Benny Blanco finally broke his silence after a viral interview clip from his newly launched podcast Friends Keep Secrets left fans urging Selena Gomez to “divorce him” over what they described as unacceptable “unhygienic behavior.”
The controversy sparked intense backlash, with social media users expressing disgust and some even questioning how the 33-year-old singer “lets [Benny] touch her.”
Highlights
- A viral podcast moment sparked intense backlash against Benny Blanco, with fans urging his wife Selena Gomez to “divorce him.”
- As criticism spread across social media and Gomez was dragged into the uproar, the music producer finally addressed the controversy.
- While netizens questioned her “standards,” Selena publicly declared she falls “more and more in love” with her husband, swiftly shutting down divorce rumors.
Amid the uproar, Benny shared what really happened, and his explanation prompted reactions such as, “Glad he cleared that up, not that he needed to.”
Days after facing intense backlash and divorce chatter, Benny Blanco addressed the “unhygienic behavior” at the center of the controversy
Image credits: selenagomez
On Tuesday, February 24, in the debut episode of his new multimedia podcast, Friends Keep Secrets, co-hosted by rapper Lil Dicky, whose real name is David Andrew Burd, and his wife, Kristin Batalucco, Benny Blanco was seen lounging barefoot on a couch, with the soles of his feet visibly covered in dark dirt and dust.
Later in the episode, Blanco intentionally farted into a microphone, jokingly asking his co-hosts, “Wait, see if you guys could pick this up?”
A majority of viewers and fans of Selena Gomez took to social media to express their disgust.
Image credits: selenagomez
One user fumed, “I can't figure out why a girl like her would be attracted to a slob like him. He is not even good looking. Glad I don't have a daughter. If she brought somebody like him to my home I would probably have a heart attack. The guy is disgusting.”
A second person said, “They say love is blind... Benny must treat Selena really, really well. The one pic of his filthy feet on that sofa is enough for me to run in the opposite direction.”
“Selena needs to divorce him and find someone better,” wrote a third user, while another added, “I’m sorry, he is just gross. I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder but WTH? Those feet are so nasty, his hair is nasty and he just looks dirty. Clean up dude. Good grief.”
Image credits: Friends Keep Secrets
Image credits: DijahSB
Others claimed, “In another podcast, blanco also stated that he hates to shower and hardly bathes. He is severely lacking in the hygiene dept.”
While promoting Friends Keep Secrets alongside Lil Dicky on Jimmy Kimmel Live! earlier today, the music producer offered a humorous defense of himself amid the controversy.
The 37-year-old was seen lounging on a sofa with the visibly dirty bottoms of his feet exposed and even passed gas during the podcast episode
Image credits: Friends Keep Secrets
Host Jimmy said, “There is something that turned up as people were watching your multimedia experience, and people seemed to be fascinated with the idea that Benny’s feet are very dirty.”
He also showed an image of Blanco’s dirty feet from the podcast episode, which prompted loud laughter from the audience.
The Eastside singer responded, “Okay, first of all, it’s the facility’s fault. It’s not mine. The floors are…”
Image credits: dajdadondada
He abruptly stopped mid-sentence and instead removed one of his boots and socks, saying, “I have great feet. Hold on! Someone zoom in on my foot.”
He then showed off his foot, the bottom of which appeared clean, prompting Kimmel to add, “Clean, clean foot.”
“You should get an Onl**ans for that thing,” quipped Kimmel.
Image credits: JimmyKimmelLive
As Blanco began putting his sock and boot back on, Jimmy stopped him, asking him to remove his sock and show his foot once again after noticing “an afro” on it, something he claimed he had “never seen.”
The host then pivoted the conversation back to the controversy, saying, “So you’re saying that [David’s] floors are not clean, and that’s the reason that your foot [was dirty].”
As people questioned how Selena “let him touch” her, Blanco offered a humorous explanation in his defense
Image credits: JimmyKimmelLive
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At one point, Lil Dicky chimed in, saying, “On that day, it was dirty,” but Blanco cut him off, jokingly adding, “A few of the days, it’s been dirty. We started clean.”
They were alluding to the fact that the debut episode of the podcast was filmed at the rapper and his wife Kristin’s Los Angeles home, and the floors were dirty that day because the production crew had been walking in and out throughout filming.
Blanco’s explanation sparked several supportive comments online, with one user writing, “People on the internet love to judge someone without knowing the actual story.”
Image credits: gilliansowen
Another said, “This guy is a huge green flag and people constantly try to find things to hate on him for. Selena is happy, just leave them alone.”
“It makes me sad that people are so mean to him. He seems really nice and hilarious. People try and act like Selena is out of his league but I don’t think so. They’re really cute together in my opinion,” commented a third.
One user wrote in Benny’s defense, “If you’re married and complaining about what other people do in their own home, you’re being hypocritical - husbands and wives do weird sh*t all the time - and yours does as well. Stop playing like your situation is perfect.”
Image credits: Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
“All these people urging her to divorce the man she truly loves because of some dirty feet have no idea about the value of marriage. Grow up…”
However, some critics remained unconvinced.
Benny and Lil Dicky appeared on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show to promote their newly launched podcast
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One person questioned, “If the floor was dirty, why go barefoot?” while another wrote, “well he should wear a sock or a shoe than. Why would you walk bare foot on dirty floor?”
“So rich and cannot hire a cleaning person…” another user remarked.
As divorce chatter erupted online over the hygiene controversy, Selena, who tied the knot with her 37-year-old husband in September last year, publicly dismissed the criticism within hours on February 26.
Image credits: itsbennyblanco
The Heart Wants What It Wants singer shared a monochrome video of herself kissing Blanco on her Instagram Story, captioning it, "I fall more and more in love with you every day my love.”
Last month, a similar controversy over Blanco’s hygiene resurfaced when he stepped out with Gomez at the 2026 Golden Globes red carpet.
Many netizens questioned why the Rare Beauty founder would appear alongside someone they described as looking “sloppy” on one of Hollywood’s most high-profile nights.
“I do not get it. He creeps me out!” wrote one critic, while others added at the time, “Disgusting mess!”
“Out of all the men she chose him!?” another asked.
“Selena’s standards didn’t just hit the floor; they’re officially underground,” wrote one disappointed netizen
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