The wife of the founder of Bikram yoga is seeking a divorce settlement after rape and sexual battery allegations were made against him.
Six former students and yoga teachers claim Bikram Choudhury, who presides over a yoga empire centred on practicing in 40 C heat, had assaulted them as part of a "Superman" complex he reportedly had.
Now Rajashree Choudhury, who built the successful "hot" yoga brand with her husband, has filed documents saying she wants to divorce him because of irreconcilable differences, the Daily Telegraph has reported.
The 50-year-old yogi is also filing for a share of the couple's homes - which includes properties in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and Honolulu - which under California divorce law could bring her tens of millions of dollars of the couple's wealth, according to show business site TMZ.
That law states that anything earned while living together is "communal property" and must be shared.
Rajashree's decision is an additional legal challenge to Mr Choudhury following a set of rape allegations from at least six women, the first of which is due to go to court next year.
According to court papers, he "used his status as a guru to identify and victimise the most vulnerable women from among his flock, grooming them, breaking down barriers, and ultimately assaulting them when they were at their most physically, emotionally, or financially vulnerable."
The yoga trainer, who came to Los Angeles in 1973 from Kolkata, is also known for having likened himself to Superman or Buddha in an interview.
He once told a business magazine his success was because of "balls like atom bombs, two of them, 100 megatons each. Nobody f**** with me."
Mr Choudhury has denied the allegations against him, saying they are "disappointing" and "dishonour Bikram yoga," according to the Daily Telegraph.
The Independent has reached out to Mr Choudhury for comment.
