Inside Yoga To The People, The Organization Hilaria Baldwin Once Belonged To That’s Been Dubbed A ‘Cult’
This story continues to get wilder.
Sam Aronov / Shutterstock Hilaria Baldwin’s past is resurfacing, thanks to her headline-making debacle over whether she’s Spanish or not.
And while her husband, Alec Baldwin, has been quick to defend his wife of nearly a decade to everyone accusing her of faking her heritage, dozens of former classmates, friends, and others who’ve known Baldwin throughout the years are giving their two cents about the mother of five.
In a lengthy post on Reddit, one social media user revealed that Baldwin was a yoga instructor at Yoga to the People over a decade ago, and that she met her when she went by Hillary in 2008.
In the post, the user alleged that Yoga to the People (YTTP) is a cult, and that after Hilaria left Yoga to the People to open her own studio, Yoga Vida, she developed her Spanish persona. In 2011, she met Alec Baldwin at True Food and Wine, and the rest is history.
What is Yoga to the People, and why has it been dubbed a cult?
Read on to find out what to know about Yoga to the People, Hilaria Baldwin’s ties to it, and why it’s been called a cult over the years.
In their post, the Reddit user alleged that Yoga to the People is a full-on cult.
The Reddit user said that Baldwin was her yoga instructor in 2008, and after taking classes at Yoga to the People, she decided she wanted to become an instructor at the studio.
“I met Hillary back in 2008. She was my yoga instructor at Yoga to the People. She taught at least two classes per day at the St. Marks location,” the Reddit user started the post. “At the time, I decided that I wanted to become an instructor. So, I paid the $3K to join the cult (not knowing at the time that it was in fact, a cult).”
In an interview in 2017, Baldwin revealed that she became a yoga instructor in 2005 after taking classes for two weeks at Yoga to the People. The instructor who asked her to be an apprentice under him is thought to be Greg Gumucio, the founder of YTTP who based his business model off of donations, which the Reddit user confirms in her post.
“That is most absolutely him,” the Reddit user responded to another user who asked if he was the instructor Baldwin mentioned in her 2017 interview.
Dozens of former members of Yoga to the People have come forward about the abuse and manipulation they experienced.
In July 2020, a bombshell investigation shed light on the problematic organization led by Gumucio, and dozens of former members came forward with allegations of “sexual misconduct, toxic management, racial discrimination, unfair labor practices, and abuse of power.”
Former members of YTTP said that Gumucio preyed on young, vulnerable women, and had relationships with multiple members at the same time.
“I felt really at ease, I would share things with him, and he didn't judge me for anything. It was the first time that I didn't feel shame about the previous trauma,” one former member said.
Another former YTTP member detailed the unfair labor practices, saying, “If the class doesn’t open or gets cancelled” (due to low turnout), “you don’t get paid, despite preparing or cleaning the room. That puts you in this loophole of ‘teaching’ something like 12 classes a week, but not getting paid.”
“I would stay for, like, three, four, or five hours sometimes, but they always paid me the same amount,” another former member said. “They present this beautiful facade. But at the end of the day, it’s a business in a capitalist society. They’re trying to keep the business running and they’re trying to make money.”
Hilaria Baldwin allegedly had “deep ties” to Greg Gumucio and his son.
The same Reddit user who wrote about Hilaria being her yoga instructor also alleged that Baldwin was “heavily involved” with Gumucio:
“Hillary was deeply involved in the company and had a very close relationship to Greg and his son. At the time, Greg was sleeping with as many as 10+ woman in the ‘company’ and none of them knew of one another.
When I first saw Hillary and Greg together, I actually thought they were married because of the way that they interacted and because of how she held and played with said son. When I inquired about it with one of the managers (who I now know he was also sleeping with), she said ‘I know it's funny right? You would think they were married, but they're not.’”
Baldwin left YTTP in 2010 and opened her own yoga studio called Yoga Vida.
Hilaria opened her own studio in 2010 called Yoga Vida, and that’s when she started to develop her new persona:
“She and I stayed in touch becuase [sic] we had some mututal friends still working at YTTP and she had a live music class that she asked me to do for her (I'm a musician). We lost touch around 2011. This is when she met Alec and I subsequently escaped from the cult.
After she met Alec, she started her new life and I couldn't get a hold of her anymore. She started to adopt her new persona and drop her old life.
She was not Spanish when I met her. She was really into ballroom dancing. She never hurt me personally but I did question her integrity based on how she handled opening her new studio, and not speaking out about the abuses at YTTP. She says she wants privacy, but her life is on constant display.”
The Reddit user also shared an interesting tidbit about Baldwin “spending time in Spain,” and alleged that after she came back from her vacation, she started speaking with an accent.
“She didn’t speak with a Spanish accent, and then she went on vacation to Spain and came back speaking with the Spanish accent,” they wrote.
While this story continues to be one of the strangest sagas of 2020, one thing’s for sure: we haven’t even scratched the surface when it comes to the mysterious life of Hilaria Baldwin and her past.
Olivia Jakiel is an editor and writer who covers celebrity and entertainment news. Follow her on Instagram and keep up with her zingers on Twitter.