Why Justin Bieber is 'To Blame' For His Loved-Up Ex Selena Gomez Announcing She's Engaged to Boyfriend Benny Blanco
Dec. 13 2024, Updated 3:24 p.m. ET
Selena Gomez and new fiancé Benny Blanco got engaged in secret five months ago — but delayed making an announcement due to Justin Bieber.
RadarOnline.com can reveal Gomez, 32, has been celebrating their engagement since August and initially planned to make the couple's news public.
But they decided to delay going public in fear of being "tied" to Gomez’s ex becoming a father for the first time, which occurred around the same time.
A source said: "They became engaged in August and Selena didn't want her engagement to be tied to Bieber in any way.
"They knew it would."
Gomez and Bieber dated on and off for years before he met and married Hailey Bieber.
The pair welcomed their first child, son Jack, on August 22.
The insider continued: "Selena knew that there would be stories accusing her of getting engaged to turn attention away from Justin’s baby, or that people would claim that she did this to one up him."
Gomez wrote "forever begins now..." as she announced her engagement to her 422million Instagram followers on Wednesday.
She also posted a photo of herself wrapped in Blanco's arms as she flashed the marquise diamond ring for the camera.
Blanco, 36, a famed music producer, seemingly popped the question during a romantic picnic with food from Taco Bell.
Rare Beauty founder Gomez also shared a video of the moment she broke the happy news to a loved one.
"I said yes to this," she says as she flashes the rock.
The actress and singer can be seen laughing as the woman on the video call screams and declares: "Oh my God it's so beautiful."
The couple received an outpouring of congratulatory messages from their celebrity friends, with Taylor Swift offering to be a "flower girl" at the wedding.
Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow and Cardi B also shared their love.
Blanco himself left a cheeky comment in which he referred to Gomez as his "wife."
"Hey wait… that’s my wife," wrote the musician, who earned nearly 150,000 'likes.'
But Gordon Ramsay's response proved divisive, with some accusing the British chef of mocking Blanco’s appearance and suggesting Gomez is only with him for his culinary skills.
"Congratulations to you both it must be the cooking," he wrote alongside a string of red love hearts.
The couple first sparked engagement rumors back in August after she shared a selfie with a heart emoji strategically placed over her wedding finger.
Gomez and Blanco had known each other for more than a decade by the time they started dating in June 2023.
They went public that December, with the Wolves singer describing him as her "absolute everything" on Instagram.
Blanco produced her 2015 songs Same Old Love and Kill ’Em With Kindness, along with her 2017 collaboration with Cashmere Cat, Trust Nobody. They also collaborated on 2019 single I Can’t Get Enough with J Balvin and Tainy.
In August 2023 she released her track Single Soon, which Blanco produced.
Speaking to Sirius XM while promoting the track she discussed her non negotiables for a partner.
"I mean you gotta be cool, man," she said. "Not cool in the sense that people think you're cool.
"You just gotta be nice and like, please make me laugh and also just be good to my family and people around you."