Selena Gomez's Surprise Tribute to Taylor Swift Says a Lot About Their Close Friendship
Taylor Swift took home the Innovator Award at last night’s iHeartRadio Music Awards, and the ceremony got some of the music industry’s heaviest hitters, from Dolly Parton to Ed Sheeran, to comment on Swift’s legacy. Among them was Selena Gomez, Swift’s longtime friend, who had glowing words to share about the woman who has been a close confidant in her life for over 14 years. Her comments give a rare look at how Gomez privately views Swift.
Gomez said, “She can represent what she’s walking through so well. She’s a role model. I don’t think that’s something you sign up for; I just think it’s something you inherently have inside of you, and I think that’s Taylor.”
This is far from the first time Gomez has spoken about the two’s friendship. In January 2020, Gomez told WSJ that they purposely keep a lot of their relationship private, but Swift has really been there for her behind closed doors.
“There’s so much of my friendship with Taylor that people don’t know about because we don’t necessarily feel the need to post about everything we do,” she said. “She has showed up for me in ways that I would have never expected. Flown in because I was hurt and was going through something. Stuff that was going on with my family. It’s been proven year after year and in every moment of my life that she is one of my best friends in the world. We don’t agree on everything, but we respect each other with everything.”
Gomez and Swift first became close around 2008, when they were both dating Jonas Brothers (Swift with Joe Jonas, Gomez with Nick Jonas). They last shared a photo of themselves hanging out during Gomez’s 30th birthday this past July.
Senior News and Strategy Editor
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.
