Joyce Green started doing yoga to lose weight. Then she said she had a vision of Jesus, and from there she became Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati, the wildly charismatic leader of the Kashi Ashram church on a ranch in Indian River County, north of Vero Beach. And that's who she was for the rest of her life, right up until she died last year.
She was revered by droves of followers. Celebrities like Julia Roberts and Arlo Guthrie spent time with her on the ranch, and spoke glowingly about her. But as Miami New Times reporter Terrence McCoy recently reported, many say she had a very dark side too, alleging psychological, physical and even sexual abuse.
Now, her own daughter is suing the church.
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