Tony Robbins’s lawsuits span three decades and both sides of the “v.”: a 1995 Federal Trade Commission enforcement action over franchise sales, a defamation case he brought against BuzzFeed in Ireland that ended in a quiet 2025 settlement, a former employee’s COVID-era discrimination suit that went to arbitration, a pending California class action over website chat tracking, and a 2025 federal trademark suit Robbins filed against an AI chatbot company. Criminal charges have not been filed against him in connection with any of the sexual misconduct allegations reported by BuzzFeed News.
The 1995 FTC Franchise Rule Case
Robbins’s earliest major legal matter was a federal enforcement action. In 1995, the FTC filed a complaint against Robbins Research International and Anthony J. Robbins personally in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, alleging violations of the agency’s Franchise Rule.1Federal Trade Commission. Robbins Research International, Inc.
The company had sold franchise rights ranging from $5,000 to $90,000, letting buyers run seminars built around Robbins’s “Unlimited Power” and “Power to Influence” videotapes. The FTC alleged the defendants failed to give prospective franchisees the required disclosure document and misrepresented earnings, claiming buyers could sell 25 to 100 seminars a month and earn $75,000 to $300,000 a year. According to the agency, “few if any franchisees” actually reached those numbers.1Federal Trade Commission. Robbins Research International, Inc.
In May 1995, the commission voted 5-0 to accept a consent decree. The defendants agreed to pay $221,260 into escrow for redress to franchisees who had not already settled and to buy back unused seminar kits for $175 each, up to $49,875 total. The decree barred future Franchise Rule violations and, as is standard, carried no admission of wrongdoing.1Federal Trade Commission. Robbins Research International, Inc.
The Irish Defamation Suit Against BuzzFeed
In May 2019, BuzzFeed News published an investigation by reporters Katie Baker and Jane Bradley detailing accusations of sexual misconduct against Robbins. At least nine women accused him of behavior that included inappropriate sexual advances toward fans and staff, exposing himself, and groping followers.2TCIJ. Unlimited Power: Investigating Tony Robbins A later report placed the number of accusers at ten or more, including several former staff.3KCRW. Self-Help Guru Tony Robbins Is Accused of Inappropriate Sexual Contact The alleged conduct dated primarily to the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s.
A November 2019 follow-up reported on an allegation involving a teenage girl at SuperCamp in Oceanside, California, in 1985. The accuser, identified only as “Elle,” described what she called a “prolonged sexual assault” in a 2,400-word statement provided through her lawyers.4New York Post. Tony Robbins Accused of Sexually Assaulting Teen at Summer Camp
Robbins denied the allegations. He published an open letter on Medium on May 17, 2019, calling the reporting “inaccurate, agenda-driven” and “pierced with falsehoods.”5NBC News. Tony Robbins Accused of Sexual Misconduct, Berating Abuse Victims His spokesperson, Jennifer Connelly, said Robbins “absolutely denies” the claims and noted that none of the accusers had filed a written or verbal complaint with his company.6USA Today. Tony Robbins New Accusations of Sexual Misconduct Regarding the 1985 allegation, his attorneys told BuzzFeed: “No sexual assault happened. Period.”4New York Post. Tony Robbins Accused of Sexually Assaulting Teen at Summer Camp
On November 26, 2019, Robbins sued BuzzFeed UK Ltd in the High Court of Ireland (No. 2019/9087 P), seeking damages for defamation, malicious falsehood, misrepresentation, breach of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He also sought an injunction under Section 33 of Ireland’s Defamation Act of 2009 to block further publication, limiting his damages claim to harm suffered within the Irish jurisdiction.7vLex Ireland. Anthony Jay Robbins v Buzzfeed UK Ltd
BuzzFeed challenged the court’s jurisdiction in March 2020, arguing the case had no connection to Ireland. In a June 2021 ruling, Mr. Justice Mark Heslin declined to resolve the jurisdiction question at that stage, finding it was a matter for a trial judge.7vLex Ireland. Anthony Jay Robbins v Buzzfeed UK Ltd
The case ended in early 2025. According to the Irish Independent, Robbins halted the proceedings and the case “appears to have been settled” as of March 2025. The terms were not made public, and it is not known whether any retraction was issued or money changed hands.8Irish Independent. US Self-Help Guru Tony Robbins Halts Irish Lawsuit Over Articles Alleging Sexual Misconduct
Kosta v. Robbins Research International: A COVID-Era Employment Case
In December 2020, former employee Despina Kosta sued Robbins, his wife Sage Robbins, and Robbins Research International in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (1:20-cv-10880). Kosta alleged she was pressed to return to work after being hospitalized and placed on a ventilator with COVID-19, and that she was denied job accommodations. Her claims cited the Americans with Disabilities Act along with New York state and city anti-discrimination laws.9Bloomberg Law. Tony Robbins, Company Settle Employee’s Covid-Based Bias Claims
In February 2021, Judge Lewis J. Liman ordered the case to arbitration. On January 6, 2022, the court approved a stipulation of dismissal after the parties agreed to settle.10CourtListener. Kosta v. Robbins Research International The financial terms were not disclosed.9Bloomberg Law. Tony Robbins, Company Settle Employee’s Covid-Based Bias Claims
Haviland v. Robbins Research International: The Website Chat Class Action
Robbins Research International is also facing a class action in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleging violations of the California Invasion of Privacy Act. In Haviland v. Robbins Research International, Inc., the plaintiff claims the company embedded code on tonyrobbins.com that recorded and transcribed users’ private chat conversations without consent. According to the complaint, the company had a financial arrangement with a third-party firm, UserWay, to intercept and monitor chats in real time and collect data including IP addresses, geolocation information, and browsing history. The suit contends the website’s privacy policy failed to disclose the sharing of visitor data with third parties.
The 2025 AI Chatbot Trademark Suit
Robbins’s most recent legal action moved him to the plaintiff’s side. On June 26, 2025, he sued InnoLeap and Mira Muse, the companies behind the AI chatbot platform YesChat, in federal court in San Diego. The complaint alleges the defendants created unauthorized bots called “Talk to Tony Robbins,” “Tony Robbins GPT,” and “Tony Robbins Español GPT” by ingesting his seminars and copyrighted material. Robbins contends the bots compete directly with his own authorized AI product, offered on his website for $99 a month.11Variety. Tony Robbins AI Chatbot YesChat Lawsuit
The suit brings claims for federal trademark infringement, false advertising, and violation of California’s right of publicity law. Robbins seeks at least $10 million in compensatory damages for unfair competition, $2 million per trademark violation, and punitive damages. As of mid-2025, the defendants had not responded to the lawsuit or to a prior cease-and-desist letter sent by Robbins’s attorney, Brian Wolf of Lavely & Singer.11Variety. Tony Robbins AI Chatbot YesChat Lawsuit
Firewalk Injuries Without Lawsuits
Robbins’s “Unleash the Power Within” seminars feature a firewalk across hot coals, and the exercise has produced injuries on at least two well-documented occasions, though no lawsuits have been publicly reported in connection with either.
In July 2012, nearly two dozen participants were treated for second- or third-degree burns after a firewalk at the San Jose Convention Center in California.12The New York Times. Nearly Two Dozen Injured at Tony Robbins Seminar In June 2016, approximately 30 to 40 participants at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas sustained foot burns, with at least five people hospitalized and released the same night. A spokeswoman for Robbins said fewer than 1% of participants typically experience “hot spots” and that trained medical staff were on site. Dallas Fire-Rescue confirmed the event organizers held all necessary permits.13CNN. Tony Robbins Hot Coal Walkers Burned