'Billionaire' Selena Gomez slammed after report says her company failed to pay its staff, mom took loan to pay off debts

Selena Gomez is facing backlash over the financial crisis her mental health startup, Wondermind, is facing currently.

Published on: May 13, 2025, 09:00:57 IST

By Abhimanyu Mathur

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Singer-actor Selena Gomez is facing backlash after a recent report claimed that her mental health startup has been unable to pay its employees and has also reduced their health benefits. Selena, one of the richest musicians in the world, has been criticised online after a Forbes report claimed that her mother took a loan to pay off some of the business debts.

Selena Gomez has been slammed after a report emerged that her mental health startup hasn't paid its staff. Amy Sussman/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Amy Sussman / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP) (Getty Images via AFP)

Selena Gomez's startup fails to pay staff: Report

Forbes reported over the weekend that Wondermind, a mental health startup cofounded by Selena Gomez, is facing a financial crisis. The report said that the startup 'is being kept afloat by Gomez’s mom and Wondermind’s CEO Mandy Teefey'. She reportedly told staff on Thursday that she took out a loan against her home to pay back its outstanding debts. An insider has since told People that this claim is false. Forbes added that employees have been paid for one missing paycheck, but another is still pending.

The report quoted a spokesperson of Wondermind saying that the situation has been 'rectified'. “Like many startups, Wondermind has been working through its own set of growing pains,” the spokesperson told Forbes in a written statement, adding that “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.”

Selena Gomez slammed online

Last year, Bloomberg listed Selena among its list of billionaires in the entertainment world, estimating her net worth at $1.3 billion. Other estimates range from $700 million to $1 billion. Regardless, Selena remains one of the wealthiest people in entertainment. Due to this, the singer faced a huge amount of trolling online.

On Reddit, one person commented, "Billionaires billionaring again." Another added, "It's ridiculous Selena started this company and can't even be assed to meet or pay her employees or to do even basic promo for her own company. She is one of the richest people in America, this is unacceptable."

There were many comments criticising Selena for her apparent non-involvement in the startup. "If she’s that invested in the charity she should just fund it. If she’s not then give the employees plenty of notice and wind it up. Not paying them is unacceptable," wrote one Reddit user.

Selena has not commented on the matter so far.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abhimanyu Mathur
Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.Read More

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