Now that Selena Gomez and Kendall Jenner are heading to Dubai and ringing in 2015 together at a private New Year’s Eve party after that – it’s as good as time as any to reflect on their time together over the past year.
The last few months alone have been an interesting ride for the pair, as the supposed love triangle between them and Justin Bieber became a frequent topic of discussion. Each of the young stars are spotlight-worthy in their own right – Jenner for her modelling career and Kardashian ties, Gomez for her singing-slash-acting gigs, Bieber for squinting too often and acting out in public – but throw them together in one pot and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a rumour.
Thankfully, “sisters before misters” is a phrase that has proven to go a long way with Jenner, 19, and Gomez, 22, who first surprised fans with their friendship back in March. The two looked sharp as they stepped out on a sunny day to grab a bite together. Up until then, it wasn’t apparent that they even ran in the same circles, but the inevitable paparazzi shots had people guessing when and how the new friendship had actually happened.
It turns out, the bond wasn’t as new as it seemed. Media outlets dug their hands into the pair’s link and found out that they had likely met at one of Gomez’s release parties way back in 2009. In April, they reaffirmed their friendship with an obligatory Coachella selfie.
A few short months ago, the two – plus Gomez’s on-again-off-again beau, Bieber – truly dominated the headlines. After Jenner was seen out and about with the Canadian crooner on several occasions, including dinner in Paris, many stipulated that they were dating. With a sprinkle of gossip rag dramatics added to the mix, the pair’s outings were being dubbed the ultimate betrayal of Gomez’s trust.
However, speaking to Nightline, Jenner was quick to laugh off the rumours that her and Bieber shared anything more than friendship.
“He’s a longtime friend of the family … Everybody loves to assume things, but no,” she said.
Similarly, Gomez denied rumours that she had cut Jenner out of her life. She had unfollowed Jenner on Instagram, which seems to be the modern day equivalent of standing in the middle of a schoolyard yelling, “We are SO done,” but the former Disney star told Ryan Seacrest that she didn’t think the gesture would be blown so out of proportion.
“We were never not friends,” she said. “All of it [Instagram and social media] is for my fans. I didn’t realize it was going to start that. I was just like, ‘You know what, I’m just going to follow my fans.’ I didn’t know that [unfollowing] was, like, a thing.”
It wasn’t the first or last time Gomez’s online activity received raised eyebrows from the public. When Jenner and Bieber were first spotted together, Gomez took to Instagram to post a timely quote about focusing on herself rather than any purported rivals: “I am in competition with no one. I have no desire to play the game of being better than anyone. I am simply trying be better than the person I was yesterday.”
But things seemed to be all patched up, and significantly less mysterious, when last month, Jenner and Gomez were spotted in a selfie together along with model Cara Delevinge and a fan. On Jenner’s 19th birthday (November 3), a friend of Jenner’s posted a video of her blowing her candles out and tagged Selena Gomez in the process, assuaging any worries that Gomez was struck off the guest list.
