Ousted CBS ‘Star’ Hit With Fresh Fallout After Epstein Shame
Oura, the maker of a popular smart ring, could stand to gain from Peter Attia’s fall from grace.
Peter Attia, the longevity expert who was fired from his CBS News commentator position due to his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, is facing a new professional obstacle, this time from a health technology company known for its Oura ring.
Oura Health Ltd., the maker of the widely used smart ring for tracking sleep and activity, filed a lawsuit against Attia on Friday, after the company filed a counterclaim.
Attia, 52, is one of several individuals suing Oura, accusing the company of offering him stock options in exchange for promoting the product, before reneging on its promise.
The company now appears to be profiting from the fact that Attia’s name appears more than 1,700 times in U.S. Department of Justice documents related to Epstein.
On Thursday, Oura filed a counterclaim against the health influencer, accusing him of “concealing a close and long-standing personal relationship with Epstein while publicly presenting himself as a trusted health expert and company representative.”
A Oura spokesperson told The Daily Beast: “The recent revelations about Peter Attia’s long-standing relationship with Jeffrey Epstein are deeply disturbing and were completely unknown to us. Epstein’s crimes caused immense harm to women and girls, and anyone who had a relationship with him, especially after those crimes were made public, must answer some serious questions.”
The spokesperson also addressed the company’s ongoing legal proceedings against Attia, which have already raised concerns within the medical community that the health expert may be manipulating his message for financial gain.
Oura’s spokesperson added: “Over the years, Attia has unfairly profited from Oura’s success while concealing conduct fundamentally contrary to our values as a brand dedicated to women’s health and well-being. We will take firm action to defend our values and our commitment to the women we serve.”
Oura rings have seen a surge in popularity in recent years and have been seen on the wrists of celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Aniston, and Prince Harry.
Attia, who could not be reached for comment, was dismissed from several positions after it was revealed that he had regular contact with Epstein until the spring of 2019, just before the notorious sex offender’s arrest for sex trafficking.
“What Attia failed to mention is Epstein’s central role in this affair,” states the complaint filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.
In 2015, Epstein’s former girlfriend introduced Attia to him, believing they would “enjoy each other’s company.” Her intuition proved correct. Attia began assisting Epstein as a physician and nutritionist, and in return, Epstein provided her with professional advice, emotional support, and an accomplice in exploiting women.
Last month, Attia resigned from his position as a contributor at CBS News just weeks after being carefully selected by editor Barry Weiss, known for her anti-progressive views. Weiss reportedly did everything she could to keep him as a health expert despite the seemingly friendly relationship between Epstein and Attia, a relationship in which Attia, an influencer in the longevity movement, made sexually explicit comments in emails released under the Epstein Freedom of Information Act.
In June 2015, Attia lamented that the “biggest problem” with her friendship with Epstein was “that your life is so scandalous, and yet I can’t tell anyone.”
In 2016, Attia wrote to Epstein: “P—y is already low in carbohydrates. We are still waiting for the results regarding the gluten content.”
Another set of emails revealed that in 2017, when Attia’s infant son was admitted to intensive care, he ignored his wife’s pleas to return from New York to San Diego and planned to meet with Epstein the following day.
This health industry influencer, labeled a “medical fraud” and likened to a purveyor of illusions, amassed millions of dollars by sponsoring numerous companies in the sector, some of which withdrew after Attia’s close ties to Epstein were revealed.
Notably, Attia resigned as a major investor in David Protein, a leading protein bar company currently facing legal action for misleading nutritional information.
Aura is not the only company using Epstein’s documents as leverage in court. Last month, John Schneiter, founder of Papa John’s, exploited the presence of entertainment executive Casey Wasserman’s name in these documents to coerce him into providing a second testimony in an ongoing legal case.
In 2019, Schneiter sued Wasserman, head of LA28, and his creative agency, Laundry Service, accusing them of leaking audio recordings of the pizza mogul making racial slurs, according to Deadline. Schneiter claims the leak was retaliation for his attempts to fire him from the agency.
“This new information raises serious questions about Mr. Wasserman’s testimony in Mr. Schneitter’s lawsuit against Laundry Service,” Mark Serrano, a spokesperson for Schneitter, told Deadline last month.
While Epstein’s documents have proven useful to some companies, the same cannot be said for the convicted financier’s victims.
The Justice Department missed the December deadline for releasing millions of documents related to Epstein. Furthermore, some of the documents initially released did not redact the names of victims in certain cases, and the names of the deceased sex offender’s associates, including, according to some sources, Donald Trump, were redacted.
