Selena Gomez

Facts

Professional Name: Selena Gomez
Birth name: Selena Marie Gomez
Birthday: July 22nd, 1992
Birth Place: Grand Prairie, Texas
Zodiac Sign: Cancer
Height: 5′ 5″ (1.65 m)
Parents: Mandy Teefy (mother) & Brian Teefy (step-father)
Nicknames: Sel, Selly, Sel, Selly, Selenita, Conchita

Biography

Selena Marie Gomez (born July 22, 1992) is an American singer and actress. Born in Grand Prairie, Texas, she appeared in Barney & Friends as a child. In 2007, Gomez came to prominence as a starring cast member of the Emmy Award-winning television series Wizards of Waverly Place, in which she portrayed the protagonist Alex Russo. She subsequently starred in the television films Another Cinderella Story, Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie, and Princess Protection Program before making her theatrical film debut in Ramona and Beezus.

In 2008, Gomez signed to Hollywood Records and became the founder and lead singer of the pop band Selena Gomez & the Scene. Their studio albums Kiss & Tell (2009), A Year Without Rain (2010), and When the Sun Goes Down (2011) were certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and have spawned Platinum-certified singles “Naturally”, “Who Says”, and “Love You Like a Love Song”.

Personal Life

On February 27, 2011, Gomez attended the 2011 Vanity Fair Oscar party with Canadian singer Justin Bieber, confirming several months of media speculation about a romantic relationship between the pair. The relationship was Gomez’s most high-profile and the two became a teen power couple. In early November 2012, it was widely reported that the couple had ended their relationship after approximately two years together. They reconciled later that month. However, in January 2013, it was reported that Gomez and Bieber had broken up again.
Gomez is the owner of six rescue dogs and describes herself as a “huge animal-lover”.

Her net worth is estimated between $4 million and 5.5 million.

In 2008, Gomez was designated as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

Trivias

• Before landing the role of “Alex Russo” in “Wizards of Waverly Place” (2007), Selena wasn’t a fan of neither magic or the Harry Potter franchise.
• Her role model and favorite actress is Rachel McAdams.
• While filming that animated movie Horton Hears a Who! (2008), she played Steve Carell’s daughter but she never got to meet him.
• She became interested in acting after watching her mom, Mandy Teefey.
• Her favorite band is Paramore.
• She adopted her dog named Chip from an animal shelter.
• Discovered by Disney in a nation-wide casting call.
• Sings the theme tune to her Disney Channel show “Wizards of Waverly Place” (2007).
• Is an only child.
• Has four dogs – Chip, Willy, Fina and Wallace.
• Her mom, Mandy Teefey, remarried in 2006 to Brian Teefey.
• Wears a purity ring that says “True Love Waits”.
• She is of Mexican and Italian heritage.
• Her mom gave birth to her at the age of 16.
• Her parents divorced when she was 5 years old.
• She was named after Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, who died almost three years after Gomez was born.
• She went to Danny Jones Middle School located in Texas.
• Her name ‘Selena’ means Moon in Greek.
• She is a huge fan of Johnny Depp and Lady Sovereign.
• Both her family and Fernanda Romero are from the same town in Mexico.
• Used to do a YouTube show with her best friend Demi Lovato called “The Demi and Selena Show”.
• Has a song written and sung about her on YouTube called “Selena Gomez” by Greg Kurka.
• Friend of Jennifer Stone, Taylor Swift, Vanessa Hudgens and Jeremy Sumpter.
• Involved with the charity Raise Hope for Congo which helps raise awareness about the violence against Congolese women.
• Participated in the “Runway for Life” benefit for St. Jude’s Children Research Hospial. [2008]
• Was named the youngest ambassador to UNICEF at age 17 (2009).
• Lead singer of the band Selena Gomez & The Scene.
• Selena and her mom, Mandy Cornett (Teefey), said good-bye to friends and family in Grand Prairie, Texas to start a new Life in Los Angeles after hearing the life-changing news of Selena’s new role on “Wizards of Waverly Place” (2007).
• Is a fan of Britney Spears and considers Britney to be one of her idols.
• Huge fan of Fefe Dobson, she covered one of Dobson’s tracks “As a blonde” on her album “Kiss and tell” and Fefe also co-wrote Selena’s hit single “Round and Round”.
• For her 2011 music video “Love You Like A Love Song”, Gomez had horses spray-painted pink. This led to accusations from PETA and singer Pink about the treatment of the animals.
• In June 2011, she released her album “When The Sun Goes Down”.
• Hospitalized with nausea and terrible headaches after appearing on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” (1992). She was later diagnosed with physical exhaustion and food poisoning [June 13, 2011].
• Is friends with Demi Lovato since they met on July 22, 1999 on a casting for “Barney & Friends” (1992). Later, they worked together on Princess Protection Program (2009) (TV) and “Sonny with a Chance” (2009). Also directed, together, “The Demi and Selena Show” (2008)
• Has been in on-off relationship with Justin Bieber since December 2010.
• Her younger maternal sister, Scarlett Teefey, died on December 16, 2011.

Quotes

• Be yourself always, there’s no one better!
• I was never the girl who thought I need to make sure I look like all the other girls. I think you look best when you stand out.
• [on Having Her Own Band] I’m going to be in a band – no Selena Gomez stuff. I’m not going to be a solo artist. I think that I don’t want my name attached to it. I basically want to make music that is fun and that parents and kids can jump around to and have a good time to.
• I wanted to be like my friends. I hung out with girls who had blue eyes and blond hair and I thought, ‘I want to look like them!’
• [on declaring she will remain a virgin until marriage] I said, ‘Dad, I want a promise ring.’ He went to the church and got it blessed. He actually used me as an example for other kids. I’m going to keep my promise to myself, to my family and to God.
• [on wearing a purity ring] I’ve had my ring since I was 12 years old. But for me it’s not something I want to go around saying, ‘Hey, look what I have.’ It’s a promise I made to myself and God. I think some people misinterpret that as a trend and think everyone’s getting one.
• [on reports that she and friend, Demi Lovato had a feud] You can’t care (about reports like that), It’s really toxic what they do to the girls in the industry.
• [on Lindsay Lohan and her time in rehab] I don’t think anybody should be mean because you never understand what’s someone is going through. And it is partly (this) business, because it is crazy and hectic. So I think that nobody should be rude. If this were a normal person, you wouldn’t be so judgmental. I feel like people shouldn’t judge as much, they should give their sympathy.
• [on revealing she would prefer to date someone who is not famous] You kind of can’t help who you’ll fall in love with. I’d date someone who isn’t in the business in a heartbeat.
• I love Katy Perry! She gave me a song for my second album.
• Everyone wants songs written by Katy Perry. I asked her and she was so nice – she just said, ‘Yeah, you can have it.’ She was very kind.
• I don’t actually like dates. I get awkward as I never know what to do.
• For me, the person that I really admire because they came from this Disney world would be Shia LaBeouf. He had his own show on Disney Channel. He was really funny and I loved his show. Then he started to do films. Now he is doing really great films and he is respected as an actor. I really like him a lot as an actor. I think he is cute, too, so that helps. I feel that I can relate to him the most.
  I’m going to be Katy Perry for Halloween. I’m going to have the blue hair and the ice cream outfit she did. It’s going to be awesome.
• [on working with Katy Perry] It is so much fun. It’s very soulful and it’s kind of got her flair mixed in with my dance kind-of-a-little techno vibe. So it was really amazing and I really loved it. I was extremely honored, cause I’m a huge fan of hers.
• [on Justin Bieber] I love Justin. When he first started to come over from Canada his manager contacted me and he just said that he would like to meet me and he was just such a good kid.
• [on Demi Lovato] I love her. I completely love her and her whole family to death. I will always talk extremely highly of her and I always have.
• I love Nicki Minaj, Eminem, Katy Perry. They are all about being themselves and I love that.
• (on going to her firs concert – a Britney Spears show) We were in the nosebleeds with my cousin. I got the T-shirt and glow sticks and I just remember it being the highlight of my life! I felt like I was on cloud nine!
• (on doing a Britney Spears tribute for her concert) We are working on a Britney tribute, which I’m so stoked about, ’cause I love Britney. I was like, ‘I have to do it.’ I wanna do a mash-up of all her songs and just go for it. We’re gonna do a little tribute. We’re gonna do her hits, ‘ … Baby One More Time,’ and then I think we’re going to try to incorporate ‘Toxic’ and that phase. And then we might do some of her recent, new stuff.
• (on performing songs from Britney Spears during a tribute concert) I’m not going to even touch Britney! She’s so good. I wouldn’t want to butcher it. I’m just going to pay tribute to her! I’m gonna say she’s awesome.
• (On Rebecca Black’s song “Friday”) I love it! Total guilty pleasure! I totally admire her, I think it’s awesome that she hasn’t taken that downward spiral that other child stars have taken.
• [on her boyfriend, Justin Bieber] Yeah, he is romantic. He gave me a bottle of his new perfume the other day. (2011)