What is Selena Gomez's Wondermind? Singer’s mother denies using drugs at their mental health start-up

Wondermind, the mental health media company co-founded by Selena Gomez, her mother Mandy Teefey, and entrepreneur Daniella Pierson, was launched in 2022 with the goal of normalizing conversations around mental health.

The platform was promoted as the “world’s first mental fitness ecosystem,” providing daily resources, newsletters, and podcasts to enable users to strengthen their mental health.

Once valued at $100 million following an extensive funding round in 2022, Wondermind has since faced significant challenges. The news of financial pressure, massive layoffs, and leadership conflicts has cast doubts on its future.

More recently, the company was involved in controversy when allegations emerged that Selena Gomez's mother, Teefey, had been involved in the use of drugs when heading the organization. Teefey has denied the allegations, insisting that her struggles have been related to mental health conditions rather than substance abuse.

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Former employees raise concerns over Mandy Teefey’s leadership

In an extensive report by The Cut published on September 3, 2025, a number of former staff members discussed Mandy Teefey’s leadership. They characterized Teefey and her actions at Wondermind as erratic, characterized by unaccounted absences, sharp emotional outbursts, and moments that made them question her as a leader.

Others even claimed her behaviors were indicative of a potential substance use, as one of her former employees even stated that her office resembled a “drug den.” The accusations were fiercely denied by Teefey, who became the CEO of Wondermind when it was founded in 2022.

Gerrick Kennedy

@GerrickKennedy

Now this is a whacking > Inside Wondermind: What Happened to Selena Gomez’s Start-up?

She stated that her behavior was misunderstood, and she has always had issues with ADHD and PTSD, which can affect the way she communicates and reacts to stress. She also mentioned continuing health difficulties, such as COVID-19 complications and double pneumonia, which required treatments that may have been misunderstood by colleagues.

She also stressed that she had never used drugs at Wondermind or anywhere else in her professional capacity.

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Selena Gomez’s Wondermind faces financial struggles

The controversy comes at a difficult moment for Wondermind, the platform co-created by Gomez as a place to normalize mental health conversations. Earlier this year, Wondermind laid off nearly two-thirds of its workforce, with some employees alleging that they had gone unpaid for months.

According to Forbes, Selena Gomez and Teefey personally funded the start-up with millions of dollars when a scheduled funding round fell through, and Teefey went so far as to use her mortgage to settle company debts. Although Selena Gomez is still listed as Chief Innovation Officer, former employees have claimed that she did not engage in the day-to-day running of the business and Teefey did most of the work.

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@SELENATORSSMDA

Watch Selena & Mandy Teefey, talk about 'Wondermind' and more in the new interview with FastCompany. (Part 1)

This, combined with internal tensions and the recent allegations, has left several questions unanswered.

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The allegations against Mandy Teefey has complicated the ongoing struggles of Wondermind, placing further scrutiny on the leadership and stability of the start-up. Although Teefey has firmly denied substance use and attributed her difficulties to health and mental conditions, the scandal highlights the precarious status of the company.