Gomez confirmed that she turned down multimillion-dollar offers from Playboy and was not the person in those photos.
The reaction to Gomez's Playboy appearance was immediate and intense. While some fans defended her right to make her own choices about her body and image, others felt disappointed and betrayed by her decision. selena gomez playboy magazine march 2013 link
Later in her career, Gomez did explore more adult themes for her artistic projects, which may contribute to the confusion: Did Selena Gomez Pose Naked for 'Playboy?' - Cambio selena gomez playboy magazine march 2013 link