Selena Gomez is fighting back after investors in her mental health startup filed a lawsuit accusing her of fraud.
The "Only Murders in the Building" star, 34, filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on Wednesday, Aug. 26, according to documents obtained by USA TODAY. This comes less than two weeks after Wondermind SRS 44 LLC and Bespoke Wondermind LLC accused the singer, her mother Mandy Teefey, 50, and their former business partner Daniella Pierson, 31, of multiple counts of fraud and breach of contract.
"Today’s motion to dismiss demonstrates that plaintiffs never should have dragged Selena Gomez into this case as the claims against her are completely meritless if not frivolous," the actress' attorney Mathew S. Rosengart said in a statement to USA
TODAY.
"The notion that Selena engaged in 'fraud' or any other wrongdoing is absurd—and in addition to filing our motion, we are exploring other avenues of relief for Ms. Gomez, including sanctions against plaintiffs for improperly including her," he added.
Plaintiffs claim Gomez misrepresented her involvement in marketing the startup
In their complaint, the plaintiffs said they invested nearly $1.2 million in Wondermind Global in 2022 after Gomez, Teefey and Pierson allegedly "falsely represented that the Company had the infrastructure, leadership, and resources necessary for the Company to launch into a profitable, one-of-its-kind mental health and wellness platform."
Among the alleged misrepresentations were that Gomez would be "intimately involved" in the company's marketing and publicity efforts, that Pierson was a "$200 million executive" with secured partnerships, and that they had a "full slate of revenue-generating initiatives" already in the works.
In addition to seeking a jury trial, the plaintiffs also seek a return of investments in Wondermind, damages, costs, attorneys' fees, and any other relief they are entitled to.
In the motion to dismiss, Rosengart argued Gomez "did not hold an executive employment position or other full-time role" and called the allegations against the singer "vague, generalized, and contradictory." Rosengart said Gomez should be dismissed from the lawsuit and contended the investors should not have sued her.
Rosengart further stated Gomez "never agreed to and did not manage" Wonderland Global despite holding a stake in the company. "Management was vested in Ms. Gomez’s mother, Mandy Teefey, and Ms. Pierson, who ran the Company as co-CEOs and board members. The Company, in turn, retained Ms. Gomez as a consultant and conferred on her the title of Chief Impact Officer (“CIO”)," he continued.
Contributing: Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Selena Gomez moves to dismiss fraud lawsuit, calls claims 'meritless'
