Selena Gomez’s mother Mandy Teefey addresses behavior claims and denies drug use at work

Mandy Teefey, Selena Gomez's mother, was recently linked to controversy after allegations surfaced that she used drugs at her Wondermind office. Employees of the mental health–focused media company reportedly made the claims. Teefey has since strongly denied the accusations. For context, Mandy and Selena co-founded Wondermind, a start-up that produces mental health content through podcasts, TV shows, movies, and digital platforms.According to The Cut, Teefey said she started Wondermind because she wanted to help people struggling with mental illness. She added that it was “unfortunate that a few disgruntled employees with an ax to grind could spread lies about [her] and distort the truth.” She also expressed disappointment that the media was willing to amplify those claims.Employees alleged that the 49-year-old snorted “a line of Ritalin” in the workplace. Others claimed she regularly received vitamin IV drips from a “rotation of nurses,” sometimes accompanied by liquid Benadryl.Teefey reportedly explained to staff that the treatments were for “allergies and the aftermath of severe COVID and double pneumonia in late 2021.” However, staff members alleged she frequently “spoke slowly and seemed drowsy” afterward.In response, Teefey rejected all drug-related accusations, stating that claims of her snorting the ADHD medication Ritalin were “absolutely not true.”As Wondermind faced funding challenges in the summer of 2023, staff members alleged that Selena Gomez often stepped in to pay employees and provide financial support. When the company’s failure to pay workers came to light in May, Wondermind told Forbes that the issue had been “rectified.”A spokesperson said, “Like many startups, Wondermind has been working through its own set of growing pains. In the coming days, we will be transitioning into a new chapter for Wondermind and continuing our important work in mental fitness that helps hundreds of thousands of people.”In a 2022 press release announcing the company, Selena said, “Every person has their own mental health journey. If we ignore them, glamorize them, or hide them from the world, it doesn’t change that the journey is very real. Wondermind is extending a larger mental health conversation that began for so many during this pandemic.”