$56-million penalty hasn’t stopped alleged cult leader’s attacks on Canadians

CTV News · Derek Miller, Avery Haines · 2026-11-06 14:12 UTC

You might think that a $56-million penalty would be an effective deterrent for pretty much anything, but it has done little to stop an alleged cult leader from publicly attacking three Canadians.

Warning: This article contains harsh language.

You might think that a $56-million penalty would be an effective deterrent for pretty much anything, but it has done little to stop an alleged cult leader from publicly attacking three Canadians.

In August, a Honolulu jury awarded the Canadians C$56 million after finding that the self-described spiritual teacher, Liana Shanti, defamed them. The trio from Saskatchewan was not a part of the Liana Shanti community, but were targeted because they were in disputes with estranged family members who were Shanti students.

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