Justin and Selena officially dated for eight years in total – from December 2010 until March 2018. Their on-and-off again love story has gone from sweet to sour, then sweet again. One minute it was all love, the next it was complete loath, and then the popular celebrity couple were loved up again.
Just when we’d think Jelena had rekindled their romance, they would be hit by another round of breakup rumors. And then came Hailey Baldwin, who swept Bieber off his feet, and finally put an end to #Jelena.
So, Bieber put a ring on it, and Selena may be happier single, but there’s no denying these two have a deep history together. And believe it or not, more than a decade later, we’re still talking about these famous exes as though we haven’t moved on.
We’ve broken down Justin and Selena’s timeline – their full relationship history from 2010 until now. So, take a deep breath and scroll down for a recap of all that’s happened since the birth of Jelena…
‘Jelena’ is Born
December 2010
In late 2010, the celebrity world would change forever. It’s the birth of ‘Jelena’ and things would never be the same again. Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez are spotted holding hands in Philadelphia, igniting excitement among their respective fans.
They pretty much confirm their relationship by kissing in public on a yacht in the Caribbean.
Selena Confirms Romance With Justin
February – November 2011
Although this ‘boyfriend and girlfriend’ have yet to admit their romance, they appear together for the first time at the Vanity Fair Oscars party and kiss in the audience at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards.
Come May 2011 and Selena finally verifies that she is dating Justin Bieber. Discussing their public relationship, she tells Seventeen, “I don’t like hiding. I do like to keep certain things to myself, but at the end of the day, I’m 18 and I’m going to fall in love. I’m going to hang out with people and I’m going to explore myself, and I’m OK with that.”
Going Strong One Year Later
June 2012
Justin and Selena are still going strong as they arrive together at the premiere of Katy Perry‘s Part of Me documentary, looking very loved up. Jelena fans rejoice, knowing that the popular stars are still together one year into their relationship.
Beliebers Speculate He’s Single
October 2012
Breakup rumors between Justin and Selena surface when the Justice singer posts and deletes a photo with the caption “Lingse”. Beliebers assume this is an anagram of the word “single”.
Justin and Selena Break Up For the First Time
November 2012
“Lingse”, indeed! Just two years into Justin and Selena’s relationship and they are rumored to have broken up. Their first split is due to “trust issues”, as well as busy schedules and “being apart so much”, according to a source.
Justin Flirts With Others
November 2012
Biebs isn’t “busy” enough to stay away from models like Miranda Kerr, though.
The popstar is photographed with the Victoria’s Secret model soon after his break up with Selena. Justin later claims he was intimate with her, while she was still married to Orlando.
Selena and Justin Go On Vacation
December 2012
Justin and Selena spark reconciliation rumors when they are caught kissing at the airport in Salt Lake City, and later go on vacation together in Mexico. It all comes crashing down again when controversial Justin is caught up in a marijuana scandal and Selena flies back alone from Mexico.
Selena Gets Cryptic
January 2013
Selena tweets, “New beginnings. Fresh start. I love you all”, suggesting that her and Justin are completely done this time (yeah right) …
Love Is In The Air…AGAIN
April 2013
Almost half a year after their first breakup, and Justin and Selena reunite. Justin shares a photo on Instagram of the two of them with the caption, “You’ve been makin music for too long babe come cuddle – her.” The photo is quickly deleted.
A source also reveals to PEOPLE that, “They were holding hands, hugging and they kissed on the lips,” whilst together in Norway.
Selena’s Single…Then She’s Not
July 2013
Jelena are rumored to have partied together on Fourth of July, when Justin shares the below selfie, making fans very happy.
But just days later, Selena confuses all when she tells the Associated Press that she’s “single”.
Not Talking…But Still In Love
December 2013
Whatever reconciliation Justin and Selena had earlier in the year is certainly over, as revealed in Biebs’ interview with radio host Big Boy.
Bieber confirms that he and Gomez aren’t talking, but that he still loves her. “[The breakup] affected us, especially when we are in front of so many people…It’s such a public thing. It’s just hard for the both of us. But you know, she’s a great woman. I love her [to] this day.”
He Loves the Way She Looks At Him
January 2014
It’s a new year, but Jelena are giving us the same old mixed messages when Justin shares a photo of Selena hugging him, along with the caption, “Love the way you look at me.”
Jelena Dirty Dance Together
March 2014
The duo is going strong two months later when videos of them dirty dancing together appear online.
You can’t deny Jelena’s chemistry – and you certainly can’t deny that they’re together AGAIN!
Justin later posts photos of Selena from the Vanity Fair Oscar party and calls her “the most elegant princess in the world.”
Jealously Gets in The Way
April 2014
There’s trouble in paradise! Selena and Justin apparently have a fight at Coachella after photos of Kylie Jenner and texts messages sent to her are found on his phone.
Then there are rumors of an apparent hook-up between the Rare Beauty founder and Orlando Bloom when a photo of them together circulates online.
Justin and Selena Part Ways Again
May 2014
Here’s where the timeline gets messy.
Following the Orlando rumors, Bieber tries to get revenge on Selena by apparently dating Kylie Jenner, Adriana Lima, and Yovanna Ventura. He even shared this selfie of himself with Adriana, confirming that he and Selena certainly aren’t an item anymore.
Jelena’s Love is Unconditional
June 2014
One month later, Justin realizes that Selena is all he needs when the two are spotted in yet another Instagram photo together. Justin posts and deletes a black and white photo with the caption, “Our love is Unconditional”.
Justin and Orlando Bloom Fight Over Selena
July 2014
A video circulates online showing Orlando Bloom punching Justin in Ibiza. Following this major celebrity feud, Justin posts and deletes a hot photo of Miranda Kerr, Orlando’s wife on Instagram. Is Jelena over again?
Selena and Justin Dating Once More
August 2014
At this point in Justin and Selena’s timeline, we’re confused. Are they dating again or did they never split up to begin with? We’ll never know. What we do know is that Selena and Justin were official in August 2014 after he shared this cute snap.
Justin Hangs Out With Kendall Jenner
October 2014
Jelena are spotted fighting at an airport in France. Selena tweets about feeling lonely.
Was this breakup because of Kendall Jenner? Biebs and Kendall took a few close selfies at the time and reportedly went out to dinner during his relationship with Sel. A source told US Weekly, “Selena doesn’t trust her [Kendall] motives – they [Jelena] fought and split.”
Selena’s Heart Wants What It Wants
November 2014
Selena reveals that her latest single, The Heart Wants What It Wants is based on Bieber. She confirms to Ryan Seacrest that they are over, but she will “support” Justin, “I think I always will. I’m upset when he’s upset. I’m happy when he’s happy. I don’t want anything bad to ever happen to him. It hurts me. That’s all.”
Justin sees the music video and apparently it is “really hard for him”. He also posts this on Instagram.
Selena performs the emotional single at the American Music Awards and cries on stage.
Hailey Baldwin is Introduced
December 2014
Hailey Baldwin officially enters the chat…well, kind of. Justin and the model spark romance rumors after being spotted together at church. Biebs then denies the affair with this photo captioned, “People are crazy. I’m super single and this is my good friend u would know otherwise.”
Justin and Selena Dinner Date
January 2015
Almost three and a half years later and Jelena are still the talk of the town. It’s rumored that Selena is dating Zedd and Justin responds by fake crying in an Instagram video…
The duo confuse everyone again when they’re spotted dining together at Mastros in L.A.
Jelena Has That Same Old Love
May 2015
Fans think Selena’s single, Same Old Love is about Justin after she tells the Sunday Times, “It’s difficult for people to separate us. The internet wants to freeze this moment in time and constantly repeat it.”
Justin Wants Her Back
June 2015
The pair are not spotted together for a while, but they do communicate to each other through their music, that’s for sure!
Justin pretty much confirms that his single, Where R U Now is about Selena when he includes a hidden message for her in the video clip. At one point, you see the words, “Where R Now, Selena” written in the background.
Selena and Justin Are Not Together
September 2015
They just can’t stop talking about each other!
Jelena shippers are let down when Selena reveals that she’s finally over Justin. She tells Elle, “I’ll forever support him and love him… We grew up together. I think people want it to be different … We’re too young for that. Nobody was married… I respect him. And I think he respects me, in a healthy manner.”
In the meantime, Justin tells Complex magazine, “I moved in with my girlfriend when I was 18. Started my own life with her. It was a marriage kind of thing. Living with a girl, it was just too much at that age. But we were so in love. Nothing else mattered. We were all about each other. But when it’s like that and you get your value from that, people will always disappoint you.”
When Justin’s video for What Do You Mean is released, eagle-eyed fans spot Selena’s name in the background, leading many to assume that the song is based on her…
Still Friendly With Each Other
October 2015
Selena reveals the two are on good terms and admits that they both made mistakes in an interview with Refinery29, “Of course I got my heart broken. Of course I was pissed about it.”
She says that “there is no anger” at this point. “There’s closure in a very good, healthy way. We’ve seen each other. I’m always encouraging and I am proud of his journey. I think people are making it out to be something that is more tragic than it really was. We grew up together. We both made mistakes. That’s it.”
Justin Serenades Selena
November 2015
Justin finally admits that his singles, What Do You Mean, Sorry, and Mark My Words from his album, Purpose are about Selena. He also tells Access Hollywood that his “first real love” was Selena and that “it was really tough. I don’t know if I’m over it yet. I love her and I want her to be awesome, but there are things that remind me of her.”
He continues talking about her to Billboard, “I’m proud of the woman she is today. When you love someone that much, even if something comes between you, it’s a love that never really dies.” When asked if he’d heard Revival, Justin offered this: “I know I had a lot of play in that one. I don’t know what she’s saying about me.”
Things heat up again and Jelena are rumored to be back on when Justin is spotted serenading Selena with My Girl at a hotel bar in Beverly Hills.
Justin and Hailey Kiss, Selena is “Done”
January 2016
Okay, scrap that – Jelena are definitely off this time – and this picture says it all. The Baby singer shares a photo of himself kissing Hailey Baldwin, marking the beginning of their very own on-and-off again relationship which would eventually lead to marriage.
In the meantime, Selena tells Rolling Stone that she is “so beyond done with talking about that, and him.”
Jelena Are Distant
February 2016
In February, Justin tells GQ that he and Hailey were not “committed” and that Selena was the only one “bad” breakup in his life, “We don’t talk often, but we’re cordial. If she needs something, I’m there for her. If I need something, she’s there for me.”
Later on, Selena tells W magazine that she’s “so exhausted … I honestly am so done. I care about his health and well-being. But I can’t do it anymore.”
They Have All The “Feels”… Again
March 2016
At this point, fans heads are scrambled. They’ve broken up and reunited more times than we can count.
In March, it was rumored that they were back on again. Selena was spotted at one of Justin’s concerts, and he shared this throwback photo with the caption, “Feels”.
Justin and Selena Are at War
August 2016
Justin dates Sofia Richie, which disappoints many Beliebers. After they spam his Instagram photos with snake emojis, Bieber lashes out and warns he’ll make his account private if it continues.
Selena throws her two cents in by commenting on the photo, “If you can’t handle the hate, then stop posting pictures of your girlfriend lol. It should be special between you two only. Don’t be mad at your fans. They love you. They were there for you before anyone”
Her comment triggers an Instagram war, which results in both parties accusing each other of cheating:
Justin then accuses Selena of cheating on him with Zayn Malik – “I cheated… Oh I forgot about you and Zayn?”
Selena apologizes on Snapchat, writing, “What I said was selfish and pointless.” Justin then deletes his Instagram entirely.
Selena Moves On
January 2017
Selena is well and truly over Bieber! Or so it seems.
In early 2017, Sel reveals she’s dating The Weeknd and boy, do they look loved up! According to TMZ, Justin thinks Selena’s using the Starboy singer for “promotion”. Don’t get too jealous, Biebs!
Jelena Are Still Friends?
August 2017
Justin releases his single, Friends, leading many to believe the track is based on Selena. She may be dating The Weeknd, but that hasn’t stopped Biebs from singing lyrics like, “No, we didn’t end this so good…but you know we had something so good…I’m wondering, can we still be friends?”
Say what you will, Justin’s new bop is almost certainly, definitely, 100% about our girl, Sel.
Selena Gets Hacked
August 2017
Justin’s relationship with Selena will haunt him for life. Private photos of Justin appear on Selena Gomez’s Instagram account after she gets hacked on August 28th. The embarrassing snap which was from his 2015 vacation with Jayde Pierce was captioned ““LOOK AT THIS N**** LIL SHRIMPY”.
Oh dear. Poor Biebs. We can imagine Selena is red-faced right now.
Bieber and Selena Together Again
October 2017
Selena breaks up with The Weeknd in October 2017, and she’s spotted hanging out with Biebs for breakfast at a vegetarian restaurant. The singer’s car is later photographed at his ex’s Los Angeles home the following morning and are later spotted riding bikes together.
Is there a romantic reunion on the cards?
Selena Still Cares for (and Kisses) Justin
November 2017
Selena pretty much confirms her split from The Weeknd by literally kissing Bieber at his ice hockey game. She also tells Billboard that she cherishes “people who have really impacted my life. So maybe before, it could have been forcing something that wasn’t right. But that doesn’t mean caring for someone ever goes away.”
They Make Up & Break Up One Last Time
March 2018
Selena shows love to her man by posting this photo below with the birthday message, “March 1, 1994 someone I know that happens to be super cool was born. Boom.”
Fast-forward a week later and it’s already over. No, this isn’t groundhog day, folks – Jelena split once again…and this time it’s final and pretty much for real.
Showbiz’ power couple are in ‘power’ no more as they split in March 2018 after a short-lived reconciliation. Sources reported that they were “on a break”, while rumors swirled that Selena’s mother was blamed for the breakup, reason being that she disapproved of the Changes star.
It’s said that Sel wanted to “take time to herself” and “repair her relationship with her mother”. Eek!
Justin Reconnects, Marries Hailey
June-September 2018
Just a few months after calling it quits with Selena, and Bieber is married – to someone else. Indeed, the star reunites with Hailey Baldwin in June 2018, proposes to her after just one month of reconnecting, and marries her in September. Shot-gun wedding, or what?
He Loves Selena, But Isn’t “In Love” With Her
March 2019
After a fan accuses Justin of marrying Hailey Baldwin just to spite Selena, he responds with this Instagram post. In his detailed response, Bieb states that he does indeed still “love” Sel and she’ll “always hold a place” in his heart, but he is “head over heels in love” with his wife, Hailey.
Selena “Loses” Bieber
October 2019
There’s no denying that Beiber’s marriage to Baldwin breaks Selena’s heart. In just a few short months, everything Jelena had was gone, and so Sel releases Lose You To Love Me in dedication to her loss.
Lyrics like “Set fire to my purpose and I let it burn”, as well as, “In two months you replaced us like it was easy,” very much affirmed that the track was about Bieber.
If these lyrics aren’t about Justin, then seriously, slap us in the face.
Selena Says She Suffered From “Abuse”
January 2020
In addition to confirming that Lose You To Love Me was about her breakup with Justin, Selena also discloses to NPR’s Lulu Garcia-Navarro that she has “moved forward”, but feels that she “was a victim to certain abuse” in the relationship, later clarifying that it was “emotional” abuse.
Hailey Addresses the Jelena Love Triangle
September – October 2022
It’s long over-due since we heard Justin and Selena’s name in the same sentence together. And this *may* be where Selena and Hailey’s feud officially kicks off.
In late 2022, Hailey addresses all the rumors about her “stealing” Justin from Selena. She tells Alex Cooper, “I can say, period, point blank, I was never with him when he was in a relationship with anybody — that’s the end of it.”
Feud? What feud? In October, the pair are spotted cozying up for a photo together and a source claims “Justin, Hailey, and Selena are glad to have cleared the air, moved on with their lives, and closed that chapter.” #WTFIsGoingOn
Selena is Officially Over Bieber
November 2022
If posing with your ex-boyfriend’s wife isn’t ‘closure’, then we don’t know what is. Selena even clarified in her documentary that breaking up with Justin was the “best thing” for her.
“I felt haunted by a past relationship that no one wanted to let go of,” she said. “But then I just moved past it. I wasn’t afraid anymore….I feel like I had to go through the worst possible heartbreak ever. I just think that needed to happen, and ultimately, it was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Selena and Hailey Feud On Social Media
February – March 2023
A TikTok feud ignites between Selena and Hailey. It starts when Selena is body-shamed over bikini photos, and Hailey posts and deletes a video of her lip-syncing the words, “And I’m not saying she deserved it, but God’s timing is always right”.
Even though Hailey denies it was about the singer, Selena comments on the reposted-fan-video, “It’s ok! I don’t let these things get me down! Be nice to everyone! x.”
Selena later comments on a TikTok that shows Hailey dissing Taylor Swift, writing, “So sorry, my best friend is and continues to be one of the best in the game.”
From then on, Hailey becomes the target of online bullying from Selenators, which results in Selena calling for an end to the TikTok drama, and Hailey later shares her own statement:
Justin Shades Selena, She “Cries”
February – March 2023
And here, Justin and Selena’s timeline officially comes to an end…for now.
Amidst all the drama between his ex-girlfriend and wife, Justin *kinda* subtly throws his two cents in via a cryptic quote. As favors for his birthday party in March, Bieber hands out silver lighters with the words, “I’m so thankful that I didn’t end up with what I thought I wanted,” engraved on them.
Of course, fans are convinced that this quote is an indirect about Selena.
Meanwhile, Sel comments on a fan’s TikTok where the user expresses sympathy for everything she has endured, from her breakup with Justin to dealing with his quick marriage to Hailey, “That made me cry thank you!” she wrote.
So, that’s all for now in Justin and Selena’s relationship timeline. Everything in the Jelena love story is done and dusted, and what an emotional roller-coaster it was!
This may just be the most complicated celebrity relationship, yet! Do you think Jelena belong together or are they better off without each other? Let us know in the comments below!
This article was originally published on Jan 18, 2017.
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