With nearly 16 million followers on Instagram and 8 million subscribers on his two YouTube channels, Jay Shetty is one of the biggest names in the self-help community. If you want to mirror his success, it’s important to start by studying the whole Jay Shetty controversy that blew up in early 2024.

Our team at Business2Community has pinned down all the controversies surrounding Shetty. Familiarizing yourself with his business troubles can ensure you don’t fall victim to the same mistakes when constructing a reliable, sustainable brand.

Jay Shetty Controversy – Key Facts

  • The Guardian has published a comprehensive investigative report detailing Jay Shetty’s checkered past, which raised doubts about the life coach’s business ethics.
  • The main controversies surround Shetty’s past as a monk in India, his educational institute’s authenticity, and plagiarism in his social media content.
  • Jay Shetty never publicly addressed the allegations. Instead, he has quietly deleted some social media posts and website content.

The Story of the Jay Shetty Controversy

Jay Shetty’s resume came under scrutiny in a 2024 investigative report produced by The Guardian, accusing him of being a fraud and pointing out several inconsistencies in his spiritual journey.
As a friendly-looking spiritual coach who has met with the Prime Minister of India, Michelle Obama, Kim Kardashian, and more, Shetty’s claims of being a genuine monk have helped him rise to fame.

Who is Jay Shetty?

Life coach, self-help guru, monk, podcast host… Jay Shetty is a man of many names with a seemingly fascinating life story. Born into a Hindu family in the UK in 1987, Shetty familiarized himself with spirituality from a young age, growing up in an Indian temple called the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, AKA Iskcon or the Hare Krishna movement.

Although the London-born self-help coach never publicly expressed his Hare Krishna faith, possibly due to its controversial past, his personal connection to Hinduism encouraged to him become a monk for three years in a Hindu ashram in India after his college graduation.

Since then, he’s utilized social media platforms to share his journey. He’s published books, founded the Jay Shetty Certification School, and hosted his On Purpose podcast, interviewing celebrities and high-profile guests like Kim Kardashian, Matt Damon, and Michelle Obama. He even presided over the wedding of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck in 2022.

However, his life story has raised doubts recently. People have begun to challenge Shetty’s authenticity and business ethics.

Life Story Fabrications

Jay Shetty is the Chief Purpose Officer at the Calm app, valued at $2.2 billion during its 2020 fund-raising round. People mostly attributed his success to his past as a monk and his experiences in Mumbai, India. However, evidence surfaced that the self-help guru may have altered some of his biography to look more dramatic.

jey shetty calm app
Source

According to a detailed investigative report published by the British news outlet The Guardian titled Uncovering the Higher Truth of Jay Shetty in February 2024, Shetty’s claims about his transformative Iskcon journey came under the spotlight. Shetty said that he attended a lecture by an Iskon monk named Gauranga Das during his time at Cass Business School in London, which completely transformed his way of life, leading to him becoming a monk and living in Mumbai.

The major inconsistency in his story surrounds the timeline, with Shetty telling various outlets that the life-changing moment happened when he was 18, 21, and 22. Shetty’s ambiguous timeline regarding the event led to suspicions that he had dramatized the situation. Shetty’s legal team confirmed later that the lecture occurred in 2007.

Chaitanya Lila, Shetty’s ex-girlfriend and an Iskcon member, told the media that Shetty’s transformation likely started with a trip organized by Iskcon Pandava Sena (IPS) in 2006. Shetty has personally said in a video that “my view on KC [Krishna consciousness, the Iskcon religion] had completely changed”.

A monk changing his way of life is likely more appealing than a field trip, which could be the reason for Shetty’s claims.

In addition, Shetty previously stated in his resume that he had a degree in “behavioral science”, which was proven impossible as the business school he attended didn’t even offer such a program.

Inconsistencies About His Time as a Monk in India

Aside from the beginning point of his transformation, Shetty’s claims to have spent three years as a monk have also been questioned.

Shetty wrote in his bio and his book, Think Like a Monk, that he was in an ashram from 2010 to 2013 in a remote area near Mumbai. This was disputed by fellow Krishna devotees who claimed that Shetty was a monk at Bhaktivedanta Manor, an ashram in London, during the time that he supposedly was in India.

In Shetty’s version, he returned to the UK and began his business journey after his mentor told him he would be of greater value if he had left the Indian temple and spread his knowledge to the world.

jay shetty bio

Once again, Shetty’s legal team defended his story, clarifying Shetty’s movements in the past. The team said that Shetty spent only a few months as a monk at Bhaktivedanta Manor, which was his main ashram before moving to India and continuing his spiritual journey.

To further cast doubt on his story, a former Iskcon devotee said “I saw him in sweatpants more than I saw him in robes”. This goes against Shetty’s claims of being diligent in his role as a monk during this period.

Lying About the Accreditations of the Jay Shetty Certification School

On top of questions surrounding his past, Shetty also got into trouble for falsely advertising his expensive Jay Shetty Certification School. Founded in 2020, the school offers a wide range of self-help and life coaching courses, charging around $7,400 a term for a postgraduate diploma or a Master’s degree.

The Guardian captured a since-deleted summary of Shetty’s program that stated:

“As OTHM qualifications are approved and regulated by Ofqual (Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulation), Jay Shetty Certification School students are also eligible to progress to a top-up degree, master’s program, or MBA at many universities in the UK and overseas with advanced standing.”

However, Ofqual said it never oversaw Shetty’s program, casting doubts on the school’s accreditations. Then, Shetty’s representatives tried to salvage the situation by saying that the life coaching school is approved by OTHM and OTHM is approved by Ofqual. As of October 2024, on its FAQ page, only the mention of OTHM remains.

Jay Shetty school FAQ
Unfortunately for Jay, OTHM subsequently denied the claim, stating that it had no affiliation with the self-help school. The same investigative piece also revealed that a lot of the listed affiliations including top-tier universities on its program’s brochure turned out to be false. Those educational institutions publicly denied involvement in the program.

Association with the Hare Krishna Movement

Although most people who have studied Shetty know of his ties to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, the successful English businessman tries to deviate attention from his Iskcon connections on various occasions, claiming to be a Vedic monk instead.

The reason for his public aversion to Krishna isn’t clear, but news outlets suspected the cause to be the negative portrayal of the Hare Krishna movement a few decades ago. These have included drug dealing, sex trafficking, and more. Despite these claims subsiding with time, the rising guru likely wanted to distance himself from Krishna to protect his reputation.

Jay Shetty’s representatives never addressed these questions directly.

Plagiarizing Social Media Content

Shetty is known for his viral YouTube videos and engaging social media content, which may not be as original as he advertises. In 2019, comedian/motivator Nicole Arbour published a video criticizing Shetty’s videos and social media production. In Arbour’s video, she made detailed comparisons to prove that Shetty was plagiarizing without seeking any permission from the original creators.

From the layout to content style to wordings, Arbour believed the Calm app owner was directly passing off other people’s work as his own.

Soon after the video, Arbour’s inbox was flooded with messages from other victims whose work had been stolen by Shetty as well.

Lavish Celebrity Life Inconsistent with His Spiritual Leader Role

In 2018, Shetty moved from London to Los Angeles to accelerate his content creation career. His determination to be the public face of a dedicated spiritual leader has drawn criticism over the years because of his high-profile celebrity life.

Shetty has appeared on many shows, including the Ellen DeGeneres Show and Jada Pinkett Smith talk show.

Critics argued that the life Shetty led in LA was “the opposite path of what you assume a spiritual person arrives at”. His supposed humble self-help guru front could merely be a commercial gimmick.

The Consequences of the Jay Shetty Controversy

These controversies shocked the public. Many supporters expressed their disappointment in Shetty and urged him to give a public response. Officially, the LA-based guru never addressed the allegations, which caused more speculation.

Fans Took to Social Media Platforms to Express Their Opinions

Given his millions of followers on social media platforms, Shetty’s controversies were bound to start a ripple effect. Stakeholders expressed their opinions on X (formerly Twitter). Reporter Smita Prakash said the whole ordeal was “disheartening” but was sympathetic towards some of the claims and expressed hopes that Shetty would come out to clarify.

Another user, @kaypakka, also said that the criticism would not wipe away the achievements Shetty made, believing that he genuinely changed the lives of many.

Not all were compassionate about the situation. Some people said they had long suspected Shetty to be a fraud and not surprised by his seemingly imminent demise.

The incident also created debates on Reddit. There were a lot of threads regarding the explosive piece published by The Guardian. Fellow Redditors expressed their desire for Shetty’s public demise due to the controversy.
jay shetty controversy reddit

Jay Shetty Never Publicly Addressed the Accusations

When his controversy blew up in the media, the life coach decided to not discuss the crisis publicly. Since the report came out, Shetty hasn’t responded to media requests for comments. Instead, it was reported that he instructed his team to delete some Instagram posts, website content, and hired a crisis PR firm for a rebrand.

It would seem to be business as usual for the charming monk. During this period, he continued to post motivational speeches on his socials as usual.

jay shetty IG

In Shetty’s case, it seems that silence is his best friend. Although there was still sporadic criticism floating around Reddit and X, the intensity had dialed down as the self-help guru continued to promote his business and his questionable school.

What Can We Learn From the Jay Shetty Controversy?

Jay Shetty may be a prodigy in giving motivational speeches and producing viral videos, but like any thriving business, he isn’t immune to controversies. Since the big backlash only came out in 2024, its full effects may still be in motion.

Even though there may not seem to be imminent impacts on his business, the seeds of doubts have been planted about his reputation and could affect his future profits.

Here are some lessons you can learn from the Shetty controversy as a businessperson or entrepreneur:

  • Honesty: Dramatizing your achievements will never get you far in the business world. As your business grows, competitors and truthtellers will scrutinize your work. Lying about your resume may bring you short-term success but it’ll also bring you down in the long run. Earning your own success is much more satisfying.
  • Address challenges promptly: One of the biggest issues surrounding the Shetty controversies has been his unwillingness to address accusations. Without a response, many will take it as an admission of guilt, especially since he quietly deleted some online content. To construct a trustworthy brand, you should address a crisis promptly with actionable plans and sincerity to reassure your stakeholders.
  • Be consistent: Shetty’s spiritual front was challenged because of his inconsistent actions, which may eventually lead to the downfall of his empire. Once you’ve chosen a business path, stick to it. Don’t deviate and leave room for questions. It’s the key to ensuring stable success and consumer confidence.

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