Following the release of Selena Gomez’s new documentary film about her struggle with mental health, Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me, an old 2020 interview with Gomez’s onscreen father from Wizards of Waverly Place, David DeLuise, resurfaced on social media.

DeLuise had shared with Wildchat Sports that Gomez was initially offered the lead role in the Disney Channel original movie that has now become a popular meme in today’s culture, Camp Rock. Gomez, however, turned down the role to ensure that her best friend at the time, Demi Lovato, would get it instead.

“I’ve never really said this story, but they offered Camp Rock to Selena,” DeLuise said. “Selena knew that if she passed on it, Demi would get the part. So she passed on it, which was very nice of her to do.”

Could you imagine Gomez as Mitchie?

Gomez and Lovato met on the set of Barney & Friends when they were about 10 years old and were the best of friends for awhile. The two were also on Disney Channel at the same time and even starred in the DCOM Princess Protection Program together in 2009 which is about an American teen (Gomez) helping a foreign princess in hiding (Lovato) blend in.

The last time DeLuise saw Gomez was at David Henrie’s wedding which he told Wildchat Sports in the same interview that it was “a really nice visit” and then continued to say only good things about her.

He mentioned how she’s “always been very humble” and that one of his favorite moments of his career was having the father-daughter dance with her in the quinceañera episode of Wizards of Waverly Place.

He had made it very clear that he has become a father figure to her along with the rest of the Wizards family including Henrie, Jake T. Austin, and Jennifer Stone whom now sometimes teaches classes with him at his acting school.