The first kiss is a big deal for most people, and everyone always wants it to be perfect. For child stars, it gets even weirder because some of them get their first kiss in front of the camera when several people are watching! This is what happened to Selena Gomez.
Opening Up About the Past
Selena has been doing a lot of reflecting on her life lately. When the actress released her album Rare, she opened up about dealing with issues of anxiety and depression.
Since then, she's been on talk shows discussing her latest music, struggles, and awkward first kisses. She went viral for talking very candidly on The Kelly Clarkson Show about how awful her first kiss with Dylan Sprouse was.
The topic came up after Selena Gomez recalled revisiting her childhood home recently. Surprisingly, the man that was living there was utterly unfazed when Selena walked in.
Usually, she only gets to look from the outside, but she got a special surprise the last time she went home. Apparently, everything Selena had written on the walls and in the closet when she was a child was still intact. If the story sounds familiar, it's because the star uploaded footage of handwritten notes she once wrote on her closet door about Cole Sprouse.
She used the hashtag #TBT (Throwback Thursday) as an opportunity to reveal that she once had a crush on Dylan Sprouse's twin brother. Long before Gomez would become a Disney star on her own, she was a Disney kid.
Revealing Her Childhood Crush
Selena watched The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and was crushing on one of the Sprouse brothers. There was still proof of that in her old bedroom. The singer posted a video and photo of wall doodles that read "Selena Gomez and Cole Sprouse 4-ever" and "Selena + Juan" with a heart around it.
Seeing his "competition," Cole Sprouse commented on the post himself, writing "always Juan-upping me."
Fans and fellow celebrities also comment on the post, which garnered over 2 million likes and thousands of comments in a matter of hours.
Camila Cabello replied with a simple "hahahaha," while Selena's hairstylist Marissa Marino added a series of crying laughing emojis.
After Selena posted the video on Instagram, the star echoed in the interview with Kelly Clarkson that she used to have a massive crush on Cole Sprouse, and she loved the show The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.
Obsessed With Cole Sprouse
The Disney darling who later starred on Wizards of Waverly Place from 2007 to 2012 explained how intense her infatuation was with the Suite Life star before she was a household name.
The actress said, "I was obsessed with that show, and I thought we were going to be together one day." On the air, Cole Sprouse caught Gomez's eye.
When Cole Sprouse finished his stint as Ben Geller on Friends, Selena was on Barney & Friends alongside Demi Lovato. Almost everyone who was born in the '90s and watched the show had a massive crush on the twins. The series aired on Disney Channel from 2005 to 2008 with 4 million viewers making it the most successful premiere for Disney Channel. It was also nominated for an Emmy Award and a Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards three times.
Meeting Her Crush
Like many other people her age at that time, Selena Gomez dreamt of acting alongside the twins, even if it was as a guest star. Luckily she had the opportunity to work with him on his Disney show in 2006 in the episode titled A Midsummer's Nightmare. Gomez starred as Gwen, a classmate who shared a kiss with one of the leads in a school play.
Kissing Her Crush's Brother
Selena was happy to meet Cole Sprouse, but her heart was crushed when she didn't get to kiss him. The actress was scripted to kiss his twin brother Dylan Sprouse instead. Gomez did not elaborate, but Kelly Clarkson sympathized with how awkward a first kiss could be when you're not on television. She said, "imagine doing it for work with your crush's brother, yikes!"
Well, kissing either of the Sprouse twins back in 2006 was every girl's dream. In the show, the two had opposite personalities that attracted different girls. Cody Martin, played by Cole, was the calm, mature, and more brilliant twin. He was a straight-A student making him better academically than his brother Zack.
Cody was the gentler twin compared to his brother and somehow always talked into going along with Zack's schemes.
Zack was the self-centered, outgoing, immature twin. He usually dressed in a skater and baggy camo clothes.
Why Selena Gomez Hated Kissing Dylan Sprouse
Both stars have talked about the kiss before, and they seem to agree that it was very awkward.
Selena talked to Tiger Beat in 2009 about the scene. She said, "I actually leaned in to kiss him, and I had my eyes closed a little too early, and I ended up missing like half of his lip. So it ended up being the most awkward kiss in the world. But I was 12, so it was okay, and it was good. And thank goodness he's such an awesome guy."
In an interview with Young Hollywood in 2018, Dylan also recalled the cringeworthy scene. He said, "There's a lot of sad, depressing first kiss stories. I was a chubby lad, and I wasn't successful with women for a long time. I think my first kiss was on a set. And I think it might have been with Selena Gomez. Interesting."