Meraj Hashmi
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.