'Insisted to meet later at night': Artist recalls Deepak Chopra's late night invite at age 16

A controversy has emerged around wellness author Deepak Chopra after artist and entrepreneur Sevda Rubens alleged that he behaved inappropriately towards her when she was 16 at a meditation event in Europe. Her claim gained traction after a viral post on X, viewed more than 1.9 million times, surfaced alongside renewed attention on emails linking Chopra to Jeffrey Epstein, intensifying online scrutiny.

Rubens said Chopra allegedly shared his personal number and suggested a late-night private meeting. She declined and later described feeling alarmed. Her post quickly spread across social media, drawing support from users who said it reflected broader concerns about power and influence in spiritual and wellness spaces.

Allegation and online reaction

In a detailed thread, Rubens described her life at the time of the alleged encounter, saying she had left home at 16, was living alone, and working multiple jobs to support herself. She portrayed herself as highly cautious and constantly alert in unfamiliar environments, adding that spiritual gatherings did not always feel as safe as they promised.

Her story resonated widely online, with many women sharing similar experiences and questioning the culture surrounding influential male gurus and their young followers. The conversation expanded into debates on accountability, celebrity influence, and safety within wellness communities.

Epstein emails and Chopra’s response

The controversy intensified after previously released emails linked to Jeffrey Epstein resurfaced, showing friendly exchanges and social conversations involving Chopra between 2016 and 2019. While the documents do not allege criminal wrongdoing, critics argued the tone of some messages reflected poor judgment given Epstein’s history.

Responding on X, Chopra said, "I want to be clear: I was never involved in, nor did I participate in, any criminal or exploitative conduct. Any contact I had was limited and unrelated to abusive activity.

However, he did not directly address Rubens' allegation, which has continued to circulate widely online.

Rubens, who works in health and wellness innovation and is developing a project called Cycles. Health was largely unknown to mainstream audiences before the viral post.