By DANIELA AVILA
If couples that play—and host— together also stay together, then Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco might be in for a good run. The pair threw a pajama-themed surprise birthday party for Gomez’s friend Nicola Peltz Beckham, who turned 29 on Jan. 9, and judging from the photos Peltz shared on Instagram, it was a successful joint effort. “I love you all so much and thank you Benny for making the best food everrrr and you and Sel for hosting,” the Welcome to Chippendales actress wrote on Jan. 13.
Earlier this month Gomez, 31, and Blanco, 35—a record producer and songwriter who has collaborated on hits with Ed Sheeran, BTS and Gomez—made their first official appearance as a couple at Jan. 7’s Golden Globes. Afterward the singer and Only Murders in the Building star, nominated for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy, shared a sweet photo of their postshow kiss on Instagram. “She seems to be really feeling herself at the moment,” a source recently told People. “Maybe that’s Benny, or maybe that’s just where she’s at personally and professionally.”
Gomez first appeared to confirm her relationship with Blanco, whom she has been dating for more than six months, in early December when a fan account posted a black-and-white image of her and Blanco together. “He is my absolute everything in my heart,” she wrote in the comments. Since then the couple have not been shy about their mutual affection. On Jan. 3 they were spotted cuddling and holding hands courtside at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles while watching the L.A. Lakers play the Miami Heat.
Six days later Gomez revealed in an Instagram story that she was taking a break from social media and “focusing on what really matters,” alongside a video of Blanco. The following day, however, she returned to promote a collaborative cooking video with Gordon Ramsay.
In addition to her whirlwind romance, the Rare Beauty founder has kept busy with the December launch of her Find Comfort collection, which features a fragrance mist, body lotion, hand lotion and aromatherapy pen. The new line “aligns with promoting self-acceptance” and “encourages everyone to find joy in feeling good without needing perfect routines,” she told People in December. “It’s all about emphasizing well-being.” Meanwhile Only Murders in the Building was renewed for season 4 in October, though a release date has yet to be announced. On Jan. 15 Gomez brought Blanco as her plus-one to the 75th annual Primetime Emmy Awards, where the show was nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series.
As Gomez continues to thrive in all areas of her life, her close circle is fully behind her. “Everyone is so happy that she’s happy,” a source says. “Everyone was a fan of hers before Only Murders [in the Building], and now everyone is protective of her.”
LINDSAY LOHAN
All About Her Mean Girls Cameo!
You can’t sit with them . . . but Lindsay Lohan can. The star of 2004’s Mean Girls has a fetch cameo in the new movie musical, sharing a scene with transfer student Cady (Angourie Rice), the role she played in the original. Lohan, 37, was pregnant with son Luai, now 6 months old, when she filmed her scene as the moderator of the Mathletes competition. “I was trying to think of something that you wouldn’t expect,” screenwriter and costar Tina Fey told Entertainment Weekly. Lohan got cheers at the N.Y.C. premiere Jan. 8 (above) but later let it be known she didn’t appreciate one particular joke in the movie. Her rep said she was “hurt and disappointed” by a reference to “fire crotch,” an insult oil heir Brandon Davis hurled at her in 2006. —ERIC ANDERSSON
(LOHAN) TOP RIGHT: ARTURO HOLMES/GETTY IMAGES; (GOMEZ) STEFANIE KEENAN/ GETTY IMAGES; (BLANCO) JON KOPALOFF/WIREIMAGE; (GOMEZ, MARTIN & SHORT) NEILSON BARNARD/GETTY IMAGES; (STILL) JOJO WHILDEN/PARAMOUNT