At a concert on 28 October 2025, what was intended as a cheeky 'call your ex' gag quickly became an uncomfortable exchange when the call reached Benny Blanco rather than Selena Gomez, leaving the performer scrambling and the audience stunned.
A video of the moment circulated widely on social media within hours, prompting coverage from outlets including Page Six and TMZ, and sparking debate about taste, boundaries, and the risks performers take when they blur their personal lives and showmanship.
The incident is notable because Gomez and Blanco had married just weeks earlier on 27 September 2025, giving the call a particularly sensitive context.
Prank Segment Turns Awkward on Stage
Sombr, the 20-year-old artist performing a 'Call Your Ex Onstage' segment, dialled a number he believed to belong to Gomez and lifted the phone to the crowd, saying, 'Hello? Selena?' The voice on the line did not respond as expected; according to the footage, Sombr then asked directly: 'Is this Benny Blanco?' and quickly tried to play off the mistake before hanging up.
The exchange, captured in a short video clip and reshared across X and Instagram, shows the immediate loss of joviality as the crowd realised the call had reached someone with a close, private connection to the subject of the joke.
The clip's spread was rapid. A post of the moment appeared on Instagram as a reel and on X where fans and critics amplified the footage, adding commentary and speculation about Blanco's reaction off-camera. Coverage from celebrity outlets summarised the clip and provided context about Gomez and Blanco's recent marriage, which many viewers cited when assessing the appropriateness of the stunt.
Celebrity Marriages, Privacy and Onstage Antics
Gomez and Blanco publicly confirmed their marriage following a private Santa Barbara ceremony on 27 September 2025, a union that has been covered extensively in press reports and social posts from attendees.
That closeness of timeline, barely a month between wedding and Sombr's performance, made the onstage prank feel, to some observers, especially tone-deaf. Critics argued that using a real person's private phone number in live theatre invites unnecessary intrusion into personal life; supporters of Sombr countered that stage antics often trade on surprise and risk.
Issues also arise when performers involve third parties without consent. While there is no public indication of any legal challenge arising from this incident, entertainment law specialists note that prank calls performed in public settings can expose artists and promoters to reputational risk and, in some jurisdictions, privacy claims if a private conversation is broadcast without consent.
The video itself does not reveal any substantive conversation beyond the initial confusion, but it underlines how quickly a light-hearted stunt can escalate when real people are pulled into the spotlight.
Reaction: Audience and Social Media
Responses online ran the gamut from amusement to condemnation. Some concertgoers posted clips laughing at the chaos, while others criticised Sombr for what they described as a clumsy attempt at humour that failed to respect personal boundaries.
Celebrity-focused outlets picked up the footage within hours, embedding the original social posts and referencing the wedding as explanatory context. The speed with which the reel circulated — across Instagram, X, and celebrity news sites — demonstrates modern virality's power to transform a fleeting live moment into a wider cultural talking point.
Notably, the footage does not include an on-camera response from Blanco. What can be observed is Sombr's attempt at damage limitation, a rapid explanation to his producer and a hurried end to the call. Without input from Blanco or Gomez, reports have been limited to describing the onstage material and the social-media reactions, rather than asserting how the couple personally received the stunt.
