Which mother and daughter doesn't argue, but what matters is that family stays together through thick and thin.
Many celebrities start off with their parents as their manager. Some grow out of having their parent as their manager but continue having a good relationship with their mother while others might face some friction. Parents want the best for their children, but when a child wants to break free and have an independent persona it can be hard for the parent to accept. And, one doesn't need to have a celebrity kid to know how that feels.
Former Disney star Selena Gomez once had her mom, Mandy Teefey, and stepdad, Brian Teefey, by her side guiding her through her career in Hollywood but somewhere along the way, she grew up. She wanted more from herself and her career. In 2014, Gomez decided to part ways with her parents as her managers but they found out through TMZ about them being fired.
They asked their daughter if she was sure about this and Selena said yes. Mandy had believed that when they had initially talked about it, her daughter was only discussing her options. She had a hard time processing that she would no longer be by her daughter's side as she rises in her career. The Tefeeys had managed their then-21-year-old daughter since her role in the Disney show Barney & Friends. She went on to star in The Wizards of Waverly Place and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, among other Disney shows and movies. Her mother eventually said that she respects her daughter's decision and will continue to produce movie projects with Selena.
Mandy had also been critical of her daughter's decision to date Justin Bieber, another child star who had risen to fame and grown up in the spotlight. Gomez took on a persona that was in contrast to the previous childish one. She wanted more independence and wanted to look older and more mature too. However, while Mandy and Selena continued working together, they hit a few snags.
In 2017, the mother and daughter became producers of the Netflix show 13 Reasons Why but the duo had an argument about the person the singer was dating: Bieber. Gomez and Bieber famously dated for many years on and off before he married Hailey Baldwin. When Gomez and Bieber had rekindled their relationship, Mandy was so upset that she had to be taken to an L.A. hospital.
Selena told her mom that the pair wanted to make things work and were in couples therapy, which led to Mandy thinking that "the relationship was going to be more long-term" than she anticipated, according to Teen Vogue. Mandy, ever the supportive mom who liked to give her daughter space, decided to do just that so the Wolves singer could "figure out what she wants."
That year was also the most trying time for Mandy as a mom as the Back to You singer had to undergo kidney surgery. Gomez has the autoimmune disease lupus and had been undergoing chemotherapy for it. The singer had a kidney transplant and the donor was her friend, actress Francia Raisa. Mandy said that she felt "helpless" and "scared" during her daughter's transplant, as per ABC News.
She had shared a photo of her daughter and her best friend from that time. "This picture is one of the most breathtaking images that will live with me forever. For all those moments of not knowing if we were going up or going down, I can always come back to this picture and know we can always make it back up," she said. "As a mother, I was helpless, scared and all I could do was pray for both of them, Francia's beautiful family," Mandy said.
"I am pretty sure I am banned from that hospital," she continued. "Mama Bear was in high gear. Selena gained a kidney, I was able to keep my little girl, but I also gained another daughter ... thank you to everyone who was there for Sel, Francia, and our families. We survived from all the love, prayers, and God."
She was right by her daughter's side who was undergoing a really difficult process. And, even now she continues to shower her daughter with praises. "Congrats! Kirschenbaum @selenagomez!! Love reading Press Releases like this! Good peeps from great projects!!! XO" Mandy wrote, sharing a screenshot of the news announcement of Gomez being cast in The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle, as per Elle.
References:
https://www.tmz.com/2014/04/14/selena-gomez-parents-fired-blindsided-mandy-brian-teefey/
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/selena-gomez-mom-hospitalized-justin-bieber
