Photo Credit: Getty Images
Pop star developed a nervous rash during romantic moment with now-fiancé. Selena Gomez's relationship with music producer Benny Blanco began with an unexpected physical reaction that left the star "embarrassed" during their first kiss.
The couple, who announced their engagement in December 2024, shared intimate details about their early dating days during Wednesday's episode of Jessie and Lennie Ware's "Table Manners" podcast.
"I kissed her right away, and her heart started beating so quickly, and she started getting a rash on her face... she was so nervous," Benny, 37, admitted during their joint interview.
The 32-year-old singer explained her nervous reaction stemmed from genuine emotion. "Some kisses are for fun and then when you feel something behind a kiss, it's completely different," Selena added. "I'd been alone for about five years, with the exception of a few s--tty dates here and there, but never felt that way."
According to Blanco, the memorable kiss happened during their second date while playing the card game "We're Not Really Strangers." When prompted to take a selfie together, Gomez leaned against his chest for the photo. 'Right after, I just looked at her and thought, I got to kiss this girl,' he recalled.
The "Only Murders in the Building" actress admitted she was anxious about her growing feelings. Her nervousness manifested in other ways too—Blanco revealed Gomez would arrive extremely early for their dates, sometimes waiting in her car for 30 minutes before coming to his door.
"She was so obsessed with being on time," he shared, adding that his security cameras would capture her waiting outside. Gomez admitted she'd use the extra time to "call a friend to pump me up or do my makeup again."
Though they had been friends for years, the couple didn't begin dating until June 2023, confirming their relationship publicly six months later.
Blanco proposed exactly one year after they went public, presenting Gomez with a marquise diamond engagement ring—a thoughtful nod to their 2015 musical collaboration "Good For You."
The couple's chemistry is evident in their playful podcast banter, with Blanco joking that perhaps Gomez was "allergic" to him during that first kiss—a comment she quickly dismissed.
Their relationship timeline shows a steady progression from longtime professional collaborators to romantic partners. They first met in 2013 through Gomez's mother, Mandy Teefey, before working together on several hits including "Kill Em With Kindness" and "Same Old Love" from Gomez's 2015 album "Revival."
