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Renowned life coach and influencer, Jay Shetty, who presided over the wedding of Hollywood stars Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck in 2022, faces scrutiny following allegations by The Guardian that he fabricated elements of his life story and plagiarised multiple social media posts.
The 36-year-old, also well-known in Bollywood circles, currently leads a meditation startup valued at approximately $2 billion. Additionally, he is the author of two bestselling books: Think Like a Monk, a memoir and self-help manual based on his exploration of Hinduism, and 8 Rules of Love, offering guidance on romantic relationships.
According to Shetty's official website, he spent school vacations living with monks in India, absorbing their teachings and wisdom. However, The Guardian alleges that Shetty falsely claimed to have spent three years in an Indian temple.
Shetty has shared his life journey on talk shows and in his books, recounting a pivotal spiritual awakening during his time at a business school in London, inspired by a talk given by Gauranga Das, a monk from Iskon.
However, discrepancies emerged as Shetty's age varies in his narrative, with conflicting accounts of his interactions with Das. The Guardian found various inconsistencies in his story. For example, Shetty often changes his age in the tale. At times he says he was 18, and on other occasions, he said he was 21 and 22 when he attended Das's talk. While Shetty's legal team and Gauranga Das confirm the 2007 talk, indicating Shetty was 19 at the time, other sources suggest he was involved with Iskcon before then.
Moreover, Shetty's associates, including a former girlfriend, said that he was in Iskcon before meeting Das in 2007. “It doesn’t make sense,” The Guardian quoted Chaitanya Lila, a member of Iskcon who was in a romantic relationship with Shetty from June 2008 to December 2009, as saying. “He was in Iskcon before 2007.”
Former associates assert that while Shetty did travel to India, his time there was shorter than he claims. Some suggest he primarily stayed at Bhaktivedanta Manor outside London, rather than in Mumbai as he asserts. Shetty's travel blog from the time indicates he spent several months in India, followed by activities in London.
The controversy surrounding Shetty raises questions about the authenticity of his personal narrative and underscores the importance of transparency and honesty in public figures.
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