Early Life

Selena Marie Gomez was born on July 22, 1992 in Grand Prairie, Texas to Ricardo Gomez and Mandy Teefy, a former stage actress. The family has Mexican and Italian roots. Her birth parents divorced when she was five years old, and she was raised as an only child by her working mother. In 2006, her mother remarried Brian Teefy. She is named after Tejano singer Selena.

Career

Gomez began her acting career at age seven, playing Gianna on Barney & Friends. She said that she learned "everything" about how to act while on the show. Season 7 of Barney & Friends, when Selena Gomez was on the show, was held up for some time. Because of this, the episodes featuring Gomez did not air until she was in 5th grade. This resulted in some mild controversy/confusion as to whether she was on Barney in the 5th grade or the 1st grade. She later had minor roles in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over and the TV film Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial By Fire. In 2004, Gomez was discovered by the Disney Channel in a nation wide scouting. Gomez appeared as a guest star on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and had a guest appearance - that later turned into a recurring role - on Hannah Montana from season's two to three. In early 2007 Gomez was cast in the Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place as one of the three main characters, Alex Russo.
Selena Gomez & the Scene (often stylized as Selena Gomez ♥ The Scene) is an American pop rock band that formed in 2009. The band consists of Selena Gomez on vocals, Ethan Roberts on guitar, Joey Clement on bass, Greg Garman on drums, and Dane Forrest on keyboards. Kiss & Tell is the band's debut studio album and was released on September 29, 2009 by Hollywood Records. On March 5, 2010, the album was certified Gold by RIAA.

Personal Life

Gomez began wearing a purity ring when she was 12 years old. She is the owner of five rescue dogs and describes herself as a "huge animal lover". Gomez is close friends with Demi Lovato, whom she first met at the Barney & Friends auditions. After Gomez and Lovato posted a video blog on YouTube in March 2008, Miley Cyrus and her friend Mandy Jiroux uploaded a parody of that video, which caught the interest of entertainment media. Reports included the theory that Gomez and Lovato might replace Cyrus. Gomez clarified there was no feud, saying: "I'm not interested in being anybody but myself, and I'm not here to replace anyone. I think that she's a wonderful performer, and of course it's a compliment. But I would like to take a different route."

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