British Influencer and author Jay Shetty is under scrutiny after allegations that he lied about his life story and plagiarised social media posts.
A report by The Guardian said that Mr Shetty, who officiated actors Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s marriage in 2022, falsely claimed to have spent three years in a temple in India, reported NDTV.
Mr Shetty runs a meditation start-up valued at US$2 billion ($2.68 billion). He is the author of the bestselling book Think Like A Monk: Train Your Mind For Peace And Purpose Every Day and has achieved much success in the wellness industry.
His official website said that, during his school years, he spent vacations living with monks in India, immersing himself in their wisdom and teachings.
However, The Guardian report claims that the 36-year-old falsely claimed to have spent three years in a temple in India.
Questioning the veracity of Mr Shetty’s story, the report said: “People close to Shetty have questioned whether his conversion to a life of monkhood was quite so dramatic. Much of Shetty’s spiritual education took place not in India but in Watford, an orbital town outside north-west London, they say.”
The British daily also questioned Mr Shetty’s academic qualifications, pointing out discrepancies in his resume, including a degree from a business school that does not offer the claimed course.
The report said: “Shetty is hardly the first self-help guru to embellish his spiritual credentials to amass followers, but he demands huge sums of money for his guidance. Shetty has used his spiritual authority to launch a number of subscription and education services, including the life-coaching school, which charges US$7,400 a term for “Postgraduate Diploma (Level 7) qualifications” – equivalent to a master’s degree.”
Following the report, Mr Shetty has reportedly directed his team to attribute content properly, delete a number of posts and hire a crisis PR firm.
People who know Mr Shetty are disputing his claim of spending an extended time in India as a monk, the report said.
According to Mr Shetty’s travel blog at the time, he considered “Bhaktivedanta Manor” as his main ashram.
In a 2011 post, he mentioned returning from “almost four months in India” before engaging in activities at London’s City University and “distributing flyers and books on the streets all over the UK and enjoying festivals”.
However, some of his former associates said he stayed primarily at an estate near London called Bhaktivedanta Manor, rather than in Mumbai.
While Mr Shetty’s legal team maintains he spent only a few months at Bhaktivedanta Manor before moving to India, others disagree, The Guardian reported.
Social media reactions to the accusations against Mr Shetty have been mixed. Some claim they were already suspicious of him being a “fraud”, while others were “disheartened” by the news.
Indo-Asian News Service
