A look at 'Taylena,' Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez's 20-year friendship

Bryan West, USA TODAY NETWORKWed, March 4, 2026 at 8:32 PM UTC

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A look at 'Taylena,' Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez's 20-year friendship

Call it what you want — best friends, chosen family or simply "Taylena" — but Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez have spent nearly two decades growing up together in the spotlight.

The friendship returned to headlines after Gomez revealed Swift's Evermore track "Dorothea" was written about her on fiancé Benny Blanco's podcast "Friends Keep Secrets."

"'Dorothea' is about me," the actress-singer said on the March 3 episode, reflecting on how the two navigated fame side-by-side as teenagers. "I feel like a lot of huge moments that were self-defining, from relationships to family to love to hate, all of it in between, we were figuring it out because I was 15 and she was 18."

Here's a look at the friendship between Swift and Gomez since their Nashville country music and Disney Channel days.

2008: A Jonas Brothers introduction

"Taylena" first met in 2008 while both were dating members of the Jonas Brothers. Swift briefly dated Joe Jonas while Gomez was seeing Nick Jonas.

The romantic relationships didn't last long, but the perfectly fine friendship did.

"She and I like to say the best thing we got out of those relationships was each other," Gomez recalled on the "Therapuss with Jake Shane" podcast.

Back then, Swift started to share her unreleased songs with Gomez.

"I believe 'Love Story' was the first song she ever played me," Gomez said. "It wasn't released yet. I was in a hotel room, and I remember it vividly. It was just one of those songs I instantly heard and thought, 'This is one of the most beautiful songs ever.'"

2011: Speak Now World Tour

As their careers took off, Swift began inviting Gomez to join her onstage, beginning with the "Speak Now World Tour." The two performed Gomez's hit "Who Says" in front of a packed arena.

2015: 'Bad Blood' era

Gomez appeared in Swift's star-studded "Bad Blood" music video, portraying the character "Arsyn," the main antagonist in an action-packed clip of celebrities.

That same year, Gomez joined Swift during the August 26, 2015 stop of the "1989 World Tour," surprising Los Angeles fans with a performance of "Good for You."

2018: Another surprise performance

The two reunited onstage again during Swift's "Reputation Stadium Tour," when Gomez appeared as a surprise guest at the Pasadena show on May 19, 2018.

2023: A special Eras Tour moment

During the April 1, 2023 show of the "Eras Tour" in Arlington, Texas, Gomez's younger sister, Gracie Elliott Teefey, received Swift’s signature "22" hat during the performance of the "Red" era hit.

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Gracie wore a lavender "Speak Now"-inspired dress as Swift knelt down to place the black fedora on her head.

2025: A rare social media endorsement

Swift has largely kept a low profile on social media since wrapping the "Eras Tour" in December 2024, making one of her few public posts in March 2025 especially notable.

On March 23, 2025, she shared a story on Instagram celebrating Gomez and Blanco's collaborative album, "I Said I Loved You First." Swift wrote in all caps: "I LOVE THIS ALBUM SO MUCH OH MY GODDDDDDDDDDDD."

Blanco has also embraced Swift's music. During an episode of the YouTube series "Hot Ones," he joked that Gomez turned him into a Swiftie.

"Obviously, I was aware of Taylor Swift’s music, but I wasn't a true Swiftie," Blanco told host Sean Evans. "Now we're in the car singing Taylor Swift's songs from like 10 years ago, and I feel free."

2025: Gomez-Blanco wedding

When Gomez married Blanco on Sept. 27, 2025, in Santa Barbara, California, Swift was among the close friends celebrating the couple.

A few days later, Gomez shared a glimpse inside the ceremony on Instagram. The post included a video filmed by Swift showing the bride preparing to walk down the aisle. Wearing a floral dress, Swift gasps and says, "Oh my God," while filming Gomez in her veil as the singer tells her friend she's "so happy."

Photos from the carousel also show the two embracing at the reception and sharing drinks together.

"In honor of 'SHOWGIRL' .. blessed to have you by my side almost 20 years later gator!" Gomez wrote alongside the post. "I love you @taylorswift forever and always."

Swift had previously celebrated Gomez's engagement in December 2024, joking in the comments section that she would serve as the wedding's flower girl.

A new chapter ahead

Swift is now planning a wedding of her own. The pop superstar, who has been dating football tight end Travis Kelce since 2023, will definitely invite Gomez to the upcoming nuptials.

Both Gomez and Blanco will likely be among the guests when Swift walks down the aisle. So continues the women's platonic love story.

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: A look at Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez's 20-year friendship

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