving Blanco the credit he deserves.

A source close to Gomez shared with the Daily Mail on an exclusive basis that Selena has repeatedly expressed that Benny holds a special place in her heart as the one she truly loves.

Indeed, that insider says that Blanco embodies something Gomez may covet above all else: stability.

Certainly, Gomez’s life has been anything but predictable. 

Raised by a mother who was only 16 years old when she gave birth, and catapulted into the spotlight of child stardom at age 15, Gomez, now 32, rarely experienced the carefree life of a typical kid.

Her very public, on-and-off relationship with Justin Bieber surely didn’t help matters.

At the age of 21, in the year 2013, she received a diagnosis of lupus, an autoimmune disorder that eventually necessitated a kidney transplant for her.

2018 saw her going through a tough phase following her separation from Bieber, which led to a mental health crisis and a stay at a healthcare facility. In 2020, she openly disclosed that she had received a diagnosis for bipolar disorder.

Afterward, in strides Blanco, an accomplished musician boasting 11 Grammy nominations.

Despite his reported net worth of $50 million being significantly smaller than Gomez’s estimated $1.3 billion (mostly accumulated through her makeup line Rare Beauty), it was Blanco’s genuine intentions that won over Gomez, according to our source.

According to the source, it’s confirmed that they both understand Selena’s value exceeds Benny’s. The source added that Blanco has previously signed a prenuptial agreement before their wedding to demonstrate his intention of wanting only her affection and nothing else from her.

But what, some may still ask, does he have to offer her?

Born and brought up in the prosperous suburban area of Reston, Virginia, by parents Sandra and Andrew Levin, the 36-year-old individual known as Benjamin Levin lived alongside his elder brother Jeremy. While his father was involved in the apparel industry, his mother provided care at an assisted living facility.

Initially, Blanco harbored dreams of becoming a rapper, but he realized that people weren’t interested in the opinions of an overweight Jewish boy from Virginia. Instead, he chose to focus on creating beats. In his childhood, he spent summers at Camp Airy in Thurmont, Maryland, where he even ran a radio program known as ‘Ebba Ebba’.

Eager to succeed in the music world, he frequently traveled to New York City during weekends for arranging talks with record company executives.

He financed the journeys on his own and sometimes slept at a McDonald’s in Times Square during those nights. His dedication eventually earned him recognition from producer David Shayman (Disco D), collaborating with him until Shayman’s unfortunate death in 2007.

Aside from music, Blanco has made a name for himself in the food industry.

Last year, Blanco released his first cookbook called ‘Open Wide: A Cookbook for Friends’. In this book, he not only provided traditional recipes but also reminisced about cherished moments from his childhood, like frequent visits to Jewish delis with his father.

In a recent interview promoting his cookbook last April, Blanco remarked, ‘Perhaps even more effectively than practicing religion and attending temple, Jewish cuisine has been a powerful bonding agent for my friends and family, creating a sense of unity that seems almost magical.’

Since then, Gomez has enthusiastically embraced her fiancé’s customs, participating in the Passover seder with Blanco and his companions last year.

Nevertheless, Gomez, who was brought up as Catholic, currently has no plans to adopt Judaism immediately. Blanco shared with Interview Magazine that the couple aspire for their future offspring to embody ‘a blend of our values and morals’, aiming to amalgamate them like ingredients in a pot.

The singer also appears to get on well with Blanco’s friends and family.

They marked their December engagement with a small, private event that was attended by Blanco’s parents, his brother Jeremy, and his sister-in-law Evi.

Evi captioned a snap of the celebration: ‘I finally got a sister.’ 

‘So happy for you guys,’ Jeremy wrote on his own Instagram story.

It wasn’t until the early 2010s that Blanco’s career as a music producer really started to gain traction. By this point, he was already an adult, meaning he had the chance to live through most of his childhood and adolescence in fairly typical conditions.

For Gomez, it was a unique journey. She skyrocketed to fame at a tender age, and she openly acknowledged that the rapid rise left her feeling ‘restricted’ as a grown-up.

Born in 1992, Gomez spent her childhood in Grand Prairie, Texas, where her parents, Amanda ‘Mandy’ Dawn Cornett and Ricardo ‘Rick’ Joel Gómez, were both young teenagers at the time. They separated when she was just five years old.

Mandy, nurturing aspirations to become an actress, frequently took her child to auditions and rehearsals. It wasn’t until Gomez was around six or seven years old that she developed a passion for acting, too.

In 2017, Mandy shared with the New York Times, “She attended one of my rehearsals and remained still throughout. The ride home was silent until she said, ‘You know, Mom, it could be funnier if you did it this way.’ I realized then, ‘Oh, no. She’s going to become an actor.’

Following a short appearance on Barney & Friends when she was 10 years old, Gomez subsequently secured the dream role of Alex Russo on the Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place. This television show catapulted her to stardom at the tender age of 15.

During that period, she gained undeniable popularity due to her high-profile romance with teenage idol Justin Bieber. Fans worldwide affectionately referred to them as ‘Jelena.’

In 2011, they publicly acknowledged their romantic involvement by attending the Vanity Fair Oscars Party together. However, they separated in 2015 for a short while. They got back together two years after that, but ultimately decided to part ways permanently in 2018.

Starting in 2013, Gomez embarked on her solo music journey, releasing her smash debut single ‘Come & Get It’ that immediately catapulted her to success. However, amid the highs of breakups and packed concerts, she was also privately wrestling with significant mental and physical health challenges.

Despite her efforts to continue with her professional endeavors, Gomez ultimately had to scrap her 2016 Revival tour due to anxiety and depression stemming from her lupus condition.

Gomez stated that he aims to act ahead and prioritize his health and happiness. He has chosen to take some time off as the most effective approach, as revealed in a statement to People. He’s learned that anxiety, panic attacks, and depression can be associated with lupus, which can bring their own set of difficulties.

In June 2017, Francia Raisa, a well-known actress and good friend of hers, donated a kidney to her for a transplant. Gomez expressed her gratitude towards Raisa, calling her ‘a beautiful friend’ who made an incredible gift and sacrifice by donating one of her kidneys.

Additionally, further health complications arose, with news breaking in October 2018 that at age 26, Gomez sought mental health care following a ‘mental health crisis’.

As per TMZ’s initial report, Gomez was admitted to the hospital towards the end of September due to feeling down and emotional, following a concerning drop in her white blood cell count after her kidney transplant operation.

She spent several days at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles following her admission, after which she was discharged.

Two weeks after being readmitted, Gomez showed less willingness to accept help at the hospital. Reports suggested that she had a breakdown and became agitated, refusing treatment, went against medical advice by leaving the hospital, and even attempted to remove an IV from her arm, as TMZ stated during that period.

In 2022, Gomez opened up to Rolling Stone about the breakdown she experienced, revealing that it involved increasingly loud voices in her mind. She recalls fragmented memories of this incident, which resulted in her admission to a psychiatric hospital.

Gomez shared that for several months, she lived in a perpetual state of suspicion and couldn’t trust anyone. As she put it, “I felt like I wasn’t even present myself.

It was during her stay at the mental health facility that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Eventually, Gomez disclosed her diagnosis to her followers in the year 2020 during an episode of Miley Cyrus’s Instagram Live show, ‘Bright Minded’.

Gomez clarified that he’d only recently understood the reasons behind his long-term struggles with depression and anxiety,” or simply, “He finally figured out why he had been dealing with depression and anxiety for so long.

As I stand here, heart pounding like a drum, I can’t help but feel as though I’m stepping into a brand-new page of my storybook. You see, Gomez is sharing insights about her bond with Blanco, and it feels like the start of an exciting new chapter in their lives, one that I, as a devoted fan, eagerly anticipate unfolding.

In the March issue of Interview Magazine, during their first shared interview with Blanco, she expressed that she has felt somewhat isolated or on her own in the world.

For approximately five years prior to our union, I found myself solitary. This secluded period, however, significantly enhanced my ability to value someone like Ben. It’s something he finds surprising when I mention it, but truthfully, a decade ago, I was not in a position in life where I could have embraced the level of patience and unconditional love that he showers upon me.

In the span of 32 years, Gomez’s journey has been far from a tranquil sea voyage, encompassing child stardom, public struggles with relationships and personal issues.

In simpler terms, they’ll still encounter people questioning why she’s with him, but if we look at her unusual path, it seems like Blanco might just be the right person for her.

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2025-03-05 04:01

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