Truth behind Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato friendship revealed after shocking Rare Beauty reunion

See more of our coverage in your search results. Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato’s Rare Beauty campaign was hardly a BFF reunion — it was strictly business. “Demi and Selena are not best friends. They’ve patched things up enough to be in a better place. They will never be as close as they once were,” a source exclusively told Page Six. The pair of former Disney Channel stars sent fans into a frenzy last week when they took things back to 2009 — recreating their “Princess Protection Program” poster and reviving their webcam vlogs for Gomez’s beauty line. While the collaboration may have looked like an effortless bestie hangout, the source said the two are far from inseparable — and the campaign wasn’t even their idea. Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato revisited their “Princess Protection Program” roles for a Rare Beauty campaign. Disney The reunion was no indication of their current friendship status, a source said. Rare Beauty Tyra Booker, Rare Beauty’s assistant vice president of integrated marketing, shared on LinkedIn that she pitched the concept during her first week at the company. “With over 500M+ views across every platform, it’s proved to be more than a beauty campaign but a cultural moment,” Booker wrote, crediting the Rare Beauty team for giving her the creative freedom to bring the idea to life. Booker said the concept was inspired by the Disney-era friendship she grew up watching on YouTube, with the team wanting to tap into that nostalgia. “Best friends that are still making each other blush,” she wrote — a reference to the campaign’s tagline Selena Gomez, left, and Demi Lovato attend the 3rd annual InStyle Awards at The Getty Center in Los Angeles on Oct. 23, 2017. The friendship would undergo a rough patch soon after. Getty Images for InStyle Actresses Selena Gomez, left, and Demi Lovato attend the 2009 American Music Awards in Los Angeles on Nov. 22, 2009. The two are on good terms again after a falling-out. FilmMagic Want more celebrity and pop culture news? Start your day with Page Six Daily. Thanks for signing up! The ad marked a notable shift for the former child stars, who first met when they were seven years old on “Barney & Friends” before becoming close during their Disney years. However, their relationship cooled off over the better part of a decade. By 2020, Lovato, 34, revealed the two were no longer friends, while adding that she would always have love for Gomez. Gomez and Lovato’s collaboration on Oct. 28, 2026 was a Rare Beauty staffer’s idea. rarebeauty/instagram The pair brought back their old vlog style while shooting the campaign, but a source said they’re not “best friends.” rarebeauty/instagram Their respective 2025 weddings only underscored the distance between them — neither attended the other’s big day. Lovato married 35-year-old musician Jordan “Jutes” Lutes on May 25 in Santa Barbara, California. Just four months later, Gomez tied the knot with music producer Benny Blanco, 38, in the same city on Sept. 27. Lovato had publicly wished Gomez well ahead of her wedding, saying she couldn’t be happier for her and that she wished her the best. Gomez and Lovato, shown above in the Rare Beauty campaign, did not attend each other’s weddings. rarebeauty/instagram Demi Lovato, left, and Selena Gomez arrive at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles on Aug. 28, 2011. The two will “never” be as close as they once were, the source said. Getty Images More recently, the two have made strides toward reconnecting. Gomez attended the opening night of Lovato’s tour in Orlando this past April, where the pair were photographed together backstage. Lovato later told Elle that while there have been different chapters in their lives, she was happy to reach a place where they could collaborate and reconnect. Now, their Rare Beauty reunion has given fans a new glimpse of the relationship — even if it doesn’t mean things are quite back to the way they were. Community Guidelines Welcome to the Page Six Community! Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas in a safe space. In order to do so, we've created a simple set of rules that will improve your experience. Simply put, keep it civil. Your post will/might be rejected if it contains: Spam Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language and threats of any kind Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author User accounts will/might be blocked if we notice: Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected Racist, sexist, or homophobic comments Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk So, how can you be a power user? Stay on topic and share your passion. 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