Why Selena Gomez Got a Rash From Her First Kiss with Benny Blanco

"I was so disgusting and repulsive," Blanco joked.

Benny Blanco in a purple shirt with a white tank top underneath and Selena Gomez in a black dress backstage at The Tonight Show in March 2025
(Image credit: Getty Images)

For anyone worried about embarrassing themselves on a date, just know that Selena Gomez went from getting a rash during her first kiss with Benny Blanco to getting engaged to him. You see, you can even make your crush think that you're allergic to them and have it still turn out fine.

On the April 30 episode of the podcast Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware, Gomez and Blanco shared the story of their first kiss, which took place during their second date. The singer and music producer had known each other for years, but their relationship was shifting into something more.

"Did we cook? I don’t even know what we did," Blanco recalled. "But towards the end of the date, we were just sitting in the living room on the couch. And we were playing We’re Not Really Strangers. And there was a thing where it said, 'Take a selfie with the person next to you.'"

Blanco explained that during the card game they "were already kind of, like, lounging," but Gomez "got right on my chest and took a selfie." He knew then that it was time to make a move. "I just looked at her, and said, oh, I gotta kiss this girl. And I kissed her right away."

It sounds romantic, but the moment took a turn when Gomez broke out in a rash. "Right away, her heart started being so quickly, and she started getting a rash on her face," Blanco continued. Host Lennie Ware asked, "She wasn't allergic to you?" To which the 37-year-old replied sarcastically, "I was so disgusting and repulsive."

Gomez was just nervous and excited.

"I hadn’t liked anyone in a very long time," she explained. "So some kisses are for fun, and then when you feel something behind a kiss, it’s completely different. I’d been alone for about five years with the exception of a few shitty dates here and there, but never felt that way."

The Emilia Pérez star said that she was "a little embarrassed."

"He was like, 'Are you okay?' And I was like, 'No, no, I'm fine.' I didn’t want to be like, 'I like you.'"

Being with Gomez also felt different for Blanco.

"There was just a feeling that I never had before," he said of the early days of their relationship. "I've never felt so comfortable and yet so on my toes at the same time ... I was like, wow, I really truly met my soulmate." He admitted that it sounds "so stupid," but Gomez said, "No, it's cute. I love the sappy side."

This isn't the first time they've told the story of their first kiss. In March, while promoting their song "Sunset Blvd", Blanco shared about the date on his Instagram story—minus the part about the rash—along with the selfie they took. As reported by People, he wrote, "i feel like this exact moment will be etched into my memory forever." He said of kissing Gomez, "i can tell u for sure that that was the best decision i have ever made in my life."

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.