The rumors peaked around the theatrical release of the film (released March 15, 2013), in which Gomez played a bikini-clad college student—a sharp departure from her "squeaky-clean" role on Wizards of Waverly Place . This career move led many to believe she was ready for more mature media opportunities.
The confusion stemmed from a combination of aggressive digital misinformation and a major shift in Gomez's public image as she transitioned from a child star to an adult artist. The Origin of the March 2013 Rumors Selena Gomez Playboy Magazine March 2013
: A highly detailed, "raunchy" image of Gomez supposedly on the cover of the March 2013 issue went viral. This image was later confirmed to be a fake , created by digitally altering an existing Playboy cover with Gomez’s face. The rumors peaked around the theatrical release of