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Their relationship had its ups and downs.
By Nia Tipton — Written on Nov 04, 2022
Following the premiere of Selena Gomez's documentary, "My Mind & Me," the singer briefly opened up about the relationship she has with her mother.
Gomez and her mother, Mandy Teefey, started making headlines in previous years over a rumored rift in their relationship.
In an interview with E! News, Teefey revealed that she has no plans to watch her daughter's documentary at the current moment after the two worked hard to rebuild their bond.
"It's something that I feel, ‘cause I did a little interview in it, and I didn't really want to do a lot," Teefey told the news outlet. "And it kind of just put me in a headspace that you just don't want to revisit after you've grown through so much."
She added, "So, when the time comes, and I feel like I'm ready to watch it, I'll watch it. But what I've seen of it, it's beautiful."
What happened between Selena Gomez and her mom?
Gomez and her mom reportedly feuded over Justin Bieber.
During Gomez's on-off relationship with Bieber, which started in 2010, Teefey didn't approve of their romance.
Problems between Gomez and her mom began when she got back with Bieber in 2017.
At the time, a source told PEOPLE that Gomez's family, including her mother, were "still not happy about Selena seeing Justin."
"Selena doesn't bring Justin to any family events. Selena is spending Christmas with her family. As of now, Justin is not invited," the source said.
Teefey then confirmed her hesitancy over her daughter and Bieber's relationship with Gossip Con, via Suggest, in 2018, saying that she was "not happy" about the couple.
However, she acknowledged that Gomez "can live her life however she wants as long as she is happy, safe, and healthy."
Teefey and Gomez unfollowed each other on Instagram after Teefey was involuntarily hospitalized.
According to TMZ, in 2017 Gomez and her mother got into a "heated conversation" about the pop singer's relationship with Bieber.
Gomez allegedly told her mother that she and Bieber were in couples' therapy, and Teefey "flipped...realizing the relationship was going to be more long-term than she thought."
While PEOPLE confirmed that Teefey had been hospitalized, a source close to the family revealed that it wasn't just because of Bieber.
"It’s been a stressful time for Mandy and she made the decision herself to go to the hospital and make sure everything was okay, the source claimed. “This wasn’t just about Justin.”
Gomez fired both her mother and stepfather, who worked as her managers.
Gomez, whose career was managed by her mother and stepfather, Brian Teefey, ended up severing ties with them in regards to being her managers in 2014, according to TMZ.
While sources told the Daily Mail that Gomez had fired her parents after feeling as if she'd outgrown them and was old enough to take control of her career, rumors circulated that it was actually because her family disapproved of Bieber.
Teefey later cleared up the rumors while talking to Gossip Con in 2018.
"We never expected to manage her, her whole life," she said. "We lost family time because the only time we saw her, we talked business."
"It was no longer fun for any of us like it was when she was younger and we had to be with her because she was a minor."
Gomez and her mother were not on speaking terms at one point.
In Gomez's documentary, her mother shares how she and Gomez's stepfather learned of the singer's 2018 hospitalization after reading TMZ.
In the film, Teefey explained that she and Gomez were not on speaking terms at the time, according to Us Weekly.
"They called me and wanted to know what my daughter was doing in the hospital with a nervous breakdown. She didn’t want anything to do with me. I was scared she was going to die,” Teefey said.
Gomez and her mom are on good terms now.
In Gomez's documentary, per Us Weekly, the pop singer shared more details about her relationship with her mom and stepfather.
The "Rare" singer tearfully revealed how she'd negatively reacted to her parents after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
"I shouldn’t have spoken to them the way that I did, and I shouldn’t have treated them the way that I did, sometimes,” Gomez said through tears.
“I just say I’m so sorry because I remember certain things that I did and I was so mean. Even to this day, I keep saying thank you and I’m sorry.”
During an April 2022 appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America," Teefey, joined by her daughter, explained how she had to adjust her style of parenting because of the tumultuous times she and Gomez went through.
"You have to learn how to speak to them the way that they need to be spoken to, love them the way they need to be loved," Teefey said, fighting back tears.
"I was parenting her in a way that I needed to be parented when I was younger. That wasn't working for our relationship, so we had to learn how to recommunicate with each other, and it's been amazing ever since we took the time."
Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. Keep up with her on Instagram and Twitter.