It was a complete surprise when rumors started to swirl that Jimmy Butler was dating Selena Gomez as most fans were unaware that he’d broken up with Kaitlin Nowak, who gave birth to their daughter Rylee in October 2019.
The Miami Heat star and the “It Ain’t Me” singer were first spotted out together in mid-November, as reported by the Miami Herald, and as the kickoff of the 2020-2021 NBA season nears, people want to know if they can expect to see Gomez sitting courtside once arenas are allowed to fill back up with fans.
Butler, 31, and Gomez, 28, dined together at Lucien in New York City, as reported by the Miami Herald, and according to E! News, the NBA’s newest possible power couple have actually been on numerous dates.
However, if the 5-time All-Star and the “Lose You to Love Me” songstress’ relationship is going to be a real thing, it’s not there yet. Sources told Entertainment Tonight that Gomez is not looking to jump into a serious relationship at the moment.
“Selena has enjoyed hanging out with Jimmy, but she is keeping her options open in terms of guys,” the source told ET. “She is comfortable dating, but also comfortable being single. She’s not rushing into anything whatsoever.”
The source added, “Selena is focusing on what makes her happy and what feels good to her — whether that’s a relationship or not. The qualities that stand out to her in terms of a potential boyfriend are confident, supportive, smart, funny, trustworthy, and reliable.”
As for Butler, he’s not commented or publicly acknowledged his relationship with Gomez. As of now, the Heat star and Rare beauty mogul do not follow each other Instagram.
Gomez Is Focusing On Her Well-Being at the Moment But Thinks Butler ‘Is a Great Guy’
GettySelena Gomez speaks on stage at the iHeartRadio Album Release Party with Selena Gomez at iHeartRadio Theater on January 09, 2020 in Burbank, California.
While appearing at the virtual Teen Vogue Summit in December, Gomez opened up about how her latest album, Rare, was all about focusing on her own well-being. She said:
The whole theme of my last album was a lot of self-discovery, a lot of being OK, being alone and being vulnerable, being OK with not looking like everything else, like everyone else. And I think for me, there’s so much that I want my brand [Rare Beauty] to feel like.
While she doesn’t name Butler by name, Gomez noted that she’s being extremely selective about the people allowed into her inner circle. She said:
‘Why do you want to do the things that you’re doing? Are you going to be able to show up for those things? Are you patient with yourself?’ There are so many questions that you have to ask yourself. But at the same time, it’s equally as important to surround yourself with people who are the ones that are challenging you, the ones that are believing in you.
Gomez hasn’t been publicly romantically involved with anyone since she and Bieber called it quits for good in 2018. However, she’s “she’s been on a few dates with Jimmy,” sources told E! News, “and thinks he’s a great guy.”
So, When Did Butler & Nowak Break-Up?
How and when Butler and Nowak called it quits remains unclear. However, the first red flag that something wasn’t right in their relationship was when Butler didn’t invite the model to join the Heat’s bubble during the NBA finals.
“This is a business trip for me. I’m not messing around,” Jimmy explained to NBA on TNT’s Allie LaForce. “Everyone wants to have their family, without a doubt. But we’ve been doing this for this long, what’s another couple of months? It is an individual decision and I respect that decision that my teammates make but I’m here for business.”
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Jimmy Butler & Selena Gomez Update: Relationship Status Put on Ice