Selena Gomez has asked a court to remove her from an investor lawsuit accusing the mental-health start-up Wondermind of fraud. Her lawyers say the allegations are “absurd”, arguing that she neither managed the company nor took part in fundraising, so could not have misled investors; the case matters because it concerns claims of financial misrepresentation at a high-profile celebrity-backed venture.

Five investors allege they lost $1.2 million after being misled by Wondermind’s leadership, including Gomez’s mother, Mandy Teefey, and former co-chief executive Daniella Pierson. They claim Gomez’s proposed marketing role was overstated, while her lawyers say she actively distanced herself from the business and had made no statements about its finances; Wondermind, founded in 2021, had already faced reports of severe financial difficulties.