Over the past few years, nostalgia has driven pop culture conversations, but it’s been especially potent this year. From Miley Cyrus reconnecting with her Hannah Montana roots to The Devil Wears Prada 2, the characters, shows, movies, and celebrities who made our childhood and teenage years have been having a resurgence in 2026. And the latest stars to remind us of our youth are Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato, who prove that even when friends face choppy waters, they eventually find their way back to each other.
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Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato Together Again
For Rare Beauty’s latest collection, Gomez and Lovato decided to revive their “Delena” duo for a nostalgia-filled campaign that saw them recreate the poster for their 2009 movie Princess Protection Program. To anyone who grew up on Disney Channel, the film holds a special place as it was the only movie the two actresses starred together in during the height of their Disney Channel era. Gomez, of course, rose to teen superstardom as Alex Russo on Wizards of Waverly Place while Lovato became synonymous with Camp Rock as Mitchie Torres.
Them in the same movie was a moment of two Disney Channel legends sharing the same screen, and the two reuniting 17 years later to recreate the poster is a full-circle moment. Also, the duo’s deep dive into their lore extends to their 2008 YouTube series The Demi and Selena Show, as they also posted a video on Gomez’s YouTube channel styled as a long-awaited Delena vlog answering questions and lip-syncing to One and the Same, their duet from Princess Protection Program.
On the surface, it might seem like two Disney legends joining forces, which in itself is already a moment. They are stars many of us grew up with and were even the first people some of us idolized as kids and teenagers. So, seeing them together again after all these years isn’t just nostalgic, but it brought back the memories of when they were the definitive faces of the mid-to-late 2000s. To many, they will always be that duo. And it also marks a decades-long friendship entering a new chapter.
Gomez and Lovato have known each other since they were children, meeting on the set of Barney & Friends. They would go on to find success with Disney Channel, where the two were considered some of the network’s premier stars up there with Miley Cyrus, and remained close friends. In the years since, as Gomez and Lovato forged their own paths, they’ve been open about how their friendship has waned with a growing distance. But as they say, time heals all wounds, and this year has been especially fruitful for their friendship.
Last April, Gomez attended the opening night of Lovato’s It’s Not That Deep tour in Orlando, Florida, where the two shared a hug backstage and marked their first public reunion in years. This also isn’t the first time this year the two stars have dipped into their Disney past for throwbacks that got social media talking. Joe Jonas made a surprise appearance at Lovato’s most recent tour to perform This Is Me from Camp Rock, while Gomez recently posted a TikTok video of her to Burnin’ Up by the Jonas Brothers, and if you know the lore, you know it’s a big deal.
If Gomez and Lovato did this solely for Halloween, they would have taken the crown for best costume of the year. But we’ll still take it, because these two together have that magic that’s one-of-a-kind, and even after all these years, they still got it.
Featured Image and Photos: SELENA GOMEZ (via Instagram), IMDB (via Website
Frequently Asked Questions
Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato recreated the poster for their 2009 movie Princess Protection Program for Rare Beauty’s latest collection campaign. The nostalgic project revived their “Delena” duo 17 years after the film and extended to a vlog on Gomez’s YouTube channel styled as a long-awaited Delena video.
Princess Protection Program is a 2009 Disney Channel movie and the only film Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato starred in together during the height of their Disney Channel era. It includes their duet “One and the Same,” which the pair lip-synced to in their recent vlog.
Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato met as children on the set of Barney & Friends. They later found success with Disney Channel, where Gomez rose to fame on Wizards of Waverly Place and Lovato on Camp Rock, and have remained friends despite periods of growing distance.
The Demi and Selena Show was a 2008 YouTube series by Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato. Their recent Delena vlog, posted on Gomez’s YouTube channel, revisits that lore by answering questions and lip-syncing to “One and the Same,” their duet from Princess Protection Program.
Yes. In April, Selena Gomez attended the opening night of Demi Lovato’s It’s Not That Deep tour in Orlando, Florida, where the two shared a hug backstage, marking their first public reunion in years. The Rare Beauty campaign followed as the latest chapter of their friendship.
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