Selena Gomez Seeks Dismissal of Lawsuit Alleging Wondermind Investor Fraud

Selena Gomez is asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit accusing her of misleading investors in Wondermind, the mental health startup she co-founded with her mother, Mandy Teefey, and entrepreneur Daniella Pierson.

In a motion filed Wednesday in Delaware federal court, Gomez’s lawyers called the claims against her meritless. They argue that the investors’ lawsuit does not identify any false statement Gomez personally made or show that she was involved in managing the company.

The investors allege they put nearly $1.2 million into Wondermind after being promised a large mental health business that would include a mobile app, advertising partnerships and celebrity-focused content. They claim many of those plans never materialized and that they received misleading updates about the company’s finances and operations.

Gomez’s lawyers say Teefey and Pierson were responsible for running Wondermind as its co-CEOs and board members. They say Gomez was only a consultant and served as Chief Impact Officer, rather than a board member or manager.

The motion also points to a December 2022 email involving Gomez but argues there is no allegation that she knew any information in the email was false.

The investors’ lawsuit alleges common-law fraud, breach of contract and securities fraud against Gomez, Teefey and Pierson. Gomez’s lawyers are asking that all claims against her be dismissed with prejudice.

Pierson has previously denied wrongdoing, saying she invested her own money in Wondermind, did not take a salary and never used investor funds for personal expenses.