Twisted Yoga lands on Apple TV as new docuseries details alleged tantric cult exploitation
Twisted yoga debuted on Apple TV on March 14, 2026, with a three-part true crime series spotlighting women who say they were exploited after joining tantric-focused yoga communities. The series centers on Romanian “guru” Gregorian Bivolaru and an international network of yoga studios, with allegations that include coerced sexual “initiations” and control over recruits’ movements and communications. The release is drawing renewed attention to survivor accounts describing red flags, secrecy demands, and alleged pressure into sex work, while Bivolaru faces charges in France that he denies.
What the series says happened—and what’s alleged
Apple’s official summary for the series says it follows young yoga students from around the world who were drawn to tantra “in search of inner peace and purpose, ” only to fall under the influence of Bivolaru, described as the spiritual leader of a network of yoga studios specializing in tantric rituals. The summary states that select female students were summoned to Bivolaru’s Paris apartment for private “initiations, ” and that he now faces charges in France including human trafficking, kidnapping, and rape—allegations he denies—as women work with French authorities to convict him.
A separate review of the documentary describes a chain of events presented as shocking but handled with sensitivity toward interviewees. In that account, women describe being invited to an “exclusive yoga retreat” at a villa in Romania under restrictive rules and an atmosphere of fear and control. One described being expected to take part in hours-long sex with an elderly man as part of a so-called transfiguration process, while others described being transported to Prague to work unpaid shifts on a camgirl site after an initiation, framed to them as a spiritual act.
Immediate reactions from survivors and filmmakers
Ashleigh Freckleton, identified in the documentary as a former participant who joined what she believed was a yoga school in London in 2018, described being drawn in during a difficult personal period and initially seeing classes as “all about yoga” before events escalated. She said her doubts surfaced strongly during a trip to Romania where she encountered what she called “bizarre red flags, ” including curfews, bans on swimming and sun exposure, and being required to hand over her passport and SIM card, alongside public shaming when rules were broken.
Freckleton also described a moment of internal conflict after returning to classes, saying the calm she felt during practice caused her to dismiss earlier fears. Later, when invited on a trip to Paris framed as an opportunity to meet “the Master, ” she chose to leave before any initiation. She described the decision as cumulative—built from feeling overwhelmed and sensing something was “strange and controlling. ”
Director Rowan Deacon, credited in the review as the filmmaker behind the series, is described as mapping the psychological landscape that can keep people engaged even amid obvious alarm bells. The review emphasizes that interviewees are presented as articulate and astute rather than ridiculed, while still showing how a community promising guidance and “next steps” could become a mechanism for exploitation.
Quick context on why this story is resonating now
The release positions the show as a rare true crime original series for Apple TV, available in full as a three-part docuseries with episodes running roughly 42 to 50 minutes. The core narrative threads include alleged manipulation within tantric ritual settings, demands for secrecy about whereabouts, and accounts of coercion tied to sexual “initiation” practices.
What’s next after twisted yoga drops
With the full season now available, the immediate next development will be public scrutiny of the allegations and the specific experiences described by the women interviewed, including claims of forced secrecy and surrendering identification and communications. The Apple summary also points toward ongoing legal stakes in France, where Bivolaru faces charges that he denies, and where the women are described as working with French authorities—keeping twisted yoga likely to remain a live topic as viewers process the testimony presented in the series.
