Yoga's Millionaire 'Bad Boy' Sued by His Student

Not the kind of 'hot yoga' Sarah Baughn signed up for
By Ruth Brown,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 27, 2013 9:52 AM CDT
Yoga's Millionaire 'Bad Boy' Sued by His Student
Thousands of yoga enthusiasts convene in New York's Times Square to mark the summer solstice, Wednesday, June 20, 2012. Temperatures are expected to be near 100 degrees (37C) Wednesday.   (AP Photos/Mark Lennihan)

The yoga world is facing a far bigger scandal than see-through pants: The founder of Bikram yoga is being sued for sexual harassment and discrimination. A former student says Bikram Choudhury—the 67-year-old millionaire behind the eponymous "hot yoga" empire whose fans include Jennifer Aniston and Madonna—made sexual advances toward her during a four-year period that began at a 2005 training course, and scuttled her career after she repeatedly rejected him, reports the New York Times.

Sarah Baughn, 28, says Choudhury offered her his diamond Rolex and told her he knew her in a past life. Then things got more uncomfortable: She accuses him of whispering sexual comments in her ear during classes, humiliating her in front of other students, and trying to prevent her from attending further training. "I need someone to spend time with me. To give me massages. To talk to me. To love me. To have sex with me," the yoga mogul is alleged to have told her, reports India West, which obtained a copy of the suit. "I need someone to take care of me so I don’t die." (More yoga stories.)

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