Selena Gomez's mom, Mandy Teefey, is pushing back against explosive allegations regarding her behavior at the mental health startup she co-founded with her daughter.
In a piece published Wednesday, September 3 from The Cut, former employees who worked under Teefey at Wondermind said things in the office were anything but normal. They claimed Teefey would sit in her office for hours on end, watching television, ordering takeout food and expensive designer clothing.
The piece states many of the employees believed Teefey was sometimes intoxicated at work, referring to her office as her "drug den." Another employee The Cut spoke to alleges they witnessed Teefey snort a line of what appeared to be Ritalin.
When asked about the Ritalin allegations, Teefey's reply to the outlet was "Absolutely not." She went on to say, "I started Wondermind because I wanted to help people with mental illness. It’s unfortunate that a few disgruntled employees with an ax to grind can spread lies about me and distort the truth. Even more disappointing that the media is willing to amplify their lies.”
As for watching television for hours on end during office hours, Teefey said, "I always have something playing in the background. It’s part of my ADHD — that helps me focus.” She also denied allegations of accumulating mass amounts of takeout food in her office.
Founded by Teefey, Gomez, and Daniella Pierson and launched in 2022, Wondermind was a platform designed to help destigmatize mental health and provide users with the resources they needed.
Gomez has been very open over the years about her own struggles with mental health. In a 2022 interview with InStyle she said, "I have problems with depression and anxiety, and I found it difficult for me to be me."
Teefey did not provide much information about the current state of her relationship with Gomez when providing quotes to The Cut.