Selena Gomez has had a long career in the industry. But despite her accomplishments, she’s also famously known for her dating life, particularly regarding that one ex – yes, Justin Bieber. Since their breakup, Bieber tied the knot with model Hailey Bieber (nee Baldwin) in 2018, famously within a few months after Gomez and Bieber called it quits. Gomez’s love life has been quieter.
She’s been keeping busy professionally, recently clinching a Golden Globe award nomination for her role in Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building and finally releasing the long-awaited documentary on her journey to overcoming her health and career roadblocks, My Mind and Me. Fans got to glean what the star has been up to since 2016 and through the revealing nature of the documentary, got a glimpse of how the star really feels about her ex and whether there are any residual feelings.
Selena And Justin Have A Long History
Even though their journey started out with Gomez referencing Bieber as her “little brother,” she eventually fell for the Canadian crooner.
The two ended up dating on and off for eight years, captivating fans with the drama and intensity of their breakups and makeups.
The story is, Bieber’s manager Scooter Braun reached out to Gomez's mother, who is her manager, and connected the young stars.
At the time, Gomez did view Bieber, who is two years younger, as someone she needed to protect, but eventually, the pair became good friends. And as they say, friendship makes a great foundation for potential relationships.
Speculation swirled, and the pair made their official couple debut at the Vanity Fair Oscars party in 2011.
Sadly, after two years of dating, Gomez and Bieber went their separate ways, but their relationship was far from over. What followed were years of on-off drama.
The two shaded and gave cryptic updates regarding their relationship through social media and media interviews. They would make up and break up while in-between dating other famous names.
Gomez has dated the singer The Weeknd for a year before splitting and getting back together with Bieber for the final time.
Orlando Bloom, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Charlie Puth, Zedd, and Drew Taggart of the Chainsmokers have since been linked to Gomez.
Aside from his wife, Miranda Kerr, Barbara Palvin, the Jenner sisters, Sofia Richie, and a slew of Instagram models are some of the famous faces and names Bieber has reportedly romanced.
Selena Has Been Accused Of Name Dropping Justin
During Bieber’s short-lived romance with Sofia Richie, his fans weren’t exactly thrilled he was dating so publicly.
They attacked Richie via social media, so to stand by his significant other, Bieber posted asking them not to be "mean."
Well, his famous ex-girlfriend had something to say about that. Gomez jumped in to comment on the post.
"If you can't handle the hate, then stop posting pictures of your girlfriend lol- It should be special between you two only. Don't be mad at your fans. They love you."
This then kicked off a back-and-forth that ended with Bieber alleging Gomez had used his name to seek publicity. He wrote back, "It's funny to see people that used me for attention and still try to point the finger this way. Sad. All love."
Both stars have confirmed their relationship influenced many of their hit singles.
For Bieber, “What Do You Mean,” “Sorry,” and “Mark My Words” are confirmed to be about his relationship with Gomez.
On Gomez's end, “The Heart Wants What It Wants,” “Back To You,” and “Lose You To Love Me” are known to have alluded to the pair's romance.
Selena Spoke About Justin In Her Documentary
My Mind and Me chronicles six years of Gomez's life as she tries to find a balance between her professional and personal life and her mental and physical health.
Given the much-publicized nature of her eight-year romance with Bieber, one has to wonder whether there will be any mention of their relationship. After all, their saga has been a looming presence over both of their careers.
While Bieber's name is only briefly mentioned in the documentary, there are references, some blatant and some alluding, that viewers can glean point toward the singer.
“If I was a guy, I could wear jeans, and just switch up my t-shirt, and put on a beanie, and nobody would care," she commented as she tried to decide on an outfit for her tour.
A subtle dig? Bieber is known to rock the beanie from time to time, even on stage.
The documentary then intercuts a montage of the media delving into her personal life, sometimes asking questions that are a little too personal.
Amid a horde of paparazzi following Gomez, the song “Same Old Love,” known to be about Bieber, plays in the background. She then is bombarded with questions like “How are you feeling about Justin?” and “Are you depressed?”
Bieber's presence rears itself again when the head of her record label called Gomez about a potential collaboration with her ex. To her friends, she vented, crying, “When am I just gonna be good enough by myself, not needing anybody to be associated with?”
Her single, “Lose You To Love Me,” which quotes the lyrics, “In two months, you replaced us,” references how quickly Bieber moved on.
“The song is about knowing that you completely lost every part of who you are just to rediscover yourself again,” she explained in My Mind and Me.
“Everything was so public. I felt haunted by a past relationship that no one wanted to let go of. But then I just moved past it, and I wasn’t afraid anymore.”
“I feel like I had to go through the worst possible heartbreak ever and then just forgetting everything at the drop of a hand, it was really confusing,” she concluded.
“But I just think that needed to happen, and ultimately it was the best thing that ever happened to me."
The documentary reaffirms the closure she found regarding her long-time love. Now that the saga has ended, hopefully, Gomez can find peace and new creative inspirations other than the relationship.