Mandy Teefey, mom of pop powerhouse and “Murders in the Building” star Selena Gomez, put her foot down on July 24, 2026, when she noticed keyboard warriors taking her to task over a recent post about her daughters. Uploaded to social media nearly two weeks earlier, on July 12, Teefey had shared a photo of Selena, 34, and her younger sister Gracie, 13, as well as several other pics and motivational quotes.
“My greatest accomplishments, love me or not,” Teefey, 50, wrote in the caption. “They are the coolest. I (hope) one day they will see what a bad ass I am and love me back as much as I love them. I’m just mom. Who never gives up when they throw me in the trash. I tell ya mom you’re doing it wrong, maybe so, we will see. But no matter what I got your back.”
But when followers started to question the point of Teefey’s post and whether there was a rift between her and her girls, Us Weekly reported that she added a “disclaimer” to her caption, which remains part of the post. It says, “DISCLAIMER: Read with common sense and humor. Also, enjoy the other slides it might soothe your trauma.”
But that wasn’t enough to keep some fans from continuing to criticize Teefey, and on July 24, she issued a bold response in her comment section, defending herself and her relationship with Selena and Gracie.
Mandy Teefey Tells Commenter ‘You Have Zero Right to Tell Me How to Live My Life’
On July 24, Teefey returned to her post’s comment section to stand up to someone who had written, “You are a wonderful mother and deserve the most credit for everything good in your children’s lives, but acting this way makes you their worst enemy! You know about your daughter’s mental health. This isn’t showing support; instead, you are tearing her down even more than her enemies do—people like Hailey and the Kardashians, who are just waiting for this!”
Teefey sarcastically wrote back, “Thank you for explaining the mental health concerns for my family. I haven’t spent my entire life and every dime I have made to help make change for people with mental health. I haven’t spent lost many, many loved ones to the end of the battle.”
She continued, “I have fought these internal wars you speak of, I have survived my mental health struggles since I was 14 yrs old. You have zero right to tell me how to live my life or how to handle my war zones. No one parents perfectly and people judge people all day on their choices so you can think I’m a bad parent. You aren’t here. You weren’t raised by me and clearly anyone who hates on another human is the one who needs to reflect.”
“I don’t spend my days judging and hating people or their choices online,” Teefey noted. “I spend my days living, loving and fighting for people without a voice or support. So don’t breakdown how I need to be as a complete stranger and assume I disregard my own child’s world. What have you done today to make someone’s day better? Ask yourself that and if nothing go do that. I’m not the problem. Hate is.”
Selena Gomez’s Mom Also Had Choice Words For Critics When She First Shared Her Post
GettyTeefey first clapped back at critics on July 14 when someone wrote, “This entire post comes off as deranged. Why do you continuously throw your DAUGHTER under the bus online???”
At the time, Teefey responded, “let me ask you a question. What is wrong with you that you would think my children literally threw me in a trash can. Why don’t you swipe to the next picture of a Barbie in a trash can and I’m making fun of myself and the struggles of start up. The fact people think a deranged post has to be taken seriously says more about you than me.”
“My kids are kick ass and the coolest people I know,” her response continued. “I would never hurt them. So please step down on telling me how to raise my children. With a sense of humor??? How dare I and anyone hating on her for this needs to evaluate their life. No the girl did not put me in a damn trash can. Jesus. People. Think”
When another person chastized her that day for sharing her thoughts on social media, Teefey replied, “girl. It’s typically moms not cool joke. Calm down. lol.”
Selena Gomez & Mandy Teefey Started Wondermind in 2022
Teefey had Selena when she was 16, and the pop powerhouse has said she felt like they grew up together. After both experienced struggles with mental health, including Selena’s 2020 bipolar diagnosis. Though Teefey has previously said she, too, was diagnosed with the condition in her 20s, she told Pop Sugar in 2024 that she learned in her 40s that she’d been misdiagnosed.
In 2022, the mother-daughter team launched the mental health platform Wondermind, with Teefey overseeing operations. The organization made headlines in 2025 when budget constraints prompted them to lay off two-thirds of its employees, per Forbes, but is still operating with a smaller staff.
Rumors have long swirled about conflict between Selena and her mom, including buzz that Teefey didn’t attend her daughter’s wedding to Benny Blanco in September 2025. But Teefey put those rumors to rest with an Instagram post after the wedding, revealing that her dad — Selena’s grandfather — walked the singer and actress down the aisle.
Teefey wrote, “What a perfect celebration for the most kick ass couple I know! The evening couldn’t have been more beautiful and perfect! Absolutely flawless! All my love to my beautiful daughter @selenagomez and to the greatest son in law @itsbennyblanco!!! It was a fairytale come true and it was beyond heartwarming watching my father walk her down the aisle!!! XO”
