Selena Gomez Playboy Magazine March 2013 [verified]
Verify the source
Why does the false “Playboy” rumor persist? Likely because of the stark contrast between Gomez’s then-boyfriend Justin Bieber’s tabloid antics and her own carefully managed image. In March 2013, while Bieber was making headlines for late-night parties and a monkey confiscated in Germany, Gomez was positioning herself as a serious actress.
: Because the film dealt with adult themes and featured hyper-sexualized imagery, internet searches blending the actresses' names with adult publications skyrocketed during the film's promotional window. The Confusion: Ashley Benson’s Complex Shoot
: The film, which premiered in March 2013, featured Selena and co-stars like Vanessa Hudgens in bikinis for the majority of the runtime, playing party-obsessed college students. Selena Gomez Playboy Magazine March 2013
: In March 2013, the film Spring Breakers was released in theaters. Gomez starred as a bikini-clad party girl, a role that was widely discussed as her "breakout" from her wholesome Disney Channel image.
Rumors began circulating on various gossip blogs and social media platforms that Gomez was set to appear in the March 2013 issue of Playboy . Some sources even claimed she had accepted a multi-million dollar offer.
The rumors gained traction because March 2013 was a pivotal moment in Gomez's career. She was actively trying to shed her squeaky-clean "Disney teen idol" image, but she chose artistic, mainstream avenues to do so: Verify the source Why does the false “Playboy”
: Representatives for the star immediately debunked the images as completely fraudulent. Gomez, known for her close connection to her young fan base, expressed embarrassment over the explicit hoax. The Real 2013 Style Evolution
In March 2013, a photo began circulating online that appeared to show Gomez topless on the cover of Playboy . However, investigators and fans quickly determined that the image was a , created by photoshopping Gomez's head onto the body of another model.
The timing of the fake Playboy cover was not coincidental. It occurred right as Selena Gomez was actively trying to redefine her public image. For years, she had been known as Alex Russo, the lovable wizard from the Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place . By 2013, at the age of 20, she was determined to shed her "good girl" persona and be seen as a mature adult artist. : Because the film dealt with adult themes
In later years, Gomez did participate in provocative shoots for other magazines, such as V Magazine (2015), and her own album art for Stars Dance
, Selena Gomez was featured on several high-profile covers throughout 2013 as part of her "grown-up" rebranding: Harper’s Bazaar (March 2013):
Later in 2013, Gomez participated in a dark, sultry spread for Flaunt Magazine . Sporting a short black wig and lace lingerie, the shoot was her most mature artistic statement at the time and was heavily compared by the media to the aesthetic of men's lifestyle magazines. The V Magazine "Lolita" Controversy (2015)