Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez’s friendship continues to prove that some bonds in Hollywood are built to last.
During her recent appearance at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit on October 15, the Rare Beauty founder, 33, opened up about how Swift has played a vital role not only in her personal life but also in her journey as a businesswoman.
“She’s one of the most brilliant people I’ve ever met,” Gomez said when asked about her best friend of nearly two decades. “She is very strong in her lane, and she gives great advice all the time. I’m not sure what I would say I’ve done for her other than been there as a friend.”
Gomez also shared one of the pieces of advice from Swift that she says has guided her over the years: “If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.” The singer and actress said she’s taken that message to heart — surrounding herself with “really incredible people” who continue to push her to grow and evolve. “You just have to learn and not be afraid of all the things that you might lose out on,” she added.
Their friendship began in 2008, during a time when both were navigating young fame — and heartbreak — while dating the Jonas brothers. (Swift was with Joe Jonas, while Gomez was linked to Nick Jonas.) “She and I like to say the best thing we got out of those relationships was each other,” Gomez previously said on the Therapuss with Jake Shane podcast. “We just stuck around for all the ups and downs that came after, and here we are now 16 years later.”
Through the years, the two have been each other’s biggest cheerleaders — from Gomez joining Swift onstage during her Reputation Stadium Tour to Swift publicly celebrating Gomez’s career milestones and personal victories.
Their friendship even came full circle recently when Swift attended Gomez’s wedding to music producer Benny Blanco in September. On The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Swift recalled giving an emotional speech to her best friend, reminiscing about their early days in 2008 and expressing how proud she felt to see Gomez so happy.
“I got to see her be the most elegant, gorgeous — not only bride but just — vision that I’ve ever seen in my life,” Swift said. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful as her on her wedding day.”
For fans, the enduring connection between Swift and Gomez is more than celebrity friendship — it’s a testament to loyalty, love, and the kind of sisterhood that survives fame, heartbreak, and the test of time.
“She and I like to say the best thing we got out of those relationships was each other because it was really sweet,” Gomez said in an August 2025 episode of the Therapuss with Jake Shane podcast on how they “bonded over” their respective breakups with the Jonases. “And then we just stuck around for all the ups and downs that came after and here we are now 16 years later.”
More recently, Swift celebrated Gomez’s marriage to Benny Blanco in September. After the former Disney star shared sweet snapshots in their glamorous wedding attire, Swift let fans in on her speech to the bride on her special day while appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
“I talked a little bit about 2008, how happy I am for her, how it’s been beautiful to get to be a part of her life,” she explained, adding that she threw in “some light teasing” about the clothes they used to wear. She also said: “I got to see her be the most elegant, gorgeous — not only bride but just — vision that I’ve ever seen in my life. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful as her on her wedding day.”