Bieber, Gomez, Blanco & Baldwin: A love quadrangle
There's a lesson in there somewhere
Hey Mall Talkers,
My TikTok algorithm has landed me in the middle of the Justin-Hailey-Benny-Selena drama and I am CAPTIVATED. This celebrity drama feels different. It takes place over so many years and reads like Shakespeare.
There are so many angles to this story. First loves, betrayal, friends/colleagues turned foes, and even alleged stalking.
Let me introduce the characters to this play first in the context of this saga.
Justin Bieber: Former Teen Heartthrob, Now Full-Time Controversy Magnet (and still kind of a heartthrob tbh)
In case you’re Amish, Justin was discovered on YouTube at 13, quickly becoming the global pop sensation with hits like “Baby,” which pretty much sealed his fate as the boy every girl had a crush on during the early 2010s.
Fast-forward to today, and while he’s still making music, he’s also made headlines for his turbulent love life, struggles with mental health, and his extremely public relationship with Hailey Baldwin (now Hailey Bieber). He’s married, but the drama between him and his ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez is still a topic of conversation.
Selena Gomez: The Disney Star Turned Multi-Hyphenate Billionaire
Selena Gomez is the most followed woman on Instagram with 421 million followers with an estimated net worth of $1.3 billion. She started her career as a tween on Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place before breaking out into music with hits on hits. But beyond her career, people love Selena for her transparency about her mental health. Selena has a rare (rare!) ability to make herself relatable to her fans while being so far from it. Her documentary My Mind and Me about her struggles with bipolar disorder was vulnerable and honestly made me like her more.
She also built a successful makeup brand - Rare Beauty - which is actually really good.
Her relationship with Justin Bieber has been one of the most talked-about celebrity love stories. OG fans still talk about Jelena like it’s the relationship that got away. Mostly in the context of Selena being the one who got away.
Hailey Baldwin Bieber: The Model Who Climbed (Clawed?) Her Way to Mrs. Bieber
Hailey Baldwin (now Hailey Bieber) was mostly known for being part of the Baldwin family (Alec Baldwin’s niece). While Hailey had a respectable career in her own right, including her extremely popular beauty brand Rhode, she’s probably most famous for marrying Justin and getting caught in the web of Selena fans.
Her relationship with Justin sparked - i’ll say it - outrage amongst “Selenators,” who accused her of stealing Justin from Selena. Hailey and Justin got engaged just a few months after his last breakup with Selena back in 2018 which… kind of seems like a rebound? OOf.
Benny Blanco: The Surprise Player Who Came Out of Nowhere
Benny Blanco isn’t exactly a household name, but if you’ve heard a hit song in the past decade, there’s a good chance he’s behind it. One of the biggest producers in the game, Benny has worked with everyone from Rihanna to - ready for it? - JUSTIN and SELENA.
Benny and Justin were real-life friends and worked together professionally for years. Benny even attended Justin and Hailey’s wedding !!!
Benny has co-written and produced for Justin on multiple occasions, including some of his biggest hits. For example, Benny was one of the producers behind “Love Yourself,” which was basically Justin’s acoustic breakup anthem heard around the world (and yes, it was widely assumed to be about Selena, so… the plot thickens).
He’s kind of the underdog in this story in that he seems like a total sweetheart who maybe *allegedly* always had a thing for Selena.
So What Happened?
The tension started bubbling in late 2023, when Benny began publicly dating Selena Gomez—aka Justin's very famous ex, long-time maybe-soulmate, and the centerpiece of a decade’s worth of romantic drama. Now, there’s no official statement from Justin or Benny saying “friendship over,” but the silence. is. loud.
This must sting for Justin (not saying he didn’t deserve it!) It’s one thing to see your first love move on. It’s another thing to see your her move on with your friend, while the world watches and roots for it (and shit talks your marriage).
And Benny? He Doesn’t Seem Bothered
Since going public with Selena, Benny’s been openly affectionate and supportive—posting about how much he loves her, appearing in interviews, even making music together (because what’s more couple-core than dropping an album with your partner?). He hasn’t addressed Justin directly, but it’s not hard to read between the lines: he chose Selena, full stop.
🕰️ The Timeline of Chaos (2009–2024)
2009–2010: The Beginning of Jelena
Late 2009: Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez are first spotted hanging out. At this point, they’re both teen stars—him riding the “Baby” wave, her in the middle of her Disney Channel era.
January 2011: They officially debut as a couple at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party. The internet breaks. Teen hearts shatter. A new tabloid era begins.
2011–2014: Jelena’s On-Again, Off-Again Era
These years are a carousel of breakups and reconciliations. Instagram unfollows, cryptic tweets, sightings at church, red carpets, and everything in between.
2012: Things seem serious-serious. Selena even publicly defends Justin against paparazzi attacks.
2014: They break up again—for what many believe is the “final” time. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
2014–2016: Hailey Enters the Chat
2014–2015: Hailey Baldwin is in the periphery. She and Justin are part of the same church crowd (hello, Hillsong), and rumors start swirling that they’re “more than friends.”
Early 2016: Justin and Hailey confirm they’re seeing each other casually. He posts a photo of them kissing on Instagram. Jelena stans go feral.
But it doesn’t last—Justin is still very much in the post-Selena emotional blender.
2017–Early 2018: Jelena Rises Again
October 2017: Surprise! Justin and Selena are spotted biking in LA. They attend church together, and people start whispering, “They’re back.”
Early 2018: Selena confirms they gave it another shot... and it didn’t work. This time, for real.
Mid–Late 2018: The Whirlwind of Hailey + Justin
June 2018: Justin and Hailey are seen everywhere together. Beach dates, NYC strolls, matching outfits. It’s happening fast.
July 2018: They’re engaged. Yes, a month later.
September 2018: They get legally married at a courthouse in NYC.
September 2019: They have a big wedding in South Carolina. Benny Blanco attends. Foreshadowing?
2019–2020: Selena Goes Quiet (and Reflective)
Selena steps back from the spotlight, focuses on health, recovery, and music.
January 2020: Releases Rare, featuring songs that heavily allude to Justin (Lose You to Love Me, Look at Her Now). Emotional closure? TBD.
2020–2022: Benny and Selena’s Professional Friendship Grows, Justin Misses Selena
Throughout these years: Benny Blanco and Selena Gomez work together on music, including “I Can’t Get Enough.” They speak highly of each other in interviews.
Benny continues working with Justin on projects like “Lonely” (2020), which suggests the friendship is still intact at this point.
This clip of Justin allegedly crashing out during a performance (I don’t understand that term), showing people’s reactions is WILD to me. Everyone seems to clearly know Justin is singing his heart out about Selena. When they pan to Hailey she looks… disappointed, defeated, belittled?
Late 2023: Benny and Selena Go Public
Rumors start swirling that Benny and Selena are dating. Internet does a collective double take.
Selena confirms the relationship on social media. Fans cheer. Some (Jelena loyalists) spiral.
Meanwhile, Justin and Hailey are keeping a low profile, but speculation grows that all is not well in the Bieber household.
2024: Cold Shoulders and Instagram Silence
Justin and Benny are no longer interacting publicly. No more collabs, no birthday posts, no subtle likes. The friendship appears to be on ice.
Fans point out how weird it is that someone who once attended Justin’s wedding is now dating his ex.
Meanwhile, Selena and Benny collaborate on more music and show up to events together looking shockingly normal. Lots of PDA. Benny is out here gushing about her publicly like a man with nothing to lose. Justin is *allegedly* spiraling.
The Current Status:
Justin & Hailey: Still married, but rumors of distance persist. The glow of their whirlwind romance has dimmed.
Selena & Benny: ENGAGED! And they recently released an album together.
Hailey & Selena: The vibe is… frosty. Still no sign of friendship, and fans keep fueling the fire.
Justin & Benny: Estranged. Former besties-turned-strangers. The producer-artist bromance seems dead for now.
*THE PLOT THICKENS*
Hailey’s Alleged Fan-Girl Era (aka: The Stalker Allegations)
Jelena fans are dogged about the stalker theory that Hailey carefully manipulated a series of encounters over multiple years in a quest to beat out Selena and become Justin’s wife.
TikTok detectives have unearthed what they swear are clues of Hailey being a BELIEBER. She attended meet-and-greets. She tweeted stan-level thirst. She allegedly copied Selena’s outfits, jewelry, poses, interview one-liners, and even went so far as to keep track of the hotels Justin stayed in to appear before him coincidentally. ALLEGEDLY.
The theory goes: Hailey didn’t just marry Justin—she plotted it. She strategized. She masterminded it! Cue Mastermind by T Swift (ironically Selena’s bestie).
If it’s true, color me impressed.
Thanks for reading