The Way Benny Blanco Touches Selena Gomez Shows That He's 'Enamored' By Her

Selena Gomez can't keep her hands to herself. The Rare Beauty founder hard-launched her new relationship with songwriter and producer Benny Blanco back in December, and from every photo I’ve seen of these two, it looks like they’re totally obsessed with one another.

Most recently, Selena and Benny—who have previously collaborated on some of her songs—were spotted in their IRL debut as a couple sitting courtside at a Los Angeles Lakers game on Jan. 3. And they looked *super* in love, cuddled up with their arms intertwined and laughing together. (Benny even kissed her hand at one point!) Like, no other couple has ever looked cuter watching a basketball game.

So, if you’re curious to know if these two are the ~real deal~, you’re certainly not alone. That’s why WH tapped body language expert Karen Donaldson to break down the gestures between Selena and Benny and tell us whether Belena is legit.

Ahead, find out what their every laugh and kiss means for their connection. After all, the heart wants what it wants.

Meet the expert: Karen Donaldson is a celebrity communication and body language expert, speaker, and best-selling author of Speak Like You Breathe: Straight Talk To Say What You Mean, Be Heard & Get Noticed.

They're comfortable in each other's presence.

In this pic, Selena is leaning on Benny's shoulder, with his head on top of hers. This gesture is reminiscent of a caregiver, so Selena probably feels taken care of by him, Donaldson explains. In this type of relationship, "we should get fully comfortable and we're not worried about what's going on around us when we are in a safe space," she adds. Anything could be happening around Selena—like a fan coming up to get a pic with her—but she feels fully protected by Benny.

Selena's hands are also intertwined, symbolizing a deep connection between the two of them. And the fact that Benny's head rests on top of hers shows that there's more than a physical attraction. "It kind of showcases a strong emotional intimacy as well," Donaldson says. "We don't allow people that we're not fully comfortable with close to our face."

They're on the same page.

Here, Selena and Benny share a lil laugh together. But if you look a bit more closely, you'll see that their body language mirrors one another, Donaldson says: Their legs are crossed the same way, she's holding him and he's holding her, and they're both laughing. When you mirror someone, "it tells us that they're on the same page," she says. "There's a high level of trust and understanding."

Also, his face is fully positioned toward Selena. "The only person in his peripheral in this moment that he's taking in is Selena and no one else."

He's enamored by her.

This last snapshot shows Benny lightly kissing her wrist as she looks away. "This is kind of a quiet and a protective type gesture," Donaldson says. "It literally is him expressing his love to Selena." This little action shows that he adores her and wants to be affectionate with her—and he's not embarrassed at all by PDA.

While Selena isn't looking at Benny here, she's still leaning into him and touching him, too. Since she's not explicitly reciprocating his body language towards him, that "tells us that this is something that they normally do and they're comfortable with each other," she explains.

Well, I can't be the only one who's rooting for Belena—and some more collaborative songs to come out of this relationship!

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