Wait, What? Selena Gomez’s ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’ Reboot Drops Shocking Plot Twist for Alex Russo

Selena Gomez‘s character, Alex Russo, has come a long way since the premiere of Wizards of Waverly Place back in 2007 — but on the latest episode of the Disney Channel show’s reboot, her story may have just come to an end. (Spoiler alert!)

The Wizards Beyond Waverly Place season 2 finale arrived Wednesday (Oct. 8) on Disney+, revealing the answers to some series-long questions. Costarring and executive produced by Gomez and David Henrie — who reprises his role as Justin Russo from the original Wizards — the reboot launched in 2024 with the premise that Alex wanted Justin to help her train a young wizard named Billie Russo, played by Janice LeAnn Brown.

At the beginning, Billie’s past and family were total mysteries. But in the new finale, it was finally revealed: Alex is her mom. And yes, the Rare Beauty founder’s character knew all along.

In the finale, a magic locket activated by Alex’s tears unleashes a memory of the lovably snarky hellraiser wiping a much younger Billie’s memories and sending her off to boarding school to protect her from an evil wizard named Lord Morsus (who also happens to be Billie’s paternal grandfather). “I would do anything to be with you,” Alex tells Billie in the memory. “But right now, there’s someone out there trying to find you, and I can’t let that happen.”

But Alex secretly being a mother wasn’t the only jaw-dropping moment the finale had to offer. During a final confrontation with Lord Morsus, Gomez’s character sacrifices herself by sealing herself inside a portal, dragging the villain in with her. That might be the last fans see of Ms. Russo — unless Billie, Justin and his kids have anything to say about it. At the very end, the gang resolves to find a way to locate and save Alex.

Since its premiere in October last year, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place has brought a new generation of fans into the magical world Disney Channel created in the late 2000s. The original show — which propelled Gomez into superstardom — wrapped in 2012.

And while the actress has her hands full with almost too many projects to count, from running her Rare Beauty empire to starring in Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, Gomez has said that returning to her roots has been extremely fulfilling for her. “It’s the best feeling in the whole world to be able to bring this back for you and to all the people who have never seen it before,” she told People in 2024.

She added at the time, “This is what gave me everything that I have today, and I’ll never forget that this is where I started.”

Both seasons of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place are streaming now on Disney+.