Benny Blanco reveals his mom urged him to marry Selena Gomez back in 2019
Synopsis
Benny Blanco's mother Sandra told him to marry Selena Gomez during a 2019 video shoot — years before they started dating. Blanco confirmed the detail on the Friends Keep Secrets podcast, calling Gomez his 'best friend' and crediting Sandra with planting the seed of their now-married life together.
Key Takeaways
Benny Blanco revealed his mother Sandra Levin urged him to marry Selena Gomez as far back as 2019 , during a music video shoot.
At the time, Blanco was in a relationship with someone else and he and Gomez were friendly but not close.
Blanco and Gomez began dating in mid-2023 ; Gomez confirmed the relationship in December 2023 .
The couple married at Sea Crest Nursery in Santa Barbara, California last September.
The disclosure was made on the Friends Keep Secrets podcast hosted by Lil Dicky and Kristin Batalucco , with guest Aaron Paul present.
Music producer Benny Blanco has revealed that his mother, Sandra Levin, was the one who first planted the idea of marrying Selena Gomez — years before the two even began dating. The disclosure came during a recent episode of the Friends Keep Secrets podcast, hosted by rapper-and-actor Lil Dicky and his wife Kristin Batalucco.
What Happened on the 2019 Video Shoot
According to Blanco, the moment occurred during a music video shoot with Gomez in 2019, when he was in a relationship with someone else. His mother, who was present on set, pulled him aside with a pointed observation. Blanco recounted her words on the podcast: 'Hon, you should marry Selena. You should be dating someone like Selena.'
Blanco, now 38, said he was caught off guard by the suggestion, given that he and the 33-year-old actress-and-singer were friendly but not particularly close at the time. 'We weren't best friends,' he noted, though he acknowledged a genuine admiration for her.
A Quiet Admiration That Grew Over Time
Blanco recalled at least two occasions when time spent with Gomez left a lasting impression on him. 'There were like two times in my life where I left a specific session or late video with her where I was like, "Wow, she's so cool. She's really cool,"' he said.
That quiet regard for Gomez was apparently visible even to those around him. Blanco shared that a former girlfriend — from roughly five years before the couple's wedding — reached out to congratulate them after they married, telling him she remembered him speaking 'so positively' about Selena even during their relationship.
The Wedding and Sandra's Role
Blanco and Gomez tied the knot at the Sea Crest Nursery in Santa Barbara, California, last September. During the podcast, Breaking Bad actor Aaron Paul, 46, asked whether Blanco's mother had effectively set the whole thing in motion. Blanco confirmed she had, saying Sandra called Gomez 'sweet' and someone who 'has her head on her shoulders.'
He added: 'Everyone says you always marry your best friend. That's how it works. And she's my f** best friend.'
From Friendly Collaborators to Married Couple
Blanco and Gomez — a 12-time Grammy nominee — began dating in mid-2023, with Gomez publicly confirming the relationship in December 2023. Their path from creative collaborators to life partners is one that, by Blanco's own account, his mother saw coming long before either of them did.
Point of View
Not a publicist or matchmaker, who first named what she saw. That Sandra Levin's offhand remark in 2019 became a wedding toast punchline in 2025 says something about the slow-burn nature of relationships that begin as working partnerships. What mainstream coverage tends to miss is that Gomez's ex-girlfriend also noticed Blanco's regard for her — suggesting the dynamic was visible to multiple people long before it became a headline.
NationPress
25 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Benny Blanco's mother first suggest he marry Selena Gomez?
Sandra Levin made the suggestion in 2019 during a music video shoot where both she and Gomez were present. At the time, Blanco was in a different relationship and he and Gomez were not particularly close.
When did Benny Blanco and Selena Gomez start dating?
Blanco and Gomez began dating in mid-2023 . Gomez publicly confirmed the relationship in December 2023 .
Where did Benny Blanco and Selena Gomez get married?
The couple wed at the Sea Crest Nursery in Santa Barbara, California , last September.
Where did Benny Blanco reveal this story about his mother?
Blanco shared the story on the Friends Keep Secrets podcast, hosted by Lil Dicky and his wife Kristin Batalucco . Breaking Bad actor Aaron Paul was a guest on the same episode and prompted Blanco to confirm his mother had 'planted the seed.'
How did Benny Blanco describe Selena Gomez as a partner?
Blanco called Gomez his 'best friend,' echoing his mother Sandra's early assessment that she was 'sweet' and had 'her head on her shoulders.' He cited the popular saying that you always marry your best friend as reflecting his own experience.
