Selena Gomez Confirms Taylor Swift's Dorothea Was Written About Her
Selena Gomez has finally put to rest one of the internet's most persistent theories about Taylor Swift's music. During a recent episode of her fiancé Benny Blanco's podcast, Friends Keep Secrets, the singer and actress confirmed that Swift's track Dorothea from the 2020 album Evermore was indeed written with her in mind.
Ending Years of Fan Speculation
When asked if she connects with Swift's music on a deeper level due to their shared history, Gomez responded emphatically, stating 'a million percent' before plainly declaring, 'Dorothea is about me.' This confirmation ends years of speculation among fans who had meticulously analyzed the song's lyrics for clues about its subject.
The Only Murders in the Building star reflected on how she and Swift essentially grew up together while navigating fame at young ages. 'I feel like a lot of huge moments that were self-defining, from relationships to family to love to hate, all of it in between, we were figuring it out,' Gomez explained. 'Because I was 15 and she was 18, and we didn't really know what was going on. And so we've never seen each other any differently.'
Lyrical Connections and Fan Theories
When Dorothea debuted on Swift's 2020 album, fans quickly began dissecting the lyrics for potential references to Gomez's life and career. One line in particular - 'You're a queen sellin' dreams / Sellin' makeup and magazines' - sparked widespread belief that the song referenced Gomez's Rare Beauty cosmetics empire.
Online sleuths also pointed to additional connections:
- The lyrics 'You got shiny friends since you left town' were interpreted as referencing the celebrity friends Gomez made after moving from her Texas hometown to Hollywood
- Gomez's favorite childhood film The Wizard of Oz, whose heroine Dorothy may have inspired the name Dorothea
- Gomez once played a character named Dot
- Her mother entered her in beauty pageants as a child, echoing the lyric about 'your mom and her pageant schemes'
At the time of the album's release, neither star directly confirmed the theory. Swift had described evermore as a blend of fact and fiction, explaining she had created '17 tales, some of which are mirrored or intersecting with one another.' She previously characterized Dorothea as 'the girl who left her small town to chase down Hollywood dreams - and what happens when she comes back for the holidays and rediscovers an old flame.'
Additional Musical Tributes to Their Friendship
Gomez also revealed that Swift penned an unreleased song called Family approximately a decade ago about their friendship. 'It was over easily a decade ago, insinuating in the lyrics without quoting it, it is basically saying you have these amazing dreams, you want to be in movies, like in every crowd, I still see you,' she told listeners. 'And then her part was you know, you still believe in my stupid dreams like playing stadiums and now when I listen to that song, both of those things, it makes me want to cry, have happened for us.'
Gomez marveled at how Swift captured their bond in both songs, saying 'So when I listen to it, I'm so impressed how it's eloquently put.' She added about Family, 'And that's really sweet because back then she was just like, "I just wrote this song about us. It was just like, our story kind of," and it was just the sweetest thing so I love it.'
A Friendship Forged in the Spotlight
During the interview, Gomez called herself a 'big Taylor fan' and said she would be 'a stan for life for sure.' She reflected on their enduring friendship, noting 'It's literally all we talk about... Not all we talk about, but when we talk about it, we're not like, 'Look at this prosperity.' It's more so like this is so cool that you get it.'
'It's absolutely unbelievable to come from 17 years of friendship from multiple heartbreaks and love stories and fun stories and life, we both ended up fortunately being engaged around the same time,' Gomez added, referencing her engagement to Benny Blanco and Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce.
Personal Touches and Artistic Gifts
Blanco shared a touching anecdote about discovering a painting Swift created for Gomez's 30th birthday. 'Selena's just like bringing over stuff from storage and her other house... and she pulls out this piece of art... And I'm like, 'Oh, this is perfect for the living room!'' he recalled. 'I said, "Who made this painting?" Like I thought she was going to say like Basquiat or something like crazy. And Selena says, "Taylor made this for me for my 30th birthday." And it's one of the best paintings I've ever seen.'
Gomez revealed that Swift 'did it on an actual cloth' and 'painted a beautiful lake' with the moon and stars, including their exact star signs - Sagittarius for Swift and Cancer for Gomez. The inscription 'Here's to the next 30 years' and 'From Taylor to Selena' were hand-sewn rather than printed.
'Instead of writing, "Here's to the next 30 years," or printing it, she sewed every letter. It was the sweetest gift,' Gomez marveled, emphasizing the personal effort Swift put into the birthday present.
Blanco also noted that Swift's homemade sourdough bread tastes like it was 'from a professional bakery,' adding another dimension to the multi-talented friendship between these two entertainment icons.
