On Saturday, an attorney for the pop star, entrepreneur, and Only Murders in the Building actor denied that Gomez and Wondermind made false promises to investors who put $1.2 million into the company.
“The allegations that Selena Gomez engaged in any way whatsoever in any purported ‘fraud’ or other wrongdoing are completely meritless, both factually and legally,” litigator Mathew S. Rosengart told People magazine. “We will vigorously defend these false allegations and indeed are filing a motion to dismiss the baseless claims against her.”
The lawsuit was filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Delaware by the investment groups Wondermind SRS 44 and Bespoke Wondermind SPV. The plaintiffs accuse the defendants of securities fraud, common-law fraud, breach of contract, and other claims. They are suing to recover their entire $1.2 million investment, plus damages and legal fees.
The suit alleges that the startup’s three principals—Gomez, 34; her mother, Mandy Teefey, 50; and former business partner Daniella Pierson, 31—“falsely represented” that Wondermind had “the infrastructure, leadership, and resources necessary for the company to launch into a profitable, one-of-its-kind mental health and wellness platform.”
The plaintiffs claim Wondermind overstated Teefey’s leadership ability, Pierson’s business acumen, and Gomez’s “intimate involvement” in developing and promoting the business with initiatives that were supposed to include corporate partnerships with J.P. Morgan and Fidelity, advertising deals, and a “groundbreaking” mobile app.
“The partnerships did not exist,” the lawsuit says. “The initiatives never materialized. The app was never built. And for three years, while the Company quietly collapsed around them, not one of its founders, officers, or directors said a word to the investors whose money was funding the collapse.”
