Selena Gomez Reveals Her Very First Celebrity Crushes, Jokes, ‘I Probably Had Too Many’

Gomez, who just got engaged to Benny Blanco, explained which celebrities she liked most as a kid

Selena Gomez in 2008 (left), Selena Gomez in 2024 (right). Photo: ANDREAS BRANCH/Patrick McMullan/Getty ; Amy Sussman/Getty

Selena Gomez’s first crushes were very appropriately Y2K.

The Only Murders in the Building star opened up about her childhood favorites in her interview for W Magazine’s Best Performances Issue, published online on Jan. 3. When asked about her crushes growing up, the 32-year-old said, “When I was younger, I probably had too many crushes.”

Her first celebrity crush, she explained, was Jesse McCartney. “When ‘Beautiful Soul’ came out — that was just life-changing for me,” she told the outlet.

She continued, “I loved Chad Michael Murray from One Tree Hill. I also just had crushes more in real life than on actors or musicians.”

Selena Gomez’s ‘W’ Magazine cover.Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott/W Magazine

The actress — who’s garnering Oscar buzz for her role in Netflix’s Emilia Pérez — also talked about how her very first kiss ended up being on TV.

“I was 11 or 12 years old, and I guest-starred on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, which starred Dylan and Cole Sprouse,” the Wizards of Waverly Place alumna said. “It was with Dylan, and it was really funny because both of us were so young. We were figuring out how to kiss. I had never done it, and I was so scared.” Her first “real life” kiss, she said, came when she was 14.

These days she’s kissing someone else: Gomez revealed in December that she and boyfriend Benny Blanco had gotten engaged. “Bring on the happy-ever after❤️❤️❤️❤️,” she captioned her post announcing the news.

Selena Gomez and Dylan Sprouse kissing in a school play on ‘The Suite Life of Zack and Cody’. Disney Channel

In May at the Cannes Film Festival, Gomez and her Emilia Pérez costars Zoe Saldaña, Adriana Paz and Karla Sofía Gascón shared the best actress award for their work on the film.

“The standing ovation was really sweet,” Gomez told W of the experience at the festival. “None of us had actually seen the movie until Cannes. We were all kind of sinking into our seats, not really sure what was going to happen. The reception after was really beautiful. I was so happy for Karla and for [director Jacques Audiard]. It felt like we were seen and deeply appreciated.”

Gomez is also nominated for the Golden Globe for best performance in a television series – musical or comedy for her work in Only Murders in the Building. She’ll learn if she wins at the ceremony this Sunday, Jan. 5.

Selena Gomez in 2024.Amy Sussman/Getty

Back in 2023, the Rare Beauty founder reflected on her new priorities as she moved into the third decade of her life.

“Now that I’m 30, I care less, so it’s actually nice,” she told PEOPLE. “I get to focus on the things that actually matter and I’m not worried about things that were holding me back.”