Selena Gomez’s startup is under fire amid reports that the mental health company is struggling to pay employee wages and has laid off staff. Wondermind, the company co-founded by Gomez, has reportedly also been cutting healthcare benefits for its staff.
Selena Gomez, her mother Mandy Teefey, and newsletter entrepreneur Daniella Pierson co-founded the company four years ago. The latter exited the company in 2023.
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Wondermind focused on promoting mental “fitness” through content like articles, podcasts, and interviews. The company was born out of the founders’ personal mental health journeys. Gomez disclosed her bipolar disorder diagnosis in 2020.
According to reports, several Wondermind employees said the company had failed to pay them in recent weeks, and it reportedly owes tens of thousands of dollars to freelancers and vendors. Adding to the controversy, Gomez’s mother, Mandy Teefey, allegedly took out a loan against her home to help cover the company’s business expenses.
What Does Selena Do?
These developments have sparked outrage, particularly given Gomez’s status as one of the wealthiest celebrities in the music industry.
Selena Gomez’s net worth is estimated by Forbes at $700 million. This is the largely due to her success with cosmetics brand Rare Beauty. On the website of Selena Gomez’s startup, she has been listed as the “Chief Innovation Officer.”
However, a current employee told Forbes that Gomez does not actively manage the company’s day-to-day operations. “We have to fight with her agent to get her to do anything for us, and she rarely does,” the employee claimed. The employee added that Gomez has met with the team only once in three years. A Wondermind spokesperson strongly denied this, calling the claim “absolutely not true.”
The 32-year-old Gomez appeared in the television series, Only Murders in the Building, starred in the film, earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress this year. Most recently, Selena Gomez got engaged to Benny Blanco and the two produced her seventh studio album together.
In short, she’s been busy.
