Benny Blanco's Nickname for Selena Gomez Has to Do with Deli Meat
It does sort of sound like her name, I guess.

Selena Gomez is a foodie, but her nickname from fiancé Benny Blanco is still pretty unexpected. As reported by People, the couple were guests on the April 30 episode of the podcast Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware. On the show, they opened up about their early relationship, their wedding plans, and—with it being a food and family-themed show—their food memories. During the conversation, they also shared what they call each other, and while Gomez's names for Blanco are pretty typical, one of the names he has for her is a little... odd.
"I think you've maybe called me 'Sel' a few times," Gomez said on the podcast of her usual nickname. "I called you 'Sel' today," Blanco added. But, he went on to say that in his phone her name is "Salami."
"In my phone—I didn't want anyone to be over my shoulder looking—so I made her 'Salami,'" he explained. Gomez said that it's "so embarrassing," but Blanco said that the Selena + Chef host is listed as "Salami" in his contacts "still to this day".
This choice has caused an issue. Blanco pointed out that if he tries to use Voice Control on his phone, he has almost texted sweet messages meant for Gomez to fellow music producer Salaam Remi.
Gomez, meanwhile, said that she simply calls Blanco, "babe, love, honey."
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco at the 2025 Golden Globe Awards.
It makes sense that Blanco—whose real name is Benjamin Levin, by the way—would want to keep Gomez's name private when texting or calling her in front of others. She is super famous, after all. Plus, the two took steps to keep their relationship a secret at first, including dressing in disguises on their favorite date.
In March, as part of the Spotify series "Countdown To", Gomez and Blanco filmed conversations between themselves about their relationship and their joint album, I Said I Love You First.
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"When I think of our best date ever is, like, when we were first dating and we were still keeping it super secret, I remember I was like, 'Lets go to the Santa Monica Pier,'" Blanco recalled. "And you were like, 'We can’t go to the Santa Monica Pier.' And I was like, 'Well, what if we dress up in disguises?'"
Gomez was doubtful that the plan would work, but it turned out to be a great day.
"It was so cute," Gomez said. "I'm not going to lie, sometimes the disguise thing is so stupid, but in this case it actually worked, which was crazy. I really didn’t care, I was so happy, I was in a state of ecstasy. It was so fun."
Blanco said that they were able to "fully let go and not worry about anything else. We rode the Ferris wheel. We got corn dogs and cotton candy." No salami, though.
Lia Beck is a writer living in Brooklyn, NY, who covers entertainment, celebrity, and lifestyle. The former celebrity news editor at Bustle, she has also written for Refinery29, Hello Giggles, Cosmopolitan, PEOPLE, Entertainment Weekly, and more.
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