Jay Shetty, a British-Indian self-help ‘guru’ known for his inspirational content on social media and best-selling book ‘Think Like a Monk’ has been accused of fabricating his life story and plagiarizing content from other creators.
Report by Guardian About Jay Shetty’s Fake Life Story
A 36-year-old influencer who grew up in north London has come under scrutiny in a report by journalist John McDermott in the Guardian. The report found after interactions with universities and institutions, who claimed they were unaware that Shetty or his coaching schools were using their names.
False Story about Jay Shetty’s Monk Life
As per the report, most of Shetty’s spiritual education happened in Walford, north-west London, and not in India, as he claims. The report added many details mentioned in the book are also ‘false’ about his life as a monk.
In the book, Shetty writes he was 18 years old and in business school when he attended a lecture by a monk, Gauranga Das, that changed his life. In the talk show ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’, he said, “It (the lecture) was the most captivating presentation I’ve ever been to. He spoke about selflessness, service, and kindness, and it just got me hooked.”
The report writes, “After graduating, Shetty forgoes a life of material success to live as a monk himself. Three years later, he has another revelation, his purpose in life is not to live the humble life of a monk but to use his preternatural oratory skills to share wisdom with the world. Thus, begins his transformation into a public self-help personality and his swift rise to fame. Shetty’s success is largely predicated on this riches-to-rags-to-riches backstory.”
Plagiarism by Jay Shetty
An influencer, Nicole Arbour published a video in 2019 titled ‘Jay Shetty full of Shit’, that claimed Shetty creates content by picking content from other content creators. She added that she and other content creators wrote many emails to Shetty seeking removal of his posts or credit, but they got no reply from him.
In 2019, Shetty was forced to remove 100 social media post after allegations of plagiarism. These accusations forces masses to question his authenticity and originality of his content.
Jay Shetty Spreading Misinformation
Shetty’s ex-girlfriend Lila, a practicing psychotherapist for 13 years and head of mental health services at a university in the UK said, “My issue as a mental health professional is that Shetty has misrepresented his persona, his knowledge and his credentials. Misinforming others is not only unethical, it is potentially harmful to vulnerable people.”
Jay Shetty’s Spiritual Business
Jay Shetty’s spiritual journey and his life as a monk look exaggerated as his former associates claim that he primarily resided at his place in London instead of staying in an Indian ashram and was filming YouTube videos at the same time.
A person associated with Iscon, a Hindu religious organization told the Guardian, “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.”
He added Shetty has used his spiritual authority to gain followers, subscribers, and education services. Shetty’s life-coaching school charges $7,400 a term for Postgraduate Diploma (Level 7) qualifications (equivalent to a master’s degree).
Who is Jay Shetty?
Jay Shetty is an influencer who attracted widespread acclaim for his inspirational talks and videos. He has over 15.3 million followers on Instagram and 4.73 million subscribers on YouTube. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Radhi Devlukia who also has 3 million followers on social media platforms.
Many influential figures have appeared on his popular podcast ‘On Purpose’, including Michelle Obama, Matt Damon, Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian, and many others.
Jay had attended a White House state dinner for visiting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2023 and interviewed Joe Biden about US administrations and mental health initiatives.
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