As Selena Gomez’s onscreen younger brother in Wizards of Waverly Place, Jake T. Austin had a front-row seat to much of the pop star’s love life, including her relationships with Nick Jonas and Justin Bieber. And as he exclusively revealed to Us Weekly on Thursday, March 28, he would sooner pair her with Jonas, 26, than Bieber, 25.
“They were dating back when she was filming Wizards of Waverly Place,” Austin, 24, told Us of Gomez, 26, and Jonas at the Hollywood premiere of Shazam at TCL Chinese Theatre. “From a little brother’s perspective, I’d be like, date him! … They were really good! Very out there as a couple. They made sure they were always introducing each other as a couple to people they didn’t know. Very friendly overall.”
Gomez dated the “Close” singer, who married Priyanka Chopra in December 2018, off and on from 2008 to 2010. After their split, the Disney Channel alum moved on with Bieber, whom she dated off and on from 2012 to 2018. And the “Friends” singer, who tied the knot with Hailey Baldwin in September 2018, made a good impression on Austin too.
“He used to come visit us on the set of Wizards of Waverly Place,” the Fosters alum explained to Us. “[In] the exchanges I had with him, he was really nice and friendly. It seemed like they really enjoyed each other’s company … I don’t know all of the specifics of their relationships, but from what I could see she seems to have been genuinely in love with these people. I am very lucky to have known her during that course of time.”
Austin, who admitted to Us that he hasn’t seen Gomez since former costar David Henrie’s wedding in April 2017, just wants to see her happy. “She’s like an older sibling to me,” he said of Gomez. “I really respect her. I have worked with her for so many years, and I know how talented and wonderful she is as a person. Hopefully, it’s someone that makes her happy and compliments her in every way. She has great qualities.”
He added: “I wish her nothing but the best, and I hope everything is good with her. I think she is doing well.”
With reporting by Meagan Sargent
