Deepak Chopra, a prominent Indian-American figure in the field of alternative medicine and a bestselling author, has recently been mentioned in the Jeffrey Epstein files, drawing public attention to his relationship with the deceased financier. Chopra is known as a new age guru and advocate for alternative medicine. His books and videos have made him one of the most well-known and wealthiest figures in alternative medicine. He is a physician who became a popular proponent of a holistic approach to well-being that includes yoga, meditation, and nutrition.
Born on October 22, 1946, Chopra studied medicine in India before immigrating to the United States in 1970. In 1980, he became chief of staff at the New England Memorial Hospital (NEMH). In 1985, he became involved in the Transcendental Meditation (TM) movement after meeting Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Subsequently, Chopra resigned from NEMH to establish the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center. He gained widespread recognition after being interviewed on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1993, and later co-founded the Chopra Center for Wellbeing in 1996.
The recently released Epstein files, consisting of millions of pages of documents, have revealed a series of email exchanges and calendar appointments between Chopra and Epstein, primarily dating from 2016 and 2017, but with some interactions occurring between 2016 and 2019. These records confirm a pattern of email exchanges and calendar appointments between Chopra and Epstein primarily dating to 2016 and 2017, well after Epstein's 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution. Chopra's representatives have stated that his contact with Epstein was solely professional, concerning the solicitation of funding for his consciousness research and, at times, providing advice on sleep and meditation. Chopra claimed that his appointments were primarily related to helping Epstein with sleep and teaching him meditation.
However, the content of the emails has ignited scrutiny regarding Chopra's judgment. The emails show Chopra recalling an evening with Epstein as “a blast” and expressing relief when one of Epstein's accusers dropped her lawsuit. One email casually mentioned how a Chopra event was sold out, but Chopra could still get Epstein in. Chopra was also texting with someone (likely Epstein) to meet up at a Hyatt hotel late at night, then texting that person the following day, including a message to “Please share with [redacted] and Kyrina,” the latter referring to Epstein's alleged girlfriend. In another text exchange, Chopra messages someone to say that they would enjoy meeting his son-in-law, who's a venture capitalist (someone he could invest in), but they “can't talk about girls” in front of him.
In a 2017 exchange, Chopra emailed Epstein, “I'm deeply grateful for your friendship”. He asks if Epstein is free on Friday or Saturday evening; Epstein says he's not, but “it might work for her”. In another text exchange, Chopra messages someone multiple times to meet up for an hour each and even sends a video on his take on “sex and spirituality”. A 2018 text exchange shows Chopra telling someone he will see them either in New York or Paris, with the texter telling him “Good boy”.
In November 2016, Epstein forwarded Chopra a Daily Mail story about Katie Johnson, who claimed that Trump and Epstein assaulted her when she was 13. When Epstein told Chopra she dropped civil charges, Chopra wrote, “Good”.
These revelations have led to widespread debate over ethical responsibility and the consequences for influencers who maintained ties with a known sex offender. While appearing in the files is not an indication of wrongdoing or knowledge of Epstein's crimes, the extent and nature of the interactions between Chopra and Epstein have raised questions about their relationship and Chopra's judgment.