: Fake Playboy covers featuring popular pop stars and actresses were incredibly common on forums like Reddit and Tumblr. Digital artists would layer paparazzi photos or movie stills over standard magazine branding.
The cover story, titled "Selena Gomez: The Girl Next Door," showcased Gomez in a more mature and sultry light, posing in lingerie and bikinis. The photos were taken by renowned photographer, Mario Testino.
Looking back, the Playboy interview and photo shoot marked a turning point in Gomez's career. It was a moment of vulnerability and honesty, as she opened up about her struggles and insecurities. While the reaction was mixed, the interview also sparked a conversation about mental health, anxiety, and depression, issues that were not widely discussed at the time.
In subsequent interviews, Gomez has reflected on the experience, stating that she has no regrets about appearing in Playboy. She has also used the platform to advocate for body positivity and self-acceptance, encouraging young women to love themselves and their bodies.
A classic cover shoot reflecting her status as a global pop icon. Selena Gomez Playboy Magazine March 2013
, despite widespread internet rumors and a viral Photoshopped cover that circulated at the time. While the adult entertainment empire publicly extended an "open invitation" to the former Disney star following her provocative role in the 2013 movie Spring Breakers , Gomez firmly declined all offers to strip down for the publication. Instead, the real March 2013 issue of Playboy featured high-profile interviews with Jimmy Kimmel and the late Hunter S. Thompson, completely devoid of any involvement from Gomez.
Selena Gomez never appeared in or on the cover of magazine in March 2013
The highly sexualized marketing of the movie caught the attention of the real Playboy brand. In April 2013, Playboy’s Official Twitter Account posted a promotional photo of Gomez and Hudgens with a tweet reading:
: Selena described the edgy role as "liberating" and a necessary step to be taken seriously as an actress. : Fake Playboy covers featuring popular pop stars
While Gomez never partnered with Playboy , she did eventually explore more mature photography on her own terms as her music career evolved.
Digital forensic analysis confirmed the image was a fake deepfake created using Photoshop .
The actual, authentic March 2013 Playboy Issue had absolutely nothing to do with Selena Gomez. It is highly collectible today for entirely different cultural milestones, including:
The actual cover of the featured a different model, and the issue itself was notable for including a piece by Hunter S. Thompson and an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, but it did not feature Gomez. Context of the Rumor The photos were taken by renowned photographer, Mario
Additionally, Gomez did participate in several high-fashion, mature photo shoots in early 2013 for magazines like V, Harper’s Bazaar, and Nylon. While these shoots were sophisticated and showcased a more grown-up side of the star, they were a far cry from the content associated with Playboy. Transitioning from Disney to Global Icon
, Selena Gomez was featured on several high-profile covers throughout 2013 as part of her "grown-up" rebranding: Harper’s Bazaar (March 2013):
Within days, credible media outlets like the International Business Times and ETtoday investigated the image and confirmed it was a hoax, pointing out the obvious signs of digital manipulation. For anyone tracking Playboy 's actual release schedule, the claim was easy to dismiss. The real March 2013 issue, which hit stands weeks earlier, featured a different, lingerie-clad model on its cover and had no connection to the singer.
: In the early 2010s, blog culture and social media aggregators frequently mislabeled celebrity photos to drive clicks. Images from Benson’s shoot—and promotional stills of Gomez from Spring Breakers —were routinely mixed up, leading users to believe an entirely different, explicit magazine spread existed. The Power of 2013 Internet Hoaxes