Motivational Speaker Tony Robbins Says Allegations of Sexual Misconduct are Buzzfeed ‘Hit Piece’

Tony Robbins attends the screening of 'Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru' during the Music, Film + Interactive Festival on in Austin, Texas. (Mike Windle/Getty Images)

Motivational speaker Tony Robbins is fighting back against the allegations of sexual misconduct that were reported by BuzzFeed News on Friday.

BuzzFeed published an article that begins with two sentences: “Tony Robbins is the world’s most famous self-help guru. This is the story he doesn’t want you to read.”

The article then continued on by putting forth these accusations: “Tony Robbins claims he has helped millions of fans overcome some of life’s darkest difficulties. But leaked records reveal he has used his fame to berate victims of rape and violence, while female former staffers and followers have accused him of inappropriate sexual advances.”

In response to the article, Robbins published “An Open Letter to BuzzFeed Editors and Board of Directors from Tony Robbins” via Medium.

“This letter is one that I would have preferred not to write,” he opens with in the letter. “I have been the target of a year-long investigation by BuzzFeed. Unfortunately, your organization has made it clear to my team that you intend to move forward with publishing an inaccurate, agenda-driven version of the past, pierced with falsehoods. It is intended to disparage me personally, my family, my life’s work, and the efforts of the millions of individuals around the globe who have taken this journey with me over the last 40-plus years.”

Robbins then points readers to a YouTube link with Analay Souza Campos, who says that she was contacted by BuzzFeed to provide information for their article. Campos claims that BuzzFeed took pieces of what she said out of context. Having now authored her own self-help books, she says she relishes the time she spent learning from Robbins.

Robbins says that BuzzFeed denied him and his team the opportunity to present evidence of their own, since it would derail BuzzFeed’s agenda.

“After more than a year-long investigation by your online entertainment company, you allege that approximately 20-30 years ago — when I was in my 20’s and early 30’s — I was negligent with both my employees and individuals who chose to attend my seminars. You also allege (through anonymous sources) that I pursued conflicting intimate relationships. Your claims range from indistinct to ridiculous,” Robbins writes in the Medium piece.

Robbins continues, saying that Campos is not the only one of his fans to claim that BuzzFeed had chosen to distort their words. Robbins says his team has proof of this.

As for BuzzFeed’s motivations, Robbins cites BuzzFeed’s ranking as the least trusted news source, according to research from the Pew Research Center. He goes on to talk about BuzzFeed’s financial and other troubles motivates them to produce hit pieces in order to boost readership and serve shareholders.

He then makes clear his feelings about the accusations against him.

“Let me be clear, while my open-classroom therapeutic methods are not for everyone, and while I am on my best day still only an imperfect human being, I have never behaved in the reckless, irresponsible, or malicious manner intimated by false, unfounded, and incendiary allegations suggested by BuzzFeed story-tellers,” Robbins writes.

He then cites the harm in BuzzFeed’s policies that create a lack of journalistic standards at the company.

“Your organization cannot claim objectivity or journalistic integrity when your written ethics and standards policy claims that in ‘activism' issues ‘there are not two sides.’ As we all know, in the context of a just democracy, there are always two sides,” continues Robbins.

He also cites the drop in journalistic standards as a whole and the pre-eminence of fake news, putting forward his own ideas for how society can move forward.

According to Business Insider, Robbins operates or is affiliated with over 30 businesses that make over $5 billion a year in sales.

From NTD.com