Selena Gomez has admitted that although she always found Benny Blanco “funny,” she never imagined they would become a couple. The 33-year-old said she first met the record producer when she was “16” and preparing to release music.

Early meetings without romance

Speaking on the Therapuss with Jake Shane podcast, Selena recalled that they met because they “were going to possibly work together,” but her career officially began when she was 17 or 18. She said they “saw each other around” and that he felt more like “an acquaintance” than a close friend.

While they collaborated on Same Old Love, which she called “awesome,” and later on I Can’t Get Enough with Tainy and J Balvin, Selena noted there was “nothing really there” romantically.

Timing changed everything

Selena admitted she didn’t see Benny, 37, as a potential partner for many years. She explained that “it’s all about timing” and that even if she had wanted to take things further earlier, “it wouldn’t have worked.” She stressed that “you just have to be there mentally in order to move forward with something healthy.”

How their relationship began

Their dynamic shifted when they reunited for Single Soon. Selena joked that the track “wasn’t our favourite,” but it brought them back into contact. She remembered saying “Hi Benny” and talking for two hours. At one point, she even asked him to “hook me up with anybody that he knew that was cute.” Benny then suggested she join one of his “dinner nights,” and, as Selena put it, “next thing you know we’re dating.”

Now, after years of casual meetings and collaborations, the pair are engaged — a relationship Selena admits grew from timing, friendship, and an unexpected connection.