Selena Gomez receives birthday love from 'Wizards of Waverly Place' parents
Maria Canals-Barrera and David DeLuise played Theresa and Jerry Russo on the hit Disney Channel series
Published July 24, 2026
Selena Gomez’s on-screen parents are celebrating her special day.
As the pop icon turned 34 on Wednesday, July 22, her Wizards of Waverly Place parents, Maria Canals-Barrera and David DeLuise wished her a happy birthday on Instagram.
Canals-Barrera — who played Gomez’s character Alex Russo’s mother, Theresa Russo — shared a behind-the-scenes clip from the set of the hit Disney Channel show. The clip showed Gomez and Barrera, along with Jake T. Austin — who played Alex’s brother Max — dancing.
“Happy Birthday to @selenagomez … who actually taught me how to Dougie. LOL,” the 59-year-old wrote.
Meanwhile, DeLuise — who played the Russo family patriarch, Jerry Russo — shared a picture from a more recent reunion with Gomez.
“Happy birthday @selenagomez,” he captioned the post. “Sending you love! Hope you and @bennyblanco have a blessed & beautiful new year,” he added, referring to Gomez’s husband-of-10-months, Benny Blanco.
The 38-year-old music producer also wished Gomez, sharing a glimpse of the birthday celebrations featuring a home-cooked Italian meal.
Canals-Barrera returned for the second and final season of the Wizards reboot, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place. However, DeLuise did not return.
