Selena Gomez is one of America's brightest teen stars, not to mention one half of teen power couple with Justin Bieber - yet the beautiful actress says she wasn't popular at school…
Selena Gomez is probably best known for being the girlfriend of pop sensation Justin Bieber, as well as her lead role in US kids show Wizards of Waverly Place. A star in her own right, the pair opened their relationship up to the world at the 2011 Vanity Fair Oscar Party, ending months of media speculation surrounding the young couple.
Despite all her fame and fortune, Selena remains an extremely level headed teenager, explaining that she doesn't worry about what people think of her:
"I'm very straightforward now. I will be completely honest with everybody," she said.
"You either like me or you don't like me - but it's better to be honest and to find out the truth rather than pretending to be something you're not."
It's hard to believe that the petite actress is only just 19, but rising to fame on the Disney Channel has taught Selena a lot about the burdens of being a celebrity.
She said; "There is a lot of pressure, but everyone faces pressure in their life.
"Others face pressure to buy their own house, which is also stressful. I just face a different type of pressure," she continued.
But does she get annoyed with the constant attention from the paparazzi?
"Yes, I do. I'm not going to deny it!" she admitted.
"They are on vacation with me, they sit outside my house... They are always around. To be honest, I don't respect what they do. I understand what they are doing and I get it, but I don't really like them."
Recently seen in the press babysitting Justin's younger siblings with the Canadian heart-throb in tow, the teens looked more in love than ever.
The pair found themselves at the center of a huge media storm last year when a Bieber fan claimed he fathered her child.
After several weeks of whispers and a DNA test, it was confirmed Justin was not the father and the couple put the devastating rumours behind them. Did Selena have any advice for other couples?
"I'm really bad at advice. The only thing I ever tell my fans is that it's not worth pretending to be someone that you're not," Selena said.
"I've conformed to be with guys that I've liked before. It's very easy to want to be what they want you to be, but it's no fun if you're pretending to be someone else."
Before finding fame with Disney, Selena was an ordinary teen at a high school in Texas.
"I was never the popular kid at school. I had two friends, but I just sat at the back of the room and got on with my work," Selena divulged.
"I never went out with guys at school. I had a crush on a guy, but I never told him about it. I did the thing that a lot of girls do: I avoided him!
"I was never confident in school, but you need that self-confidence if you want to chat to the guy you like. If you're confident with yourself, and you're okay with that, then you should go for it. Totally."
Despite what it may seem, being a teenage Hollywood star isn't easy. "There's a lot of rejection", Selena revealed.
"There are also a lot of obstacles that you have to go through and it can be really exhausting. But if you love it, then that's all that matters. You've got to go for it," she told us.
"I still have people trying to bring me down, but I'm happy because I love what I do. Ignore the cruel jibes and stick with the nice people."
A lot of youngsters watching Selena on the Disney Channel have dreams and aspirations to follow in her footsteps and become actors and singers. What advice does she have for them?
"The only advice I ever tell people is simple: you have to be passionate about this industry if you want to make it. It's not worth it if you don't really love performing because there are a lot of people who will try to bring you down."
We can't wait to see this young star grow!
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