He’s known the world over as a bestselling author, a guru to stars like Oprah, a practitioner of new age medicine that has bordered on pseudoscience, the founder of the Chopra Center, a holistic wellness center once based out of Carlsbad and a onetime University of California, San Diego professor.
But the U.S. Justice Department’s recent release of 3.5 million documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, adds one more accolade to Chopra’s resume — friend of one of the most notorious sex-trafickers of minors in history.
In emails and text messages, he and Epstein muse on consciousness, the game of life and dogs. Their conversations are loose and casual. In one, Epstein urged Chopra to find him a “cute Israeli blonde.” Chopra responds he would, but warned they were “militant aggressive and v=sexy.” In another, Chopra quipped that “only sinners are invited,” to a Vatican event he was attending.
Epstein and Chopra’s conversations sometimes took a lurid turn. In emails, Epstein offered to send “two girls” to one of Chopra’s events. Chopra accepted. Yet others include talk of sex, “prey” and “cute girls.”
Chopra seemed to have first met Epstein in July 2016, nearly a decade after the billionaire pled guilty to soliciting sex with a minor. Over the next two years, they spoke frequently, as Chopra’s thousands of mentions in the newly released files show. The pair continued to interact even after a 2018 bombshell report laid bare the details of Epstein’s 2009 conviction and the sweetheart deal that spared him significant prison time.
Their last email exchange seems to have come just three months before Epstein’s 2019 arrest on charges he’d engaged in a sprawling conspiracy to exploit, sexually abuse and traffic women and underage girls.
The pair also seemingly met repeatedly in the years prior to Epstein’s 2019 arrest and subsequent death in prison. At Epstein’s home in New York City. At Epstein’s home in Palm Beach. In Paris. At a debate Chopra had with science writer Michael Shermer, to which Epstein wrote “I’ll bringthe cheerleaders.” At the Chopra Center in Carlsbad, where Chopra offered to schedule an Ayurvedic massage for Epstein.
Chopra also frequently shared his writings and interviews with Epstein, and invited him to all manner of events. A workshop in Switzerland, where he urged Epstein to come with “your girls.” A Science of Consciousness conference in San Diego, which Epstein attended with famed linguist Noam Chomsky and his wife. To Israel, where he told Epstein to “bring your girls,” and use a fake name, should he wish.
The messages themselves do not prove wrongdoing on Chopra’s part.
Despite playing a key role in driving attention to the Epstein files, President Donald Trump’s allies have now sought to draw a clear line between association and guilt. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, for example, has said there may yet be prosecutions for those in Epstein’s orbit, but that “it isn’t a crime to party with Mr. Epstein.”
In any case, the unvarnished conversations paint a striking and candid picture of one of America’s most renowned spiritualists.
Representatives for Chopra did not respond to a list of questions. Neither did representatives for Chopra’s former employer, UCSD.
But in a statement posted to social media, Chopra acknowledged the communications with Epstein, writing that they “reflect poor judgment … given what was publicly known at the time.”
The statement continues: “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.”
Here are a handful of exchanges between Chopra and Epstein. The messages are presented as they appear in the files.
‘Zero In On Your Prey’
One text exchange included in the files between Chopra and a redacted number from October 2016, spread across two documents, begins with Chopra thanking them for “a v lovely experience,” and sprinkling in a hearts emoji. Though the contact information is redacted, the two reference the creation of an app and a board game, something Epstein and Chopra spoke about via email on at least one occasion.
Redacted: “I sent (redacted) request for her details . I only met her in the street two weeks ago”
Chopra: “Amazing ! How did you pick her up ?”
Redacted: “Listen my son and the wisdom of sages will reflect your reality”
Chopra: “Aha ! I have much to learn”
Chopra: “In many ways (redacted) is more connected to ” reality ” than the brilliant scientists. I felt connecte to her at the level of awareness
Redacted: “I liked watching you zero in on your prey . Made me smile.”
A separate document shows that five minutes later, Chopra responded: “I not a predator Just a lover.”
‘Did She Also Drop Civil Case Against You ?’
Emails between the men show that from very early on in the relationship, Chopra was at least aware of the allegations against Epstein.
In one exchange from November 2016 released last year, Epstein emailed Chopra a link to a Daily Mail article that described how a woman who claimed to have been assaulted by both Epstein and Trump as a 13-year-old had dropped her civil case against the future president. The woman claimed she was too afraid to move forward with the case.
In response to the link, Chopra asked Epstein “Did she also drop civil case against you ?”
In his trademark truncated style, Epstein responded “yup.”
Later that night, Chopra wrote back: “Good”
‘God Is a Construct Cute Girls Are Real’
Epstein and Chopra’s conversations often vacillated between the heady and the physical.
In one series of emails from March 2017, Epstein and Chopra correspond in truncated stanzas that devolve into talk of “cute girls.”
Epstein: “does a cell have form ?
is a cell=awaare?
does it have emotion? does it perfom actions? =C2
Did you find me a cute israeli?”
Chopra: “Cells are human constructs
No such thing !
Universe is human construct
No such thing
Cute girls are aware when they make noises”
Epstein: “thnk god”
Chopra: “God is a construct
Cute girls are real”
Epstein: “so when the girl says oh my god. . ?”
Chopra: “Yes
That’s divine tran=cendence”
Epstein: “oh, i thought she was just referring to me.”
‘Sex With a Complex Set of Russian Chemi=als’
Chopra often sent Epstein links to his copious media appearances, which sometimes triggered more abstract exchanges. One March 2017 exchange seemed to have been prompted by a LinkedIn post of Chopra’s he sent to Epstein.
Chopra: “Do you and I are 2 illusions speaking to each other? Why bother ?”
Epstein: “two chemical interactions with survival drive. =nbsp; no more. illusion of self. . its=obvious. you dont know why you do anything at all. =nbsp; you make a story to try to explain it to yourself.
Chopra: “Chemicals are names given by humans to modes of knowing and experience. You want to be a chemical? Go for it! Why don’t you have sex with a hologram then or a chemical?”
Epstein: “i love sex with a complex set of russian chemi=als. human exceptionalism =s a fiction”
Chopra: “Nonsense”
Epstein: “nonsense is exactly right. n= sense. sense is a fiction. take photo= of crowds and cute ones.”
‘Would Like to Send Two Girls’
In November of 2017, Epstein assistant Lesley Groff invited Chopra to a dinner. The guest list included not only familiar faces like film director Woody Allen and his adopted daughter-turned wife, but Miroslav Lajčák, the former president of the United Nations General Assembly.
Despite originally agreeing to attend, Chopra later responded he was delayed in Washington, D.C., and would have to miss the event. In emails, Chopra invited Epstein to a meditation event he was hosting on Wall Street later that week.
Epstein responded, “im in florida but i would like to send two girls.”
Hours later, Chopra responds, “Please send their names and I will put their names as guests.” Two hours after that, Chopra once again emails Epstein, this time CC’ing Epstein’s assistant Lesley Groff, “Need names ASAP Will send directions.”
In a series of follow-up emails, staff for the two men arrange passes for the women.
“Give them my cell (redacted) and ask them to text me when they arrive,” Chopra later writes.