The Lawyer Who Sued Her Own Boss | Inside the Bikram Yoga Sexual Harassment Trial

Micki Jafa-Bodden proves that standing up to a predator isn't career suicide — it's the ultimate act of moral courage when everyone else is too scared to speak. Hosts Shana Ayabe and Kisha Imani Cameron sit down with the former in-house counsel and VP of Compliance for Bikram Yoga, a lawyer who uncovered a pattern of sexual harassment and assault so pervasive it reached into hotel rooms, training camps, and even her own workplace — then did the unthinkable: sued her own employer, took it to trial, and won a unanimous multi-million dollar jury verdict. From being headhunted in her late thirties to transform a mom-and-pop yoga operation into a world-class franchise across 38 countries, to discovering the founder's decades-long pattern of predatory behavior toward young trainees, to becoming a target herself when he beckoned her into his hotel bed during a deposition prep, Micki unpacks her journey of radical accountability — how she went from protecting the company to protecting the victims, why she refused to settle or go quietly into the night, and how taking on one of the most powerful figures in the yoga world cost her everything but gave her back her voice. Micki reveals how death threats became part of the defense's intimidation tactics, and why she was the only person to ever take Bikram Choudhury to trial and win — while others settled in silence. She shares raw truths about the "nut, slut, gold digger" defense strategy used against sexual harassment victims, how defendants cycle through eight or nine sets of attorneys just to run out the clock and demoralize you, and why avoiding the courtroom should be your first instinct unless you're dealing with someone who thinks they're above the law. Plus, why her colleagues and outside counsel believed her immediately when she reported the hotel room incident, and how the yoga community's cult-like devotion to their guru made accountability nearly impossible — until a jury of everyday people saw through the smoke and mirrors. Micki reflects on what she lost, what she reclaimed, the Netflix documentary that made it all famous and what justice actually looks like when the headlines fade. For anyone navigating a toxic workplace, weighing whether to speak up, or trying to understand the personal toll of standing up to power, this episode is a deeply honest look at courage, consequence, and what it means to exit with your integrity intact. Hosts: Shana Ayabe x Kisha Imani Cameron Guest: Micki Jafa-Bodden | Former VP of Compliance & In-House Counsel, Bikram Yoga | Attorney & Advocate IG: https://www.instagram.com/mickiyoga/?hl=en Produced by: Grace Media Digital The Exit Interview | On-Air — Real conversations. Standing up to power and predators. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:40 From London Law to Los Angeles Yoga: Mickey's Legal Journey 00:02:53 Building a World-Class Franchise: The Early Days at Bikram 00:05:30 Red Flags and Ethical Dilemmas: When the Guru Wouldn't Change 00:08:02 The Trojan Horse Lawsuit: Uncovering a Pattern of Abuse 00:13:50 The Bedroom Incident: When Sexual Harassment Hit Home 00:18:27 The God Complex: Death Threats and Witness Intimidation 00:19:40 The Decision to Sue: Duty Over Fear 00:21:09 Cult of Personality: The Pied Piper of Yoga 00:23:07 Taking on Power: Advice for Sexual Harassment Victims 00:16:42 The Marathon to Trial: Two and a Half Years of Legal Warfare 00:28:21 Victory and Vindication: The Unanimous Jury Verdict 00:30:59 Protecting Her Daughter: Navigating Motherhood During Litigation 00:33:30 The Cost of Justice: Career Suicide and Reinvention 00:27:48 Life After the Verdict: Enforcement, Bankruptcy, and the Fugitive 00:37:12 Not Slut Gold Digger: The Defense Playbook Exposed 00:37:37 Finding Her Voice: From High Profile to No Profile 00:25:28 Would She Do It Again: Reflections and Regrets