is just like Us when it comes to social anxiety.
Even though Gomez, 32, has been in the spotlight for nearly two decades, the star admitted that she’s “still a bit awkward” when it comes to interacting with her fellow celebrities. “I never like to bother people,” she shared while talking with for Variety’s “Actors on Actors” series on Wednesday, December 11.
Gomez went on to recall debating whether to spark conversation with fellow actress and singer at an event they both attended. “Ariana was in the other room, and I was like, ‘I’d love to go say hi, but I don’t want to bother her,’ because I know how life can be,” she said. “And I think that can step in the way of me getting to know people, and that’s something I should work on a little bit.”
Despite the missed interaction, Gomez and Grande, 31, are pals IRL. While reacting to her 2025 Golden Globe nominations, Gomez seemed just as excited to hear Grande’s name alongside hers in the Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture category.
“Oh, my God! Ari!” she exclaimed in a Monday, December 9, Instagram Story video of herself watching the nominations announcement. Gomez earned two acting nods for her roles in Emilia Pérez and Only Murders in the Building, while Grande scored her first Golden Globes nomination for her performance as Glinda in Wicked.
One day later, the two women sat alongside each other at the Academy Women’s Luncheon Presented by Chanel at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. Gomez looked chic in a black tweed jacket and skirt, while Grande paired her multicolored tweed dress with a black hair bow.
“I respect her so much, and I’ve always adored her,” Grande told Variety at the Tuesday, December 10, event. “I was really happy for her to see us on that list together. It was very special.”
Grande continued: “I really love watching this moment happen for Selena. I know how hard she’s worked and how long she’s waited. I recognize that because it resonates with me so I know that feeling. So when you can reach out to your friends in the industry and say, ‘Great work, congratulations,’ why not do it?”
Gomez, for her part, told the outlet that the “Yes, And?” singer reached out to her after the Golden Globes nominations came out. “Ariana texted me and it was the sweetest note and it was about six in the morning,” she gushed. “We sent each other voice messages. It was very exciting.”
Gomez and Grande shared similar Hollywood beginnings, getting their big breaks on the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, respectively, before skyrocketing to fame with their music careers. Having focused on acting in recent years, Gomez joked that she’s “a little too old for the pop star life” during her “Actors on Actors” interview.
“I definitely think my strong suit is probably acting, but I will say one thing I’m proud of in music is being able to tell a story,” she explained on Wednesday. “My favorite songs are mostly ballads, and they’re very transparent and honest and I feel comfortable in that zone. … I’m genuinely so happy to just be in this new era of my life and so excited to see what’s to come because in a lot of ways, it’s just the beginning for me.”
Gomez noted that she’ll “always have music in my life” thanks to her romance with music producer Benny Blanco. “I love storytelling, and I think my music career is separate. However, I don’t see that always being a forever thing, professionally,” she shared.
