Much like available reservations at Carbone, celebrity friendships come and go. Usually in dramatic fashion. But Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez are 15 years deep into being BFFs and show no signs of ending their life-long commitment. And believe it or not, their whole thing started with none other than the Jonas Brother (*not Kevin). Let’s get into a friendship timeline, shall we?
Circa 2008
Selena and Taylor meet when they both happen to be dating JoBros (Taylor was with Joe Jonas, while Selena was seeing Nick Jonas).
“We clicked instantly and, man, that was my girl,” Selena told WSJ. Magazine of their meeting, while Tay added, “There has always been this quality of sisterhood, and I don’t say that in a basic way. I knew from when I met her I would always have her back. In my life, I have the ability to forgive people who have hurt me. But I don’t know if I can forgive someone who hurts her.”
Here are some pics from their early days (which Selena posted while encouraging everyone to buy 1989, because she’s just that good of a friend).
September 14, 2008
Sel and Tay make their first official red carpet appearance at the premiere of Another Cinderella Story. Truly an iconic place to make memories!
October 20, 2009
Selena tells Seventeen that she goes to Taylor for advice on her love life, saying, “Every single problem I ever have is healable by Taylor Swift! If I ever I have an issue, Taylor has gone through it, because she’s older than me, and she gives the most thought-out answers. And what I love about Taylor is that she does believe in the whole love story and Prince Charming and soul mates. Because of her, I haven’t lost faith. We literally talk every day.”
January 5, 2011
The pair hit up the People’s Choice Awards—the first of many, many, mannnnny awards shows they attend together.
March 3, 2011
It’s the Vanity Fair Oscar Party and both Taylor and Selena are invited, naturally!
May 22, 2011
And then it’s officially 2011 awards szn, starting with the Billboard Awards. For reasons that remain unclear and confusing, Justin Bieber chooses to wear this jacket.
August 7, 2011
Then we have the Teen Choice Awards:
November 20, 2011
And then the AMAs where Selena shows off her bubble blowing skills.
November 23, 2011
Selena shows up and surprises everyone on Taylor’s tour. If you were at this concert, I am officially jealous of you.
July 22, 2012
A year somehow passes and Sel + Tay head to the Teen Choice Awards once again.
November 17, 2012
They hang out a bunch that fall and are even papped in Los Angeles wearing some amazing outfits.
July 22, 2013
Taylor calls Selena the closest thing she has to a sister. 😭
August 25, 2013
They once again hit up the VMAs, because at this point it’s just tradition, ya know?
March 12, 2014
The rumor mill starts buzzing after a source claims to Us Weekly that Taylor is “distancing” herself from Selena due to Sel reconciling with Justin Bieber and “using” Ed Sheeran to make him jealous. Per the source (and take this with a huge grain of salt, obvi), “After Selena pulled that move, Taylor started distancing herself.” But another insider (and alleged friend of Taylor’s) explicitly refutes this to E! News, saying, “She has not cut her off.”
Given the next near-decade of Taylor and Selena friendship, clearly this “distance” amounted to nothing!
May 6, 2014
Selena and Taylor dance around the Met Gala—firmly shutting down any rumors of a feud.
May 9, 2014
Taylor tells E! News, “When your life changes and you become thrust into this really strange whirlwind where what your life is is different from what other people think your life is. And your life is commented on and your life is written about and fictionalized and all that. Both of us have kind of stuck it out and hung in there through all the different changes we’ve gone through. Longevity is something you really can find very precious and rare in friendships.”
November 23, 2014
Taylor is seen crying after Selena’s emotional performance at the AMAs:
Note to my friends: If you don’t cry during my vocal performances, it’s over between us.
December 12, 2014
I meannnnnnn:
March 4, 2015
Selena and Taylor hang for Camila Cabello’s birthday:
March 8, 2015
And proceed to hang pretty much through the rest of March:
May 18, 2015
Selena is one of MANY celebs to show up in Taylor’s “Bad Blood” music video:
June 16, 2015
They are once again papped on the fated day Taylor wore this outfit:
August 27, 2015
Selena shows up on the 1989 World Tour, and it’s everything you could want it to be and more.
August 30, 2015
Selena hits the VMAs to support Taylor’s “Bad Blood” noms.
December 13, 2015
Another year, another birthday message to Tay from Sel:
January 15, 2016
Obsessed with everything happening here:
February 15, 2016
Selena and Taylor attend the Grammys!
April 3, 2016
And a couple months later, they show up at the iHeart Awards:
December 5, 2017
Selena chats about meeting Tay, saying, “It was amazing, because she was the girl with the big curly hair and all the bracelets and the cowboy boots. And I was definitely up-and-coming, and we just clicked. It was the best thing we got out of those relationships.”
December 13, 2017
Selena posts a cute video for Taylor’s birthday, writing, “I wish some knew how big your heart actually is.. it’s fierce, bold and freaking wild with light. I’m glad you protect that.”
May 20, 2018
‘Cause it’s tradition, Selena shows up on the Reputation tour:
November 5, 2019
Selena talks about the possibility of a collab with Taylor:
November 15, 2019
Selena writes a lengthy post of support to Taylor amid her drama with Scooter Braun:
March 22, 2021
Cute pic, incoming:
November 13, 2021
Selena shows up on Tay’s TikTok!
July 22, 2022
Taylor spends Selena’s 30th birthday with her:
November 3, 2022
Selena tells Rolling Stone that Taylor is her only celeb friend, explaining, “I never fit in with a cool group of girls that were celebrities. My only friend in the industry really is Taylor [Swift], so I remember feeling like I didn’t belong. I felt the presence of everyone around me living full lives. I had this position, and I was really happy, but… was I? Do these materialistic things make me happy? I just didn’t like who I was, because I didn’t know who I was.”
February 23, 2023
Selena defends Taylor over a TikTok featuring Hailey Bieber *seemingly* making a face when Tay is mentioned:
July 7, 2023
Selena attends Taylor Swift’s newly dusted off July 4th party:
August 9, 2023
Selena hits up the Eras Tour (in the audience, not on stage).
September 12, 2023
Hello, it’s the VMAs again!
October 19, 2023
Selena and Taylor are papped getting sushi.
November 4, 2023
Selena chills with Taylor Swift and a million other celebs during Tay’s Kansas City Chiefs Era.
December 9, 2023
Taylor and Selena are papped in NYC! Pics this way.
Annnnnd that pretty much brings us up to date. We’ll be updating this as the days weeks months years progress.
December 13, 2023
Selena wishes Taylor HBD, calling her a “goddess.”
Mehera Bonner is a celebrity and entertainment news writer who enjoys Bravo and Antiques Roadshow with equal enthusiasm, She was previously entertainment editor at Marie Claire and has covered pop culture for over a decade.
