A Timeline of Taylor Swift And Selena Gomez’s Iconic Friendship

The starlets became friends early in their careers, and their friendship is surprisingly relatable. Here is a breakdown from the day they met to where they stand today.

August 2008: Taylor and Selena Meet Through the Jonas Brothers

Both Taylor and Selena were beginning their careers in the summer of 2008, and they met on a double date with their boyfriends at the time, Joe and Nick Jonas. While the relationships with the Jonas Brothers didn’t work out, the double date was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Selena spoke about their first time meeting in a 2017 interview with KISS FM UK. She said, "We actually dated the Jonas Brothers together! It was hysterical. It was amazing, because [Taylor] 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.”

October 2009: Selena Opens Up About Her Friendship with Taylor

A year after becoming friends, Selena opened up about their deep friendship in an interview with Seventeen Magazine. “Every single problem I ever have is healable by Taylor Swift,” Selena said. “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."

This is sweet for a couple of reasons. The first is that we all have a best friend like this, and the second is that many of us often turn to Taylor’s music to cope with heartbreak. It’s heartwarming to know that Selena gets both in the same person.

November 2011: Selena Makes a Surprise Appearance at the Speak Now Tour

If you’ve ever been to a Taylor Swift concert, you know that it’s a magical experience. On November 22, 2011, attendees at her Madison Square Garden show in New York City for the Speak Now tour were treated to a surprise performance from Selena. She performed her hit, “Who Says,” and it was a moment fans will never forget. 

August 2013: Taylor and Selena Attend the VMAs Together

The 2013 MTV Video Music Awards was controversial for Miley Cyrus' racy performance of “We Can’t Stop,” but we remember it for its perfect display of Taylor and Selena’s friendship. We love how Taylor is the first person Selena hugged when she won the award for Best Pop Video for her hit single, “Come and Get It,” and the way they both reacted to the surprise NSYNC reunion (which happened again a decade later) was as adorable as it was relatable.

May 2015: “Bad Blood” Music Video

While every Taylor Swift music video is amazing, “Bad Blood” is undoubtedly the most iconic. From the storyline to the cinematography to the endless celebrity cameos, it’s just as good now as it was when it was released in 2015. Most celebrities only appear for a few seconds, but Selena stars as the friend who betrayed Taylor (which we know she’d never do IRL), motivating her to create an army.

August 2015: Selena Makes a Suprise Appearance at the 1989 Tour

Everyone who attended the 1989 tour remembers their surprise celebrity guest, but nobody lucked out quite like those at the August 26, 2015 show in Los Angeles. Selena was not only the surprise guest but performed her hit, “Good for You,” for the crowd.

In an Instagram post about the surprise performance, Selena wrote, “After nearly 8 years of friendship, I just can't wait to tell our kids we ACTUALLY got to perform in front of thousands of insanely beautiful people together. TWICE! I love you Tay.”

February 2016: Taylor and Selena Attend the Grammys Together

At the 58th Annual Grammy Awards, Taylor made history by becoming the first female artist to win the coveted Album of the Year award twice (she went on to win it a third time in 2021 for Folklore). Selena was by Taylor's side all evening and cheered proudly for her BFF in the crowd during her iconic speech on taking credit for her success after Kanye West insisted he “made her famous.”

In part, Taylor said, "I want to say to all the young women out there: There are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame, but ... someday when you get where you're going, you'll look around, and you will know that it was you and the people who love you who put you there.”

May 2018: Selena Makes an Appearance at the Reputation Tour

Selena made yet another surprise appearance at one of Taylor’s concerts during the Reputation tour. She surprised the Pasadena audience by performing, “Hands to Myself,” and it was glorious.

Taylor took to Instagram after the show to thank Selena. She wrote, "To the person I could call at any time of day, who has been there no matter what... you absolutely KILLED IT tonight and everyone was so excited to see you. I love you, and 60,000 people at the Rose Bowl loved you too."

January 2020: Taylor and Selena Open Up About Their Friendship

Both Taylor and Selena are known for being private about their personal lives, so fans love it when they share intimate details. In a 2020 interview with WSJ Magazine, Selena was asked about her friendship with Taylor. She said, "There's so much of my friendship with Taylor that people don't know about because we don't necessarily feel the need to post about everything we do. She has showed up for me in ways that I would have never expected. Flown in because I was hurt and was going through something. Stuff that was going on with my family. It's been proven year after year and in every moment of my life that she is one of my best friends in the world. We don't agree on everything, but we respect each other with everything."

Taylor also chimed in, “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."

This not only paints a picture of a beautiful and loving friendship but reminds us of the deep friendships we have with girlfriends that we’ve known since we were teenagers. There’s something beautiful and intimate about a friendship like that, and it’s sweet to see two of our favorite celebrities share one together.

November 2021: Selena Supports Taylor During SNL Appearance

While promoting the release of Red (Taylor’s Version), Taylor performed the 10-minute version of “All Too Well” on Saturday Night Live. Selena not only attended the performance to support Taylor but made a TikTok with her backstage. Celebs – they’re just like us!

November 2022: Selena Says Taylor Is Her Only Friend in the Industry

While promoting her documentary, My Mind and Me, Selena sat down with Rolling Stone to discuss how she used to struggle to make friends in the music industry, but she’s now content with only having Taylor as a friend. She said, "I never fit in with a cool group of girls that were celebrities. My only friend in the industry really is Taylor, 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." 

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: It’s so heartwarming to see how much Selena and Taylor care for each other. While it’s heartbreaking to learn how much Selena struggled, it goes to show that quality over quantity always wins in friendship.

April 2023: Selena Attends the Eras Tour

The Eras Tour dominated pop culture and social media over the spring and summer of 2023, so it only made sense that Selena would attend to support her BFF. She attended the show in Arlington, Texas, with her younger sister, Gracie, and shared a photo on Instagram to commemorate the experience. She wrote, “Thank you bestie for having me and my sissy transport into your mystical, euphoric, and special world. Proud to know you! love you forever and always.”

September 2023: Selena and Taylor Attend the VMAs Together

Ten years after Selena and Taylor fangirled over the NSYNC reunion at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, both Selena and Taylor attended the award show to see them reunite again. While they didn’t sit together, they took several pictures together, and both took home awards.

Closing Thoughts

Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift are both superstars in their own right but we can't help ourselves from fangirling over their seemingly sweet and genuine friendship as a pair. Hollywood is known to be extremely shallow and cutthroat, so the fact that these two have remained friends for so long is something to acknowledge and celebrate.

Support our cause and help women reclaim their femininity by subscribing today.