Adding fuel to the fire, the official Playboy Twitter account invited both Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens to a party at the Playboy Mansion just as the Spring Breakers publicity was peaking. The tweet was accompanied by a sexy promotional photo from the film. While it was simply a party invitation, many interpreted it as a precursor to a potential photoshoot, further muddying the waters around the already-circulating fake cover.
| Date | Event | |------|-------| | | A Photoshop‑altered image of Selena Gomez in a sultry pose begins circulating on Reddit and 4chan. | | February 2013 | A user on the “/r/celebrity” subreddit posts the image with the caption “Playboy March 2013 – Selena Gomez.” | | March 2013 | The real March issue of Playboy hits newsstands. The cover features Megan Fox (U.S. edition) and Catherine Zeta‑Jones (UK edition). No mention of Gomez. | | April 2013 | Major entertainment blogs (e.g., TMZ , E! Online ) publish fact‑checking pieces stating that the image is fake. | | 2014‑2020 | The image re‑emerges on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, often labelled “patched” or “photoshopped.” | selena gomez playboy magazine march 2013 patched
Selena Gomez is not the only star whose image has been co‑opted for sensational headlines. Similar cases include: Adding fuel to the fire, the official Playboy
magazine’s March issue. The "patched" or manipulated photo featured her in a raunchy, topless pose that shocked fans, as she was still largely maintaining her "sweet and innocent" Disney-star image at the time. The image was quickly debunked as a fake and photoshopped The Refusal: | Date | Event | |------|-------| | |
The Truth Behind the "Selena Gomez Playboy Magazine March 2013 Patched" Rumors
In 2026, it is clear that such hoaxes were a part of a challenging media landscape for young artists, yet the resilience of her career—including her work as a producer on 13 Reasons Why —proves that such rumors did not define her professional trajectory.
The 2013 rumor gained massive traction because it fed into the public's fascination with the "Disney Star Gone Wild" narrative.