Selena Gomez may be worth over a billion, but her mother Mandy Teefey had to take out a loan on her home to pay staff at their mental health startup, Wondermind. As CEO, Teefey stepped in when the company hit a financial wall earlier this year.
Forbes reported on May 11, 2025 that Wondermind missed payroll in March. Around 15 full-time staff were affected, along with freelancers and vendors still awaiting payment. One missed paycheque has been settled, but contractors are allegedly owed hundreds of thousands.
Emails show that staff were also told their health benefits would end. “We apologise for the email on a wellness day,” read one message. “As you are aware, we have been working tirelessly to secure our next round of funding.” Employees were advised to switch to COBRA coverage.
Wondermind says the issue has been fixed and remaining payments will go out on Monday. “Like many startups, Wondermind has been working through its own set of growing pains,” a company spokesperson said.
Some staff reportedly questioned Teefey’s leadership after she became sole CEO in January 2023. They claim she turned down brand deals that asked for Gomez’s involvement. Wondermind’s chief of staff, Emma Wright, denied those claims as “insanely, grossly misleading” and defended Teefey’s commitment to the team.
Gomez, who co-founded Wondermind in 2021 and made most of her wealth through Rare Beauty, has not commented. Her net worth was estimated at $1.3 billion in 2024.
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