Selena Gomez filed a motion to dismiss a $1.2 million investor lawsuit over her mental health startup Wondermind on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. Attorneys for Gomez called the allegations absurd, meritless, and legally deficient, while threatening Rule 11 sanctions against the plaintiffs.
The legal battle surrounding the wellness platform escalated significantly as Gomez’s legal team filed the dismissal motion in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. The filing targets a securities fraud and breach of contract lawsuit brought two weeks prior by five Wondermind investors operating through limited liability companies Wondermind SRS 44 and Bespoke Wondermind SPV.
The Core Allegations From Investors
Selena Gomez Calls Wondermind Lawsuit ‘Absurd’ In Filing Blasting
The plaintiffs sank nearly $1.2 million into Wondermind Global in 2022 after meetings with Teefey and co-CEO Daniella Pierson. According to the court complaint, the founders falsely represented the crumbling organization as one poised for success with robust infrastructure and leadership. The Only Murders in the Building
star, 34, her mother Mandy Teefey, 50, and their former business partner Daniella Pierson, 31, were accused of multiple counts of fraud and breach of contract.
Investors claim the defendants made misrepresentations during direct solicitations, including that Gomez would be intimately involved in operations and marketing. The lawsuit alleges that the partnerships did not exist, the initiatives never materialized, and the app was never built. Furthermore, the complaint reads that Gomez purported to sign a contract obligating her to perform and then ignored it.
Defense Strategy and Threat of Sanctions
Mathew Rosengart, attorney for Gomez, pushed back against the litigation in a sharp statement to the press. He argued that the pop star did not hold an executive employment position or manage the company, noting that Gomez was not directly involved in meetings with investors.
Selena Gomez calls investor fraud lawsuit 'completely meritless
Today’s motion to dismiss demonstrates that plaintiffs never should have dragged Selena Gomez into this case as the claims against her are completely meritless if not frivolous,
Mathew S. Rosengart said in a statement to USA TODAY. The notion that Selena engaged in 'fraud' or any other wrongdoing is absurd—and in addition to filing our motion, we are exploring other avenues of relief for Ms. Gomez, including sanctions against plaintiffs for improperly including her,
he added.
Gomez’s lawyers filed a motion on Wednesday (Aug. 26), obtained by Billboard, to dismiss the pop star and actress from a lawsuit brought two weeks ago by five Wondermind investors. These investors allege they were duped into investing $1.2 million in the struggling company led by Gomez’s mother, Mandy Teefey. The lawsuit centers on claims that Teefey and her former co-CEO, Daniella Pierson, misrepresented the company’s structure and finances to investors Brent Saunders, Marc Roberts, EJ Solimine, Andrew Resnick and Mark Peikin. One allegation is that Teefey and Pierson falsely said Gomez would be heavily involved as Wondermind’s head of marketing, when in reality the star worked to actively distance herself from the company.
Background on the Wondermind Collapse
Launched in 2021 and aimed to offer daily mental health resources to users, Wondermind ran into deep operational trouble following a September 2025 story from The Cut that uncovered its troubles. Founded by Selena Gomez, her mom Mandy Teefey and Daniella Pierson in 2021, Wondermind was caught up in controversy last year following The Cut’s exposé revealing alleged disarray behind-the-scenes of the company.
Investors who poured $1.2 million into the organization claim they were left in the dark about the problems going on in the company for more than three years before The Cut’s expose was published. The plaintiffs, Wondermind SRS 44, LLC and Bespoke Wondermind SPV I, LLC, are seeking a jury trial in the lawsuit filed against Gomez, Teefey, Pierson and Wondermind Global Inc. alleging they were hoodwinked into believing the company had the resources necessary for success while, unbeknownst to them, it was in the midst of collapse.
What Lies Ahead in Court
The Hollywood actress and pop star founded the company with her mother, but now investors are claiming her abject dereliction of duties has left the company in a state of financial difficulty. The lawsuit will try to recover $1.2m it claims was invested as well as costs and damages. The immediate procedural hurdle will be decided in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, where the filing seeks dismissal of the lawsuit against Gomez, her mother and the co-founder of Wondermind, as the legal challenge claimed investors were falsely informed the company had the business infrastructure, leadership and advertising deals needed to function. Attorneys for Gomez said the allegations are so egregiously improper and legally deficient that they raise the specter of Rule 11 sanctions against Plaintiffs, meaning if granted, the court could punish the investors’ lawyers.
