Steve Martin Defends Selena Gomez Following 'Ominous Headlines'
Updated article published on 02/09/21: Selena Gomez's Only Murders in the Building co-star has defended the actor after seeing 'ominous headlines' made about her.
To promote the pair's TV show, Gomez recently recalled how she 'signed my life away to Disney at a very young age and I didn’t know what I was doing'. Her comments soon circulated the internet, with some suggesting they were made in jest while others interpreted them to be more serious.
'I was there when Selena said that and it was said in the most light-hearted, funny, jokey way,' Martin said following the reaction to Gomez's comments, during a press conference (via Radio Times).
'And then I see it gets interpreted – sometimes they'll say she was joking and sometimes they have it as an ominous headline – but it was completely just all in fun. I've signed my life away to [co-star] Marty Short, you think I like that?'
Gomez added: 'I'm beyond proud of the work that I did with Disney as well. It kind of shaped who I am in a way.'
Original article published on 25/08/21: Selena Gomez has clarified comments she made about working with Disney as a child actress.
In July, during the TCA Summer 2021 tour, the 29-year-old was asked how her experience working on upcoming series Only Murders In The Building compared to her previous acting work which she mainly did as a child.
'I signed my life away to Disney at a very young age and I didn’t know what I was doing,' the star responded, per Entertainment Tonight. 'What I’d say is the level of sophistication of the material [for Only Murders In The Building] is the first reason why I wanted to do this. [As a child] I didn’t know what I was doing. I was just running around on set.'
Following the comments, the 'signed my life away' line was one which many outlets ran with, pushing Gomez to re-address it in a further statement, during a recent roundtable interview, when asked if she had any hesitance about returning to television.
'No, definitely not,' she said, according to the Radio Times. 'I was looking for another show to do. And by the way, I’m beyond proud of the work that I did with Disney as well. It kind of shaped who I am in a way.'
Her co-star, Father Of The Bride actor Steve Martin, also chimed in to defend Gomez, adding: 'I have to jump in because I was there when Selena said that and it was said in the most light-hearted, funny, jokey way. And then I see it gets interpreted – sometimes they’ll say she was joking and sometimes they have it as an ominous headline – but it was completely just all in fun'.'
Gomez's first acting role came as a 10-year-old child when she appeared in Barney and Friends (yes, the purple dinosaur Barney). When she was 15, she led the cast of the Disney Channel's show, Wizards of Waverly Place, which in the most recent comments she also praised for ensuring she had a good experience as a teen actor.
'I have to say, I’m very lucky. As a female in my position, I was taken care of and I’ve only had lovely experiences, so I’m grateful for that.'
Post Disney, Gomez is best known as a singer and actor in films like Spring Breakers and The Dead Don't Die. She's also turned her hand to producing, serving as an executive producer on Netflix's 13 Reasons Why and the documentary series Undocumented about the immigrant experience in the US. Gomez also continually uses her platform to push for causes she believes in like mental health awareness, immigrant rights, racial equality and body positivity and inclusivity.
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