The Come And Get It singer has been vulnerable about her past and how the divorce affected her growing up. Gomez’s parents eventually re-married and Selena now has two half-sisters and one stepbrother.

Selena Gomez’s parents got divorced long before she became a celebrity

Ricardo Gomez and Mandy Teefy were teenagers when Mandy got pregnant with Selena and gave birth to her on July 22, 1992. The relationship between her parents was not meant to be and they parted ways shortly after five years.

The 31-year-old singer also gave a vulnerable account of her family life in her documentary My Mind & Me, an Apple TV documentary where she talked about her mental health and details about her family life. The singer and actor has previously opened up about the pain she experienced when her parents separated in an interview with E! Special!

The singer told:

“I blamed my mom a lot [for the divorce] because I wanted a family so bad.”

Like any other child, Selena wanted her family to be together and recalled that she would be very angry with her mother. She told:

“I remember just being angry with my mom. I still feel really bad about that.”

In an interview covered by Huff Post, Teefey opened up about Selena’s difficulties in coping with the divorce. She said:

“[Selena] would vent and yell at me and all I could do is just say, ‘I’m sorry–but you’ll understand someday’.”

Today, Selena defends single-parenthood and is grateful for her mother’s sacrifices. Gomez’s mom married Brian Teefey in 2006 and they managed her career until 2014. The family welcomed Gracie Teefey in 2013 and Gomez never fails to shower her little sister with love.

Selena Gomez has thanked her mother over the years and recognized her difficulties as a teen mother. She has also credited her fame and career to her mother. She told E! Special:

“My mum was the best. She was everything.”

Selena’s relationship with her parents over the years

In an interview with Time, Selena Gomez revealed that her mother guided her through her career. She said:

“She had the ability to make me feel like I was still capable of doing anything I wanted.”

While Gomez stayed back with her mother, her father appeared to be relatively absent while she was growing up. Rick remarried Sara Gomez in 2012 and has two children, Tori and Marcus Gomez.

In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Selena Gomez shared that when she was seven, her father would go to “Hooters to watch Spurs game.” However, he would notice Selena come over to him and would eventually spend time with her.

Selena reflected on her father’s absence in her acting and singing journey. In an interview with Rolling Stone, she said:

“He didn’t want to be a part of this industry life, so it was really me and my mom, our journey.”

Off the screens, Selena Gomez has experienced her share of family difficulties. Even with a packed schedule and filming the fourth season of Only Murders In the Building, Gomez doesn’t forget to prioritize her family and ensures she is a role model to her younger sister, Gracie.