Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez's Relationship Timeline: A Look Back

Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber's teen-dream love story was one that defined a generation. After being introduced by their managers in 2009, the couple went on to date from 2010 until 2018 — with some breakups and makeups in between. With their combined star power, everyone from the paparazzi to the public couldn't get enough. In fact, fans had never been more invested in (or rooted for) a celebrity pairing more like Jelena. After all, who could forget their famous movie date when Bieber rented out an entire Los Angeles arena so that he and Gomez could privately watch Titanic?

As one of young Hollywood's longest-running on-and-off couples, there was something relatable and incredibly endearing about how the two could seemingly never shake each other — of course, as we all know, they eventually did. By May 2018, the Rare Beauty founder and her Canadian musician beau had ultimately called it quits.

Here's a look back at Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez's relationship.

July 2009: Justin Bieber says that Selena Gomez is his celebrity crush in radio interview

During an interview with radio host DJ Skee in 2009, the Disney Channel star revealed that Gomez was his celebrity crush, reported TMZ. Bieber's manager, Scooter Braun, reached out to Gomez's mom (who was her manager at the time) to set up a meeting between the two. At the time, the Grammy-nominated singer had been dating Nick Jonas since 2008 (they later broke up in March 2010).

December 2010: Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez are first spotted together

For years, Gomez was adamant that Bieber was more like a brother than a boyfriend, and even when they were spotted on what was reported as a "cuddly" date at an IHOP in Philadelphia in December 2010, the songstress still played coy. 

"Who doesn't like pancakes? We were both performing in the same place, so we went and had pancakes together," she told MTV News when asked about the rumored date. "That's all it is. All innocent."

Three weeks later, the pair were photographed sharing a not-so-innocent New Year's Eve kiss on a yacht in St. Lucia, confirming what everyone already suspected — they were a couple.

February 27, 2011: Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez make their red carpet debut as a couple

In February 2011, Bieber and Gomez made their red carpet debut at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party. From that point on, "Jelena" — as they were affectionately known — wasn't shy about their romance. They engaged in cute PDA courtside at a Lakers game, attended red carpet events together, and jetted off for a couple's vacation to Hawaii.

May 2, 2011: Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez confirm their relationship

In May 2011, Gomez told Seventeen why she decided to finally go public with her relationship. 

"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," she said. "I'm going to hang out with people, and I'm going to explore myself, and I'm OK with that."

September 2011: Justin Bieber takes Selena Gomez out on an iconic date

In September 2011, Bieber rented out the entire Staples Center in Los Angeles (now called Crypto.com Arena) for a romantic movie night with the Only Murders in the Building actress, according to TMZ. With the 20,000-seat arena all to themselves, the pair enjoyed a candlelit dinner on the court and a private screening of Titanic. 

"Romance isn't dead," the Grammy-winning musician posted on Twitter that night. "Treat your lady right fellas."

November 2012: Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez break up for the first time

In November 2012, Jelena had their first of many breakups to come. After a year-and-a-half of dating, the two split for reasons unknown but appeared to get back together five months later when Bieber posted a series of throwback photos of the couple on Instagram.

November 2014: Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez break up for the second time

Bieber and Gomez split again two years after their first break up in November 2014. Bieber moved on with his now-wife Hailey Bieber (née Baldwin), and Gomez struck up a brief romance with DJ Zedd.

October-November 2015: Justin Bieber discusses his relationship with Selena Gomez

Bieber opened up about he and Gomez's dramatic ups and downs over the years for the October/November 2015 issue of Complex. 

"When stuff would happen, I would lose my freakin' mind, and she would lose her mind, and we would fight so hard because we were so invested in each other," he told the magazine. "Love is a choice. Love is not a feeling."

The are-they-or-aren't-they saga continued into 2016 before they both seemingly moved on with new relationships — Gomez was with The Weeknd, while Bieber began dating Sofia Richie for a short time.

March 2018: Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez break up for good

In 2017, Bieber and Gomez reconciled (again), much to the internet's delight. However, their reunion didn't last long. Following four months of hockey dates, bike rides, and church services, the Emmy-nominated actress and Bieber went on a break that eventually turned into a breakup in March 2018.

"Selena realized even though he's made some positive improvements, they just aren't a perfect match right now," a source told E! News at the time. Another insider explained that Gomez "decided she is much happier doing her own thing, adding that she "rarely even talks about Justin anymore, and is fully open to dating."

Within months of splitting, Bieber reconnected with Baldwin, and the two quickly got engaged, which prompted a lot of social media drama and saw Gomez release her breakup song "Lose You to Love Me."

Looking back on their relationship years later, Gomez came to the realization that the breakup with Bieber was "the best thing" that ever happened to her. 

"I felt haunted by a past relationship that no one wanted to let go of," Gomez said in her Apple TV+ documentary My Mind & Me. "But then I just moved past it. I wasn't afraid anymore."

She added, "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."