Selena Gomez is pushing back after investors accused her of fraud involving the troubled mental health startup Wondermind. Her attorney argued that she supported the company financially but never managed its daily operations.
The lawsuit also named Gomez’s mother, Mandy Teefey, and former business partner Daniella Pierson. Now, Gomez’s legal team is seeking to have her removed from the case.
Selena Gomez’s lawyer pushes back on claims she was involved in running Wondermind
According to PEOPLE, Gomez’s lawyer, Mathew S. Rosengart, filed a motion to dismiss on August 26. The investors sued earlier that month over alleged fraud connected to Wondermind.
Two investment companies claimed they contributed nearly $1.2 million to the startup. They alleged that the trio misrepresented Wondermind’s infrastructure, leadership, and available resources. The investors also claimed they learned about the company’s problems while it was quietly collapsing.
However, Rosengart argued that the Wondermind lawsuit contained inconsistent allegations against the singer and actress.
“Plaintiffs’ vague, generalized, and contradictory allegations concerning Selena Gomez demonstrate that Ms. Gomez could not possibly have engaged in any ‘fraud’ (she did not),” the motion stated, according to the publication.
The filing maintained that Gomez agreed to support Teefey, who co-founded Wondermind. Although Gomez invested in the business and held a minority stake, the motion said she never managed it.
Instead, the motion said Teefey and Pierson ran Wondermind as co-CEOs and board members. Gomez served as a consultant and held the title of Chief Impact Officer.
Rosengart went further in a statement to the outlet. “Today’s motion to dismiss demonstrates that plaintiffs never should have dragged Selena Gomez into this case,” he said. He called the claims “completely meritless if not frivolous.”
Pierson previously “categorically” denied the allegations in a statement to The New York Times. Teefey had not publicly commented.
Wondermind launched in 2022 and reportedly faced financial problems last year. Forbes reported in May that the company struggled to pay employees. A source later told the outlet that Gomez had invested additional money after learning about the setback.
Gomez’s team was also exploring possible further action, including sanctions against the plaintiffs. For now, her lawyers appeared determined to separate her role as an investor from Wondermind’s management.
