10 Fascinating Facts About Selena Gomez

Meraj Hashmi

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Source: Canva

Source: Canva

1. Legacy of Her Name

Selena was named after the famous Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla, who was tragically murdered in 1995. Her father chose the name as a tribute to Latin culture.

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2. Third-Generation Mexican-American

Selena identifies as a third-generation Mexican-American. Her grandparents immigrated from Monterrey, Mexico, to Texas in the 1970s.

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3. Childhood Financial Struggles

After her parents’ divorce when she was five, Selena and her mother—who had her at just 16—often relied on dollar-store spaghetti to make ends meet.

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4. Battle with Lupus and Kidney Transplant

In 2017, Selena suffered kidney failure due to lupus, and her close friend Francia Raisa donated a kidney to her. In 2024, she revealed that lupus and its treatments had made natural motherhood impossible, leading her to consider surrogacy or adoption.

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5. Guinness World Record Holder

Selena holds 16 Guinness World Records, including "Most Instagram Followers for a Female" and "Most Streamed Tracks by a Female Artist."

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6. Instagram’s Most-Followed Woman

By 2024, Selena had amassed over 430 million Instagram followers, making her one of the most influential social media personalities in the world.

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7. $2 Billion Beauty Empire

Her cosmetics brand, Rare Beauty, was valued at $2 billion in 2024. The company is committed to mental health awareness, with a goal of donating $100 million to related causes.

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8. Cannes Film Festival Winner

In 2024, Selena won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for her role in Emilia Pérez.

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9. Grammy-nominated Spanish EP

Her 2021 Spanish-language EP, Revelación, made history by earning nominations at both the Grammy Awards and the Latin Grammys—an extraordinary achievement for an American artist.

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10. France’s Highest Cultural Honor

In 2024, the French government awarded Selena the Order of Arts and Letters, the country’s highest honor for contributions to the arts.