When it comes to Disney stars who have managed to make it big in their adult life, it would be tough to find one who has gone through the process with more class than Selena Gomez. Of course, the career of this young 27-year-old has not been without its ups and downs, but Selena has long since proven that she can pretty much bounce back from anything. From breaking away from her Disney Channel days, to falling for the bad boy, Selena has kept things very interesting for herself and for her fans of course. With a fresh new chart-topper making the rounds, most of us can't wait to see what's going to follow next!
Today we have collected 20 photos of Selena Gomez through the years. If anyone is curious to see where it all began for the magical Sam Russo and where she is now, than look no further!
20 Living Every Child's Dream
While most are aware that Selena jumped started her career by way of the Disney Channel, it is not everyone who knows that before she joined the cast of Wizards of Waverly Place, Selena Gomez was besties with a certain big purple dinosaur. Yup! At the age of 10, Selena landed her first role on this kids show Barney & Friends.
19 New Witch On The Scene
After a couple of years on the Barney circuit, Selena was ready to take on her next gig. While she wasn't exactly a child anymore, she was still only 15. That being said, the Disney Channel would be the perfect next step for her. In 2007, Selena landed the leading role of Sam Russo in the popular series Wizards of Waverly Place.
18 Prettiest Preteen
When it comes to Disney Channel series, it's not always easy to know which ones are going to be a smash hit. Afterall, nobody expected the High School Musical franchise to end in a theater release for its third film. Much like the HSM film series, Wizards of Waverly Place exploded into the Channel's next big hit.
17 A Disney Star Is Born
With her show being such a success, it was only natural for Selena to start fielding offers for bigger and better things. However, being the Disney star that she was, she wound up taking on mostly child-friendly films between the years of 2007 and 2011. Fans will remember her in movies like Another Cinderella Story and Ramona and Beezus.
16 Young Love
While Selena had publicly dated boy band singer Nick Jonas in 2008, it wasn't until she stepped out onto the scene with new boyfriend, Justin Bieber, in 2010 that fans really started to track her love life. Her preteen days were behind her and that always means one thing: Boy trouble!
15 Red-Carpet Ready
Now that Selena was openly dating and taking on more mature roles, such as the one she played in the 2012 film Spring Breakers, it was only natural for her to start looking the part as well. She was still attending the Teen Choice events of course, but she was slaying the red-carpets at every one!
14 A Natural Beauty
Selena Gomez wasn't only starring in films , but she was releasing a ton of music as well. She was branching further and further away from her child star days, and becoming a fully grown adult celebrity. That being said, once a child star says goodbye to their youth, they will never again be able to shake the paparazzi ...
13 Soul Mates?
Not only was the paparazzi tailing Selena everywhere, but the same went for her popstar boyfriend, Justin Bieber. For a time, it seemed like the entire world was watching these two and their every move. Since they continued to play the on-again off-again game that so many teenagers do, their rollercoaster ride of a relationship was always headline worthy.
12 Messy Hair, Don't Care
As if being constantly followed by the paparazzi and harassed with questions over the boy who seemed to be breaking her heart wasn't all enough already, sometime between the years 2012 and 2014, Selena Gomez was diagnosed with lupus. During this time, Selena kept her cards close to her chest, not letting the world in on this trying time in her life.
11 Girl Gang
Having a best friend while growing up is important to any girl, but for a girl growing up in the middle of the spotlight, it is essential. Selena and Taylor's friendship goes all the way back to the days when they were both dating brothers from the same boy band. No, they were not involved with the Hansons, but with Nick and Joe Jonas.
10 A Musical Success
It is true that Selena had a lot going on during the early years of her 20s. With a complicated medical diagnosis, a boyfriend who she seemed determined to stand by and a list of tabloids waiting to tear her down every chance they got, it is truly amazing how she continued to slay the charts with her music.
9 Best Friends Forever?
Many fans have been wondering recently about what became of Selena and Taylor's friendship. Since it was once almost impossible to spot one without the other, it naturally did not go unnoticed when the two seemed to stop hanging out. However, just this past year, both girls have posted major support for each other on their social media accounts.
8 Queen Of Social Media
Speaking of Selena and her social media accounts ... the girl really knows how to take a selfie! Whether is was her skill at finding the perfect lighting or her way of writing captions, the world became absolutely obsessed with following Selena on social media. At least this way, she had some control over what was being posted and said.
7 Rumor Has It ...
Selena was far from the first celebrity to fall victim to nasty headlines and articles. While Selena dealt with her physical and mental health issues, the paparazzi seemed determined to catch photos of her looking as though she had gained weight. In a recent interview with Raquelle Stevens, Selena opened up about how much the criticism over her weight "messed her" up.
6 Shading Out The Haters
Haters gonna hate! Even though the tabloids were still posting whatever they wanted about Selena, she simply continued to live her life. Stepping out for nights on the town looking like this, is the only real way to win against the press. People can say what they will, but there is no denying that Selena knows how to rock a crop top.
5 If You Can't Laugh At Yourself ...
After deciding she was fed up with the body-shaming and other harsh realities that come along with being a social media influencer, Selena took a much needed step back from her online accounts. Now that she is back however, she seems to have a much happier outlook on things. As she recently said to Raquelle Stevens, "I'm very happy with living my life and being present".
4 Coachella Arm Candy
Considering Selena hadn't really been seen dating anyone since the flame had fizzled with Justin, it was big news when photos of her and The Weeknd started circulating. They were said to have started dating in January 2017, but by October of that same year, the two seemed to be history.
3 Furry & Fabulous
If Selena's breakup with The Weeknd wasn't already going to be front page news, it certainly was once word got out that she still wasn't over JB. In the late months of 2017, the word was out: Selena and Justin back together again. Keeping to their usual pattern though, the two called it quits once again by March 2018.
2 Through Thick And Thin
For a few months during 2017, Selena pulled out from various scheduled appearances. While the world was unsure as to why, it wasn't too long before she filled us all in on what had been going on. Selena had received a kidney transplant from her longtime friend Francia Raisa.
1 An Absolute Stunner
Here we have Selena Gomez in all of her 2019 glamour. With her health in check and her new positive outlook, the future is looking very bright for the singer indeed. Her new hit single "Lose You To Love Me" has already clinched the #1 spot in various countries, so it's a safe bet that the rest of the album is going to be absolute fire!
