Selena Gomez’s Mom Defends Her Parenting Against Online Troll
Selena Gomez‘s mother, Mandy Teefey, is responding to critics who have challenged her parenting choices regarding her daughters.
On Friday, July 24, Teefey, 50, took to Instagram to share, then quickly delete, a reaction to a troll who accused her of “tearing down” her daughters, Gomez, 34, and Gracie, 13, while neglecting their mental health.
“Thank you for explaining the mental health concerns for my family,” Teefey retorted in a screenshot she posted on Friday. “I haven’t spent my entire life and every dime I have made to advocate for mental health. I have lost many loved ones at the end of that battle. I have fought these internal wars you speak of, and I have survived my mental health struggles since I was 14 years old.”
Teefey continued, “You have no right to dictate how I should live my life or handle my challenges. No one parents perfectly, and people constantly judge others for their choices; you may think I’m a bad parent, but you have no idea what it’s like to be raised by me. Anyone who disparages another person is the one who really needs to reflect.”
Mandy — who shares Selena with ex-husband Ricardo Joel Gomez and Gracie with husband Brian Teefey — noted that she doesn’t “spend her days judging and criticizing people or their choices online.”
“I dedicate my days to living, loving, and advocating for those without a voice or support,” she concluded. “So don’t criticize how I choose to be as a complete stranger and assume I neglect my own child’s reality. What have you done today to improve someone’s day? Ask yourself that, and if you haven’t done anything, go make a positive impact. I’m not the issue. Hate is.”
Mandy expanded on her response in the post’s caption.
“Hate has no place in any situation,” she wrote. “I shared this because I know who I am, I know how deeply I love and fight for my children, and that isn’t visible because I don’t seek validation as a parental influencer.”
Mandy emphasized that she would never “make others feel bad for being misunderstood.”
“However, to call me out when you can see my history in the mental health realm and know my family has made sacrifices because of how hard Selena and I both strive to help others, you need to reconsider, my friend,” she added. “I won’t divulge what I have sacrificed for my advocacy because I choose this path. I don’t need sympathy or accolades. But I will say this: when you take time to belittle people for their choices and feel righteous enough to pass judgment, I will give unsolicited advice.”
Mandy urged the commenter to “channel that energy into something positive.”
“This is life. There’s a lifeline behind the photo you choose to attack so carelessly,” she stated. “I have built walls to protect myself, but when you do it to me, you’re doing it to the people I advocate for, and that’s unacceptable. Unfollow, stop the hate. Direct that energy toward something good. It’s far too easy and selfish to be negative. Spread some kindness. Let go of that anger in your heart. It’s merely noise and unproductive.”
Mandy’s since-deleted post came just days after she faced backlash for her caption on a tribute to her daughters, as many fans believed she implied strained relationships with them.
“My greatest accomplishments, love me or not,” she wrote alongside photos of her girls. “They are the coolest. I [hope] one day they will realize how amazing I am and love me back as much as I love them. I’m just a mom. Who never gives up even when they cast me aside. I tell ya, maybe I’m not doing it right, we’ll see. But no matter what, I’m always behind you.”
Mandy later included at the beginning of the caption, “DISCLAIMER: Read with common sense and humor.” She also responded to a worried fan, saying, “Girl. It’s [a typical] ‘mom’s not cool’ joke. Calm down. lol.”
