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Selena Gomez fires back at ‘baseless’ fraud charges over Wondermind lawsuit
17th August, 2026 01:52 PM
Selena Gomez has strongly denied the charges that she defrauded investors in her mental health company, Wondermind, after she, her mother Mandy Teefey, and co-founder Daniella Pierson were named in a lawsuit accusing them of misleading investors.
The lawsuit, which was filed in the United States, claims that investors put nearly $1.2 million, which is approximately Ksh155 million, into the company after they were allegedly given false information about the startup’s plans and Gomez’s involvement.
However, the singer’s legal team has dismissed the accusations, describing them as baseless and promising to challenge them in court.
Gomez’s legal team rejects the charges
Following the lawsuit, Gomez’s lawyer, Mathew S. Rosengart, issued a statement defending the singer and insisting that she had done nothing wrong. He criticised the claims and said Gomez would take legal action to clear her name.
“The charges that Selena Gomez engaged in any way whatsoever in any purported fraud or other wrongdoing are completely meritless, both factually and legally,” Rosengart said.
“We will vigorously defend these false allegations and indeed are filing a motion to dismiss the baseless claims against her,” Rosengart added. The lawsuit names Gomez, her mother Teefey and entrepreneur Pierson as defendants.
Investors claim they were misled
According to court documents, investors said that they were persuaded to invest in Wondermind because they believed Gomez would play a major role in building and promoting the company.
The complaint claims investors were told that the company would secure major partnerships and launch several projects that would help it grow.
However, the lawsuit claims that those promises never became a reality. “Gomez purported to sign a contract obligating her to perform and then ignored it,” the lawsuit states.
“The partnerships did not exist. The initiatives never materialised. The app was never built, “the filing further claims. Investors also claim they were not informed about the company’s alleged struggles for several years.
Internal challenges at Wondermind
The lawsuit points to reports published in 2025 that highlighted internal disagreements within the company. According to the complaint, investors only became aware of the startup’s stated problems after media reports detailed claims of conflicts among company leaders.
The case also references reports involving Pierson’s departure from the company. Responding to the lawsuit, Pierson denied the accusations and said she was prepared to provide documents that would clarify the situation.
“I categorically deny the charges against me and welcome the opportunity to present concrete documentation and financial records that establish the facts,” Pierson said.
Why Gomez launched Wondermind
Wondermind was founded in 2021 and officially launched in 2022 as a platform focused on mental health and emotional well-being. The company described itself as a space where people could openly discuss their feelings and access mental health resources.
At the time, Gomez explained that the project was inspired by her own experiences and her desire to use her public platform to support mental health conversations. “Something I’ve always tried to do in my career is make sure I lend my voice to places where it matters,” Gomez said in 2021.
“I have to give my mom credit for that because she taught me everything,” Gomez added.
