Selena Gomez by Emma Summerton for Vanity Fair October 2024

Selena Marie Gomez (born July 22, 1992) is an American singer, actress, and producer. After appearing on the children's television series Barney & Friends, she received wider recognition for her portrayal of Alex Russo on the Disney Channel television series Wizards of Waverly Place, which aired for four seasons from 2007 until 2012.

With her former band Selena Gomez & the Scene, she attained the top-ten on the US Billboard 200, with the band's albums Kiss & Tell (2009), A Year Without Rain (2010) and When the Sun Goes Down (2011). As a solo artist, Gomez has released the two number-one albums Stars Dance (2013) and Revival (2015). She has also earned seven top-ten entries on the US Billboard Hot 100: "Come & Get It", "The Heart Wants What It Wants", "Good for You" with ASAP Rocky, "Same Old Love", "Hands to Myself", "We Don't Talk Anymore" and "It Ain't Me" with Kygo. In 2017, Billboard reported that Gomez has sold over 7 million albums and 22 million singles worldwide.

Gomez's acting credits include starring roles in the films Another Cinderella Story (2008), Princess Protection Program (2009), Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie (2009), Ramona and Beezus (2010), Monte Carlo (2011), Spring Breakers (2012), Getaway (2013) and The Fundamentals of Caring (2016). She voices the character of Mavis in the Hotel Transylvania film franchise. Outside of entertainment, Gomez released her own clothing line through Kmart in 2010 and a self-titled fragrance in 2013. In 2017, she released a limited-edition collection of handbags called "Selena Grace" that she designed in collaboration with the luxury brand Coach, Inc. She has worked with various charitable organizations for years and became a UNICEF ambassador at the age of seventeen. Gomez was the most followed Instagram user in the world before surpassed by athlete Cristiano Ronaldo in late October 2018. Gomez has earned numerous awards throughout her career, including an ALMA Award, an American Music Award, an MTV Video Music Award, a People's Choice Award, two Billboard Women in Music Awards, and eighteen Teen Choice Awards.