Tony Robbins, the superstar life coach, has apologised after making comments suggesting that some women were using the anti-sexual harassment #MeToo movement to gain “significance”.
The 58-year-old, who has counted Bill Clinton and Oprah Winfrey among his clients, issued a statement on social media after footage emerged of an exchange between himself and a woman at one of his seminars.
He was also filmed recounting an anecdote about a "famous" client who would not hire a woman because she was "very attractive".
His comments drew a backlash on social media including from one of the founders of the #MeToo movement, which sprung up in the wake of the accusations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein last year.
Responding to the criticism, Mr Robbins, who has become a celebrity in his own right and appeared as himself in Hollywood movies, said his comments did not "reflect the respect" he had for the #MeToo movement.
Unleash the Power Within comments
In the footage Mr Robbins is seen at one of his recent “Unleash the Power Within” events in San Jose, California, saying: “If you use the #MeToo movement to try and get significance and certainty by attacking and destroying someone else, you haven't grown an ounce.
“All you have done is basically use a drug called significance to make yourself feel good.”
He later adds: “Look at these people and see what is empowerment. Anger is not empowerment. What you are seeing is people making themselves significant by making somebody else wrong.”
Mr Robbins is then challenged by a woman in the crowd who argues that he has “misunderstood” the #MeToo movement.
She later criticises Mr Robbin’s stance saying: “You are a leader and an influential man and you are doing a disservice in my opinion to the #MeToo movement.”
In one clip the 6ft 5ins celebrity speaker is seen with his hand pressing against the woman’s and walking her back saying: “You are telling me that the more I push the more I am going to be safe”.
Mr Robbins also shared an anecdote about an anonymous high-powered client who chose not to give a “very attractive” woman a job as it was “too big a risk”.
He said: “I was just with someone the other day - a very famous man, very powerful man. He's saying how stressed he is because he interviewed three people that day and one was a woman and two were men.
“The woman was better qualified but she was very attractive and he knew 'I can't have her around, because it is too big a risk', so he hired somebody else. I have had a dozen men tell me this.”
'Misogyny'
The footage of the comments, which went viral on social media, drew criticism online including from #MeToo founder Tarana Burke who accused him of “misogyny”.
Yesterday Mr Robbins issued a lengthy statement on his social media channels saying his comments had "failed to reflect the respect for everything Tarana Burke and the #MeToo movement had achieved".
He said he needed to “get connected with the brave women of #MeToo,” adding: “It is clear that I still have much to learn”.
Multi-million dollar empire
Born in Los Angeles in 1960, Tony Robbins came from humble beginnings and has said his family sometimes could not afford to celebrate Christmas.
His breakthrough came in 1986 with the release of his best-selling book Unlimited Power. Today his is most famous for his high-tempo performances at pack-out self improvement seminars.
Mr Robbins reportedly commands up to seven-figure fees for personal sessions and has coached a host of celebrities and sports stars from Andre Agassi to former presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Over the years he has had cameos in Hollywood movies such as Shallow Hal and Men in Black.
He now commands vast commercial empire and his net worth is estimated to be $480 million (£340 million). Among the properties he owns is a five-star home and resort in Fiji were he carries out some of his personal training sessions.
On top of his personal wealth, Mr Robbins is also a known philanthropist and runs a number of foundations aimed at helping disadvantaged and poor children.