Selena Gomez has rejected calls for her to recreate her 2016 appearance, saying she has no interest in being “frozen” in that period of her life.
The 34-year-old actress and Rare Beauty founder addressed the attention surrounding her appearance in an interview with People, after repeatedly seeing throwback images shared online.
“I got to be honest, the 2016 throwbacks and all of it is so much fun, but people get really intense,” Gomez said.
She added: “I always make this joke where I think people want to freeze me in time to that period of my life. I think people always want me to look the way I did, and that’s just not going to happen.”
Gomez suggested that the period remains a particular focus because of how hectic her life was at the time. “It was probably more interesting because I’m now chilling, which is great. But it was such a hectic period in my life… of course I had to rock a smoky eye. I was trying to be cool!” she said.
Rather than attempting to resist the effects of ageing, the singer and actress said she was embracing them.
“I love getting older,” Gomez said, describing natural beauty as “kind of my whole identity now”.
“Things are going to change and things are going to sag, but you’re alive…I think age is just a number in many ways,” she added.
Gomez also spoke about her younger sister, Gracie Teefey, saying the 13-year-old had a confidence she wished she had possessed at the same age.
“She’s 13 and has more confidence than I do. She is actually so thrilled to try things, but she also knows she doesn’t need it,” Gomez said.
She recently attended the 2026 Emmy Awards, where she was nominated alongside the cast of Only Murders in the Building.
