tonight on "nightline" -- he's a hot yoga superstar now accused of a terrible betrayal of trust. >> nobody has the right to my body. >> three young women who say the yoga they loved led not to nirvana but to assault. >> he raped me. >> a "nightline" exclusive. i'm ready because it's my truth. a truth i want people to know. >> in the past bikram told us there's no truth to rumors he's had sex with his students. >> [ bleep ]. >> the first time we met him he had no time for his critics. >> people talked bad about jesus also. so what? >> tonight, "nightline" investigates the shocking allegation. bikram under fire.

>> this special edi

this is a special edition of "nightline." "yoga guru under fire." good evening. i'm dan harris. tonight, explosive allegations against one of the richest and most famous yoga gurus on earth. he is the swaggering, controversial founder of bikram yoga, a style of so-called hot yoga that he claims can revolutionize your spiritual well-being, your health, and your sex life. but now bikram stands accused of sexually assaulting five of his own followers, women who say they believed in him, revered him. "nightline" has been investigating these allegations for more than a year. and here's david wright with our report, "yoga guru under fire." >> nobody has the right to my body.

>> reporter: sarah bonn, a young mother in san francisco, is haunted by what she says happened to her. so much so she says she can barely bring herself to do the thing she loves most, practicing yoga. >> my daughter one day looked at me. she was almost 3. and she said to me, mommy, i want to be just like you. i want to be a yoga teacher. and all i could think was you can't do that, you'll get raped. >> reporter: this is the man she accuses of assaulting her. >> let's go rock and roll, everybody. >> reporter: arguably the richest, most successful yoga guru in the world. in the yoga world he's a rock star, known by just one name. bikram. his brand of hot yoga synonymous with sweat. and bikram claims it can improve your body, prolong your life, and even invigorate your sex life. >> the hardest problem in my life, david, is stay away from

women. women likes me. and i have to run city after city, country after country, all my life to stay away from the women. >> women like you too much? >> yeah. >> reporter: that was a year and a half ago, when we started reporting on bikram. already then there were rumors about inappropriate contact with students. i asked him about those rumors. >> [ bleep ]. every women loves me. you know, president's daughter. prime minister daughter. you know, billionaire daughter. superstar, actors, singers. but yogi supposed to be yogi. they cannot involve with the women. >> reporter: but since then five women have filed civil lawsuits accusing bikram of sexual assault. four of the women accuse him of rape. sarah bonn was the first to come forward. she first told her story to "vanity fair." >> he absolutely chases women. he victimizes women. and someone can look him in the eye and say no and it doesn't matter.

>> reporter: she was 20 when she dropped out of college to attend bikram's teacher training program. the grueling nine-week seminar led by bikram himself costs thousands of dollars and is the only way to become a bikram yoga teacher. >> it was a big commitment for me to make this decision. but it was something i was extremely dedicated and passionate about. >> reporter: meeting bikram for the first time, she says, she was full of hope. she told him his yoga had changed her life. >> and i told him i was sad, now i'm happy. i feel like a completely new person. bikram, i love you more than chocolate. >> reporter: she says bikram took an immediate interest. >> he took me by the arms and told me that there was a connection between the two of us that he had never felt before. >> reporter: later she says bikram told her privately that

they should start a relationship. shaken and upset, she says she rebuffed him and reported the incident to a teacher training staffer. >> then he said he's -- he may not be a very good man but he's a very good teacher. >> reporter: did that seem like good advice? >> i wasn't really sure what else i could do. >> reporter: but she says bikram persisted with unwanted advances during classes. >> and he put his hands on my leg and my arm and pulled them apart. >> your legs at this point are spread and he's leaning into you from behind? >> it's called standing bow pose, like this. >> he then started whispering things in my ear that nobody else could hear. "don't you love me in? come to l.a. come be with me. and he displayed me in front of everybody. and it was so humiliating. >> you can have sex 72 hours nonstop.

>> reporter: to outsiders the teacher training can seem unorthodox. >> this is called natural viagra. >> reporter: students, almost naked and dripping with sweat, are cheered on by bikram's sexually charged banter. >> one women i make her [ bleep ] 42 times in one night in several hours. >> he's the guru and he's spiritual master. >> reporter: larisa says she was part of bikram's inner circle, one of a select few teachers to become part of bikram's entourage. >> i think the guru thing is sort of hard for people to get. it's not just that he's like a really good spin instructor. >> right. >> right? >> mm-hmm. >> to you he was something spiritual? >> yes. the young women who want to believe in something so badly, he sees it. and those are the people that he targets because they're vulnerable. >> reporter: marissa anderson says she was vulnerable when she

came to bikram, recovering from drug addiction. yoga, she says, was her path to a healthier life. he could walk on water as far as you were concerned? >> absolutely. absolutely. >> reporter: she says all that changed late one night at bikram's beverly hills mansion. >> he raped me. we were watching a movie, and he grabbed the back of my head and he kissed me. and i pulled away and i said i don't -- this isn't -- i felt speechless. because this was my guru. and i thought of him as a father figure. and he stood up and he grabbed my hand and he sat me down on the couch. then he pulled up my skirt, pulled down my underwear. pulled his boxer shorts down and had sex with me. and i had said no. >> reporter: he raped you? >> yes. >> reporter: there in his own house? >> yes.

>> reporter: his wife sleeping upstairs. >> correct. >> reporter: his daughter sleeping upstairs. >> and his son. it didn't last very long. he didn't use protection. he stood up, put his shorts back on and went back into the other room, sat down on the couch like nothing happened. >> reporter: according to her lawyer, she did not report the alleged incident to the police until years later, but she says the rape took place in the very room where bikram and i had sat down for our interview. >> i never lie, never cheat. i never hurt another spirit. i'm the most spiritual man, david, you'll ever meet in your life. >> reporter: it's also the room where sarah baughn says bikram assaulted her. baughn graduated from teacher training and started participating in yoga competitions. and she says eventually felt comfortable enough to visit bikram's house. at her coach's urging. to get feedback on her routine. >> suddenly you're alone with him. >> i was alone. >> at his house. >> yes. and he put his hand inside my

leg and his other hand on my breasts. and he kept trying to touch me. and he was on top of my body. and he said, "my wife's a bitch and i need someone to love me, to be with me. to massage me." and then he said "to have sex with me." and i said, "i will never do that." then he told me that the only way that i could ever win the yoga competition was if i had sex with him. >> reporter: he said quid pro quo. >> straightforward. >> sleep with me -- >> you will never win the yoga competition unless you have sex with me. i pushed him off of me completely. i stood up. i looked him in the eye and i said, "i don't need you to win. i'm going to do it on my own." and i walked out of his house. >> reporter: more determined than ever, baughn did compete.

this is her routine. posted on youtube from the competition run by usa yoga, an organization founded by bikram's wife. baughn believed the routine was nearly perfect. she placed second. >> it's wrong. no one, this case aside, no one, no one is entitled to anyone's body. not ever. and nobody said anything. they just sat there and they let him do it. >> reporter: choudhury and his legal team declined to be interviews viewed for had this story. but his legal team provided abc with a statement. it said they strongly dispute the allegations and intend to vindicate themselves in court, adding they do not intend to try this case in the media. >> this is a sick man. and i'm not even the worst.

i got away. >> reporter: when we come back, why the police weren't involved and why this woman is now coming forward. >> i'm ready because it's my truth. truth i want people to know. >> reporter: and more from bikram, who for years has scoffed at his critics including this from our earlier interview. >> people sometimes become famous. there is a group of people get jealous. people talk bad about jesus also. so what? >> when "nightline" returns. ♪ [ female announcer ] if you're struggling with bipolar depression, there are treatment options. ask your doctor if once a day latuda, lurasidone hcl, may help you. in clinical studies, latuda has been shown to be effective for many people struggling with bipolar depression. latuda is not for everyone. call your doctor if you have unusual changes in mood, behaviors, or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. elderly dementia patients taking latuda

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yoga is supposed to be about healing the body and calming the mind, but tonight one of the most popular and controversial yoga gurus in the world is facing allegations of sexually assaulting five of his female followers. there is this question, however. why didn't they go to police until years later? once again, here's abc's david wright. >> what does it mean to be a guru? >> master. teacher. >> reporter: a little more than a year ago, bikram choudhury, the flamboyant yoga guru, invited "nightline" to his house for an interview.

>> why do you think americans are so fascinated by yoga? it seems like everywhere you go there's a yoga studio. >> because of me. >> reporter: he's proud of his success. at the time he even gave us a tour of his garage full of luxury cars. >> this is 1953 bentley. look at the design here, david. >> reporter: bikram's commercialism and his brash personality have made him a controversial figure in the yoga world. but he has no time for his critics. >> people sometimes become famous and well known. a group of people get jealous. people talk bad about jesus also. >> reporter: since that interview five women have come forward, filing civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault. four of them accuse him of rape. this woman asked us not to use her real name. in her lawsuit against big ram she's identified as jane doe number 3. she has never told her story in public before. she says bikram raped her three times. she says the first time was at teacher training. she'd been given a scholarship

and says she humbly thanked him for it. >> i was on my knees. culturally, it's respectful to go on your knees in front of your master, your guru. and he said, i like you. i like you. and then he said, it's cold. let's go up. >> suddenly you're going up in the elevator alone. >> yeah. >> with this man. >> i was in denial. praying that it would not be. >> reporter: she says shortly after they entered his hotel suite he made his intentions clear. >> and he said, you know, you know how many people apply for the scholarships every training? and of all the people, you're here. because i believe in you. no one believed in me before. i looked at him as a godly figure. like mother teresa, you know? i said please don't. you're a guru.

the world believes in you. he said, "nah, i'm just a man." >> reporter: she says he raped her and then acted as though nothing happened. she continued, determined not to lose her chance to fulfill her dream but said she made sure they were never alone again at teacher training. after she completed the course, she moved in l.a. to work at bikram's headquarters. >> he made it very professional. i'll be on the payroll, not volunteer. i believed him. i trusted. >> reporter: then she says he raped her a second time at this apartment upstairs on the bare mattress on the floor. >> he took his pants off. he pulled me and i then said please don't. you said it wouldn't happen again. and then he pushed me down with force.

and i said no. and he hit me. >> he hit you? >> then he forced himself on me. and so i just knew, i'm doomed. >> when somebody says why didn't you go to the cops? why did you come to l.a.? why did you allow yourself to be alone with this man again? what do you say? >> well, i tried not to be alone with him. but why not? who would believe me? no one would. everybody was so hypnotized by him. >> reporter: she says she was financially dependent on bikram and believed her career as a yoga instructor was on the line. so, she says, she kept it to herself. like sarah baughn and larisa anderson she did not file any police reports until years later, according to their attorney. the district attorney has

declined to bring any criminal charges against bikram. all the current cases are in civil court. mary shea is the plaintiffs' attorney. >> when sarah filed her lawsuit, i think that gave other women courage to stand up and be heard. >> reporter: bikram, his yoga college of india, and his legal team all declined to speak with "nightline" for this story. >> i do. >> reporter: but in a previous unrelated lawsuit he testified under oath that he has never had sex with a student. >> you have had sex with female trainees of yours, correct? >> objection. argumentative. >> is that true, mr. choudhury? >> no. >> do you deny that? >> yes. >> what would you want to say to him now? >> i would just say that i hope that he gets some help. >> in hindsight, do you wish that you had gone to the cops? >> yes.

it would have saved me years of pain. >> what do you hope will come out of all of this? >> justice. >> justice. >> expose him. the truth. for him to come into the light. get down from his throne and just stop this. >> reporter: but for now, bikram is standing his ground. i'm david wright for "nightline" in los angeles. >> all right, thanks to david wright for that report. and we'll be right back. that report. we'll be right back. help with . but sometimes, i still struggled to get going, even get through the day. so i was honest with my doctor. i told him i'd been feeling stuck for a long time. he said that for some people, an antidepressant alone only helps so much and suggested we add abilify (aripiprazole). he said that by taking both, some people had symptom improvement as early as 1 to 2 weeks. i wish i'd talked to my doctor sooner. [ female announcer ] abilify is not for everyone. call your doctor if your depression worsens or you have unusual changes in behavior,

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tomorrow here on "nightline" we're going to investigate a new drug that is sweeping america. it's called wax. and it is legal in more than one state. it is the ultimate divot laigs of marijuana. so potent, users say one hit can keep them high all day. that's if it doesn't blow up while you're making it. >> squish it down. >> whoa! >> the house is on fire! the house is on fire! >> run! go! >> and the d.e.a. says it's not just the making of the drug

that's dangerous. that using it can also be very harmful. despite the warnings, however, in colorado where pot and wax are legal, we went to a three-day contest held in broad daylight to see who could make the most potent batch. that's our special report coming up tomorrow night. that's going to do it for "nightline" tonight. thank you for watching. tune in first thing in the morning to "gma." and as always, we're online at abcnews.com. i'm dan harris. good night. >> every day more americans choose abc news. america's number one news source.