Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez's Complicated Friendship Has Never Been Short on Drama

2001: Selena and Demi met on the set of Barney & Friends when they were just 7 years old. After moving on up to the Disney Channel, they both kept busy with their shows, Wizards of Waverly Place and Sonny With a Chance, and began pursuing their music careers. During this time, they often attended events together, posing for cute photos on the red carpet.

2008: The two gave their fans exactly what they wanted when they started recording vlogs, or video blogs, together. Their antics would show funny things like handshakes they invented and fun Q&As. In one video, they answered a fan’s question about who their favorite band was and the two immediately responded in unison, “Paramore.”

2009: The BFFs came together on the small screen yet again, but this time for Disney’s Princess Protection Program. For the movie, they recorded the song “One and the Same” together. That same year, Demi and Selena did a joint spread for People, where they revealed they “do everything together.”

2010: Demi was the first one to hint that her friendship with Selena was on the outs when a fan asked her how Selena was doing and she responded, “Ask Taylor.” That same year, Demi appeared in Girl’s Life, where she spoke candidly about the status of their friendship . . . sort of. “We’re both busy, and I wish the best for her,” she said. “True friends don’t let their friends or family be mean to you. If you can’t trust somebody, you can’t be friends with them.”

2011: After Demi entered rehab in late 2010, she was released in 2011 and revealed her friends, including Selena, had really been there for her in her time of need. “She called me crying when I was in there and was just so worried,” Demi said. “I was like, ‘Look, I should be the one crying, it’s all good!’ But she was so worried and ever since then we’ve gotten closer.”

2013: When their hit songs “Come and Get It” and “Heart Attack” came out around the same time, Demi tweeted her love of the song at Selena, to which Selena responded with a simple smiley face. That same year, Demi told Live From MTV that she and Selena didn’t talk every day but they were still in each other’s lives. “We’ve been through a lot together, we’ve had periods of times where we grew apart and we just didn’t really talk,” she said. “Now we are in a place where I think we realized that life is so short and that when you have people in your life that love you so much then you should just always be around them. She’s going to be a big sister, and I want to be around for that. Everything about her, she has a great soul, she’s talented, she’s beautiful, and she will always be really, really close to my heart.”

2014: Selena and Demi’s fans noticed the “Cool For the Summer” singer unfollowed the “Fetish” singer on Twitter and Instagram. During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live, Demi told host Andy Cohen why she wasn’t keeping up with her former BFF on social media anymore. “I think it’s just one of those things where people change and people grow apart,” she said.

2015: Demi followed Selena on social media again, and just a couple of days later, Selena tweeted at her to wish her a happy birthday. Demi responded with her own adorable tweet, saying, “I’m glad you were born too… #nomatterwhat #forever.” That September, Demi posted a silly selfie of her and Selena together, writing, “Look at how #coolforthesummer we are… Friends for years, #sameoldlove 👯👭💕.” In an interview with ET, Selena said Demi was “like family at this point.“

2017: After not having spoken out about each other for a while, Demi broke the silence when she tweeted about Selena’s latest hit “Fetish.” Selena responded by praising Demi’s hit “Sorry Not Sorry,” and her Simply Complicated documentary. “This was beautiful. I’m so happy for you,” Selena wrote. “You always continue to be bold and real. I wish more people were like you. Love you.” Demi wrote back an equally adorable response: “Thank you so much, this means the world to me and more. Love you too 🙏💗.” The two later reunited at the InStyle Awards in LA.

2018: Following Demi’s drug overdose, the singer unfollowed several people, including Selena, on social media. According to ET, Demi did so to “focus on herself” and “avoid any difficult relationships.”

2020: Still, Selena reached out to Demi on Instagram after her comeback performance at the Grammys. “I wish there were words to describe how beautiful, inspirational and DESERVED this moment was. Demi I’m so happy for you. Thank you for your courage and bravery,” Selena wrote. While it seemed like they were on good terms, Demi later clarified where her friendship stands with Selena in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar. “When you grow up with somebody, you’re always going to have love for them,” she said. “But I’m not friends with her, so it felt . . . I will always have love for her, and I wish everybody nothing but the best.”