'Wizards Of Waverly Place' Creator Says Selena Gomez's Character Would Have Been In A Gay Relationship
By Favour Adegoke on March 28, 2023 at 11:00 PM EDT
American television producer and "Wizards of Waverly Place" creator Peter Murrieta divulged that he initially intended for Selena Gomez's character on the show, Alex Russo, to be in a gay relationship.
Murrieta shared that he had always imagined Alex Russo to be entangled with her friend Stevie, who Hayley Kiyoko played.
He said that he could not make it a reality because, at the time, Disney channel took a culturally conservative approach to issues like LGBTQ+ characters or same-sex relationships.
Read on for more details.
Selena Gomez's 'Wizards Of Waverly Place' Character Would Have Been Gay
In a recent appearance on the "Wizards of Waverly" podcast, Peter Murrieta shared his original intention about the relationship between Alex Russo, who was played by Selena Gomez, and Stevie, who was played by Hayley Kiyoko.
Murrieta shared that he would have loved to see their relationship pan out as a gay romance if the series was released in the present times and if Disney channel allowed it.
"I wished we could have played more with what was quite obvious to a lot of us," he shared. "We weren't able to at that time, but it was pretty clear to all of us what that relationship was."
He divulged that the show couldn't feature the gay relationship between the pair because of Disney's conservative stand at the time.
"Disney Channel has had [LGBTQ] characters, and they did it. At that time it wasn't a thing but we got as close as we could… I mean, it was pretty close," Murrieta said, adding that it would have been great to see the gay relationship between them.
New 'Wizards Of Waverly Place' Revelation Sparks Online Debate From Fans
‘Wizards Of Waverly Place’ showrunner confirms Alex Russo was bisexual and wanted to do more with Alex and Stevie’s relationship, but they weren’t allowed by Disney Channel at that time. pic.twitter.com/l2IJKDsPXs
— Pop Base (@PopBase) March 27, 2023
Murrieta's new details have left fans wowed as they took to social media to share their reaction.
"Y'know, we are still kinda living in that time. Disney may let the main queer characters EXIST now (sometimes), but they certainly aren't making it easy for them!" a fan wrote.
Another fan said, "Tbh, I always felt like they could've done more with Stevie's character and wrote her off too soon. They need to do a reunion to tie up this plotline. That said, I like her with Mason better, so I hope they'd still be together in the future."
"Shoutout to Selena for portraying iconic bisexual characters," one fan shared.
Another penned, "They really had chemistry. The only one who could match Alex's energy, humor, and sarcasm was Stevie! I need to go watch the detention election episode again."
"This is honestly what I thought the whole time. My gaydar was on high alert, and I did ship them [not gonna lie,]" a fan stated, claiming to have known all along.
Peter Murrieta Shared His Hopes For The Fourth Installment Of The Show
Murrieta, who produced the show's first three seasons, shared how he hoped the fourth would have ended.
"I was hoping the fourth season would be about the building of [Alex] and [Sulkin's character] Mason's relationship," he said, per Daily Mail.
He also pointed out that he hoped for a wizarding contest in which Gomez's character, Alex Russo, would have won but gave up her powers because she's in love with somebody who's not a wizard, just like her dad did.
Selena Gomez Shares Her Biggest Regret
In a February appearance on the "Wizards of Waverly Place" podcast, the "Love You Like A Love Song" singer opened up about her regrets.
During the crystal ball segment, which entailed Gomez answering random questions, she was asked what her biggest mistake was.
"You know what? Probably not staying in touch with you guys," she told the show's hosts.
Gomez added, "I think I slowly became like kinda shamed. I felt ashamed with the decisions I made, and I didn't want you guys to see me in the state that I was in because you'd have told me the truth, and I didn't want to let you down."
Her revelation left the podcast host, Jennifer Stone, and David DeLuise, in an emotional state as they thanked her for being vulnerable.