Selena Gomez, 32, astonished her 422 million Instagram followers on Wednesday night when she announced her engagement to music producer Benny Blanco. The singer celebrated with photographs of her diamond ring, captioned “forever begins now…”

In the photographs, Gomez posed with her new fiancé, who threw his arm around her and kissed her head at what appeared to be a romantic midnight picnic where he proposed.

The couple, who began dating in June 2023 but kept their relationship a secret until December, have a decade-long history together. Before they became romantically involved, Gomez and Blanco were longstanding friends and partners. Blanco produced three of Gomez’s successful singles, including “I Can’t Get Enough” (2019) and “Same Old Love” (2015).

Blanco claimed on Kai Cenat’s Twitch show that Gomez initiated their first date. “She asked me out.” “We were talking, and then she said, ‘You wanna get dinner?'” Blanco admitted that he didn’t recognize it was a date at first because of their long friendship.

Gomez has been upfront about her previous relationships, which include high-profile partnerships with The Weeknd, Zedd, Nick Jonas, Taylor Lautner, and an eight-year on-and-off-again connection with Justin Bieber. But it’s apparent that this chapter of her life is about new beginnings.

Blanco, who is known for producing blockbuster songs in the music industry, revealed that the shift from friendship to romance with Gomez was simple due to their strong personal and professional bond.