Selena Gomez may have conquered the world of fame and success, but her relationship with her father left her emotionally stranded.
Selena Gomez and her father became a big topic of discussion after her documentary, Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me, was released in 2022.
The documentary is primarily about mental health and the value of being open about your feelings. As a result, Selena’s family and her interactions with them play an important role in the program.
Looking into the star’s family history reveals that not everything in her life has been rosy, and her route to celebrity has been fraught with obstacles and challenges. In particular, her rocky connection with her father.
Here’s what we know about the father-daughter duo.
What Was Selena Gomez’s Childhood Like With Her Father, Rick Gomez?
Ricardo “Rick” Gomez is Selena’s Mexican-born father. Amanda Dawn “Mandy” Gomez, Selena’s mom, and Rick met when they were both high school students in Texas. Mandy was reportedly only 16 years old when she gave birth to the pop singer.
Her parents got a divorce when she was five, so she split her time between living with each of them and with her grandparents. Following their divorce, her parents established separate lives for themselves.
Selena has never discussed her father in public, but she did tell PopSugar that she blamed her mother for her parents’ split.
“I blamed my mom a lot for the divorce because I wanted a family so bad,” Selena said. “I wanted to have my mom and dad together. I remember just being angry with my mom. I still feel really bad about that.”
Her mom was trying to make ends meet by working three jobs at once. Yahoo reports that Selena recalls how she and her mother dug into couch cushions in search of gas money. After that, they’d take a late-night stroll to the next dollar store to pick up some spaghetti for dinner.
Talking about Rick Gomez necessitates discussing his relationship with his well-known daughter. It has come to light that Rick did not actively participate in raising his daughter, so the two did not have the close relationship one might expect at the outset.
Years passed with no evidence of communication between the father and daughter, prompting fans to believe that she has a terrible relationship with her parents.
Rick and Mandy both remarried after their divorces, and Rick’s second wife is named Sara Tovar Gomez. He and Sara have a daughter and a stepson, both of whom are regular fixtures in his Instagram feed.
Selena Gomez’s Father Didn’t Approve Of Her Dreams
Although Selena has a relationship with her father, it was her mother who took the lead in her career in the entertainment industry as she was growing up. Though there have been some ups and downs, they have a wonderful relationship.
The pop sensation has discussed the lack of involvement from her father during her formative years. She previously told Rolling Stone, “He didn’t want to be a part of this industry life, so it was really me and my mom, our journey.”
However, she does remember the times spent with him. Selena said to Harper’s Bazaar that Rick took her to Hooters so they could watch Spurs games together.
“He started noticing that when I would come, with my little pigtails, all the waitresses would be like, ‘Hey!’ So he ended up half spending time with me but with all those cute girls coming over. And that became our thing,” she shared.
In a similar vein, while promoting Hotel Transylvania 3, Gomez told PopSugar that she and her character Mavis, the vampire daughter to Dracula (Adam Sandler), are “worlds apart,” but that they share common experiences as daughters of single fathers.
In the film, Mavis arranges a family cruise as a way to give her father some much-needed time off. Mavis had no idea that it was not fatigue but isolation that her father was feeling. Gomez claimed she had a similar experience with her own father, albeit she was less eager to facilitate a romantic relationship for him than her fictional character.
“I was very much like, I didn’t want anyone with him,” Gomez said of herself as a child. She now recognizes that she will always want what is best for her father.
Selena Gomez’s Father Appears To Be Very Proud Of His Daughter
Selena Gomez’s father, Ricardo Joel Gomez, may not be seen very often, but he is a dedicated fan who regularly posts Instagrams of himself cheering for his daughter. Selena has developed a close relationship with Ricardo’s kid from his current marriage thanks to their frequent holiday get-togethers.
Despite his desire to avoid the spotlight, Rick takes great pride in his family. He frequently updates his Instagram with new pictures of his three children: youngest daughter Victoria, stepson Marcus, and his original baby girl Selena. A couple of old Selena videos from her Barney and Friends days can be found on his account.
In 2020, on Selena’s birthday, he shared a statement to Instagram in which he said, “You will always be my beautiful little girl. I love you, mija. #happybirthday #godbless #grateful.”
Also in 2018, on Selena’s birthday, Rick wrote, “When I look at you I remember the very moment you were born, and still today when I see you I am reminded what special blessing God has given me.” That’s the cutest thing ever.
He never misses his daughter’s birthday and utilizes the occasion to show his pride in her. This is in contrast to her, who has never posted anything for Father’s Day or her dad’s birthday despite the fact that they are supposed to have a good relationship.
The lack of communication had fans speculating that Selena may be holding resentment towards her parents for possibly breaking up her relationship with Justin Bieber, but this may not be the case.
Her lack of intention towards her dad doesn’t mean she doesn’t think about him at all. Some of her songs even owe their existence to him, proving that he is a significant factor in her life.
Selena has always been proud of her Mexican background, which was influenced by the fact that her father was born in Mexico.
In 2021, she released a Spanish-language album titled Revelacion, which included more than seven songs sung in Spanish and featured guest appearances from prominent figures in the music industry, such as Rauw Alejandro and DJ Snake.
