Who is Jay Shetty, Hollywood’s ‘ridiculously handsome’ guru? He officiated Bennifer’s wedding, is besties with Jada Pinkett Smith – and has interviewed everyone from Joe Biden to Kendall Jenner

Jan 11 , 2024

From monk to millennial mogul, Jay Shetty is taking the US by storm, episode by episode. Photo: @jayshetty/Instagram

He grew up in the UK and was a teenage rebel before discovering Vedicism and becoming a monk – now he lives in Hollywood as a go-to life guru to the stars, after the success of his podcast On Purpose

Shetty led Zoom meditation sessions for Joe Jonas during the pandemic, officiated Lily Collins and Jennifer Lopez’ weddings, and studied the Bhagavad Gita with Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith

When it comes to Jay Shetty, if you know, you know.

Those into self-help and wellness will be more than familiar with the man whose mantra is to “think like a monk” and whose podcast On Purpose has occupied the top of the charts in its genre for years now – but it’s his gradual infiltration of Hollywood’s elite circles that’s suddenly making others sit up and take notice.

Hollywood star Will Smith and millennial mogul Jay Shetty. Photo: @jayshetty/Instagram

Named on Forbes 30 under 30 as far back as 2017, the videos Shetty has posted online over the years on various platforms have been viewed a mind-blowing 10 billion times, according to his podcast publisher IHeartMedia.

So who exactly is the 36-year-old Brit who Russell Brand once described as “ridiculously handsome” on his podcast, and who’s conquered the world by “making wisdom go viral”?

Jay Shetty grew up in the UK

Jay Shetty posted this comparison photo on Instagram to mark his 36th birthday in September 2023. Photo: @jayshetty/Instagram

Shetty was born and raised in London’s suburbs by a Yemeni mother and an Indian father, who had moved to London in search of a better life, according to Shetty’s interview with The National. “They put in so much hard work to provide for me and my younger sister, so that we could have opportunities,” he said.

But Shetty has admitted he wasn’t always so grateful. In fact, he was a rebellious teen who did drugs, got into fights and drank too much. He told The Guardian: “I was lost at that time. I really didn’t know what I valued.”

He eventually decided to get a degree at Cass Business School, where he became obsessed with the “rags-to-riches stories of CEOs and self-made entrepreneurs”, according to the newspaper.

He used to be a monk

Jay Shetty dedicated his summers to living as a monk in India in his youth. Photo: @jayshetty/Instagram