What did Selena Gomez say? Singer seemingly name-drops offensive word about speaking Spanish during interview

Selena Gomez seemingly used an offensive Spanish slang term during an interview with Colombian pop artist, Karol G. On June 25, the two singer-songwriters teamed up for a GOAT Talk conversation with Complex, during which, Gomez was asked to share her favorite Spanish slang.

Noting that she has lost touch with Spanish, Gomez accidentally let slip a cuss word, saying,

“The only thing I remember saying is ‘c******o’”

As confusion prevailed, both Gomez and Karol G repeated the term, with Gomez agreeing that the term was offensive. She added,

“But that's a cuss word.”

Karol, who was born in Medellín in Colombia, enunciated the term in an effort to explain it, and said,

“I think that's like, ‘Oh, c******o’”

While trying to make sense of the term, Gomez asked,

“Like s***?”

After Karol agreed, she presented Gomez with a more appropriate alternative. She stated,

“But, so I'm gonna say like same one, but in a different way, like, ‘chingon.’ Being here with you is super chingon…Ah, you see”

Dictionary.com defines 'chingon' as an adjective that means "awesome, admirable, or impressive." The noun form, according to the website, translates to,

"Someone, especially a Latino man, who is competent, intelligent, bold, assertive, and successful."

After repeating the term herself, Gomez seemed to get a hang of it.

Selena Gomez’s Latin American roots, explored

Selena Gomez was born to Texans Mandy Teefey and Rick Gomez, who were teenagers when the Another Cinerella Story actress was born. Through her father, Gomez has Mexican ancestry. While a rising star, Gomez once spoke about her Latin identity with Showbiz Cafe, and said,

“My dad, my dad is Mexican. My mom is Italian. So I’m half-Mexican which is a big part of my life which is why I was named after the singer, Selena. So I think that’s awesome, but yes, I am, I’m half-Mexican.”

Gomez was named after the legendary Latin singer, Selena Quintanilla. According to Huffington Post, while recounting the inspiration behind her name, Gomez said in 2016,

“My dad and mom were huge fans. My name was going to be Priscilla, but my cousin actually took the name when she was born six months before me. They actually loved [Selena's] music, so they just named me after her.”

The singer once recalled in an interview with Vogue that despite being fluent in Spanish as a child as a result of interacting with her grandparents, she lost touch with the language when she started school. Even so, Gomez released an EP titled Revelación in Spanish, and noted,

“It’s easier for me to sing in Spanish than to speak it.”

Still, Gomez meant for the EP to reach her Spanish-speaking fans, and told Vogue,

“The project is really an homage to my heritage… A lot of my fan base is Latin, and I’ve been telling them this album was going to happen for years. But the fact that it’s coming out during this specific time is really cool.”

Revelación included tracks such as De Una Vez and Baila Conmigo.

Selena Gomez faced criticism for her Spanish-speaking role in Emilia Pérez

After starring in the Oscar-nominated film, Emilia Pérez, in which she played the former spouse of a Mexican drug lord, Selena Gomez faced harsh criticism for her portrayal. She also performed a song for the film.

According to Elle, actor Eugenio Derbez criticized Gomez’s Spanish during a podcast appearance, and said,

“Selena is indefensible. I was there [watching the movie] with people, and every time a scene came [with her in it], we looked at each other to say, ‘Wow, what is this?’”

YouTuber Gaby Meza, who was hosting the podcast, provided a defense of the actress and said,

“Spanish is neither her primary nor secondary language nor fifth. And that’s why I feel she doesn’t know what she is saying, and if she doesn’t know what she’s saying, she can’t give her acting any nuance... And that is why her performance is not only unconvincing but uncomfortable.”

As per Elle, Gomez also responded to the criticism, and while commenting on a clip of Derbez on social media, she wrote,

“I understand where you are coming from.. I’m sorry I did the best I could with the time I was given. Doesn’t take away from how much work and heart I put into this movie.”

While appearing on the NPR podcast, Fresh Air, Gomez addressed the issue in detail, and said,

“I was fluent when I was seven and before then, all up until then. But I got my first job at seven and most of my jobs from that point on were English. I moved from Texas to California to pursue my dream with Disney… And I just lost [my Spanish]. That's kind of the case for a lot of people, especially Mexican American people.”

Even so, Gomez observed that she looks forward to working in Spanish, and said,

“I wish I just knew a lot more than I do. But I think that's why I try to honor my culture as much as possible — from releasing an album in Spanish to wanting to pursue this movie. And I don't think it'll be the last thing I do in Spanish.”

During the podcast, Selena Gomez also recalled that performing the song, Mi Camino, in the film was an emotional process for her.