Chris Evans and Selena Gomez Probably Aren’t Dating: An Investigation
It’s a good thing that Selena Gomez famously keeps her distance from social media because it’s a boring Friday afternoon and the internet has decided, based on the scantest of facts, to imagine a world in which Gomez is now dating Chris Evans, America’s favorite Marvel hunk. The rumors were first reported by obsessive Twitter fan accounts, and then made their way up from the thirstiest of gossip blogs and now have hit even more respectable sites desperate for a little pageview hit before the weekend.
Though, the littlest bit of basic journalism (or, frankly, just internet literacy) could pour some cold water on the internet’s latest shipping fever.
Here’s What We Do Know For Sure:
Evans Follows Gomez on Instagram.
Apparently, fans only noticed this recently, but no one seems to be able to pinpoint when exactly he hit that follow button. Shippers point to the fact that Evans only follows 162 people, so the fact that Gomez is one of them, they think, must mean something. Though, Evans also follows Rita Ora, and are we expected to think that is supposed to mean anything?
Besides, Gomez, notoriously, is one of the most-followed people on Instagram. Everyone follows her. It’s also worth noting she doesn’t follow Evans back.
In 2015, Gomez Admitted to Having a Crush on Evans.
Yes, while guesting on Andy Cohen’s celebrity drinking show Watch What Happens Live! six years ago, Gomez was pressed over who was her biggest Hollywood crush. She admitted it was Evans. Kind of. “I kind of have a crush on Chris Evans,” she said. So there’s no denying that.
Here’s What Seems Fishy:
A viral Tweet claims that Gomez and Evans were seen leaving the same restaurant on October 1st, 2021 and provided two side-by-side images as proof.
This is just a straight-up Twitter fantasy.
First, Gomez is clearly spotted getting into a black Range Rover. The backend of the car Evans is spotted next to is actually a Jeep Grand Cherokee (a model he’s been known to drive).
Ok, so maybe they took different cars?
Well, actually the image of Evans is from all the way back in 2013. You can find that same image archived for all of time on celebrity pictures clearing house Just Jared, which clarifies the year and claims he wasn’t even at a restaurant but rather picking up mail. Which makes sense. Those are packages in his hand and not food.
The image of Gomez is from 2017 when she was leaving a Pilates class. Those images can be found over at The Daily Mail.
So, no, the pair weren’t spotted in the same restaurant together. The photos are from four years apart, and neither is at a restaurant.
Ok, But Weren’t They Spotted Together at a Studio?
A second viral Tweet claims that the pair were spotted in early October leaving the same studio, which would suggest that if the pair weren’t dating, then perhaps they were at least making a movie together. It’s not unimaginable. Both got their biggest breaks from different corners of the Disney conglomerate, and any producer would be more than happy to sign the pair for the right film.
Alas, the photos are both from separate times.
A photo of Gomez in black overalls doesn’t appear to have been picked up widely by the celebrity media, but there’s evidence that it’s floated around the internet since at least 2019. The photo of Evans from the Tweet is from sometime in 2020, and was in fact first taken amidst rumors he was dating Lily James that summer.
So, no, there’s no real new evidence to suggest that Selena and Chris are dating. They have not been spotted in the same places recently. Though, we do wish some fellow entertainment and gossip journalists would be spotted Googling, “How to do a reverse image search.” It might be helpful.
