Benny Blanco says his mother recognized Selena Gomez as someone special long before the two became a couple, recounting the moment on his podcast and casting new light on how a professional partnership evolved into a personal relationship. The anecdote underscores how prolonged creative collaboration in the music industry can turn into something deeper — a detail that matters for fans tracking the pair’s journey from colleagues to fiancés.
On a recent episode of the podcast Friends Keep Secrets, co-hosted by Blanco alongside Lil Dicky and Kristin Batalucco, the producer told a story about his mother’s early enthusiasm for Gomez. The episode also included actors Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul as guests.
Blanco said the moment came while he was filming a music video with Selena in 2019. He recalled his mother sitting on set and quietly suggesting that he should “marry someone like her,” a remark that stuck with him even though he was dating someone else at the time.
He described how his impressions of Gomez grew over multiple sessions: working with her left him repeatedly surprised by how grounded and likable she was. Those impressions, he said, were noticed not just by his mother but by people from his past — an ex even later mentioned remembering how highly he spoke of Gomez years earlier.
When Aaron Paul teased that Blanco’s mother had “planted the seed,” Blanco agreed, saying his mom admired Gomez’s steadiness and warmth, and that Gomez had become, in his words, his closest friend.
- 2015 — Blanco collaborated with Gomez on tracks including “Kill Em With Kindness” and co-wrote/co-produced “Same Old Love” for her album Revival.
- 2019 — The pair released “I Can’t Get Enough,” their first single together as lead artists; Blanco was also shooting a video with Gomez when his mother made her comment.
- 2023 — Blanco worked as a producer on Gomez’s “Single Soon.” That year the two publicly confirmed they were dating in December.
- 2024 — Approximately one year after going public, the couple announced their engagement.
The exchange on the podcast offers a concrete example of how long-term professional chemistry can precede romance in the entertainment world. For followers of both artists, the anecdote provides context for a relationship that grew out of years of mutual respect and repeated collaboration.
Beyond the personal angle, the story highlights a familiar pattern in pop music: repeated creative interactions can reveal personal compatibility over time, and family members or close friends sometimes spot potential before the people involved do.
Blanco’s account — told with guests in the room and framed by a decade of shared projects — rounds out the public record of how a working relationship transitioned into a committed personal one.
