Warning: This article contains harsh language.
In part four of this five-part W5 investigation: “Fake Filtered Cult Leader,” CTV News’ investigative unit examines a self-described spiritual teacher whose online presence helped attract followers around the world. Drawing on interviews and extensive reporting, W5 explores concerns raised by former members and the questions surrounding the organization behind the carefully curated public image.
You might think that a $56-million penalty would be an effective deterrent for pretty much anything, but it has done little to stop an alleged cult leader from publicly attacking three Canadians.
In August, a Honolulu jury awarded the Canadians C$56 million after finding that the self-described spiritual teacher, Liana Shanti, defamed them. The trio from Saskatchewan was not a part of the Liana Shanti community, but were targeted because they were in disputes with estranged family members who were Shanti students.
The verdict
Liana Shanti believed the Canadians were behind a social media account and online posts that called her a cult leader and a fraudster. She filed a defamation suit against them. The Canadians filed a counter-suit because of her online posts that called them, among other things, “pedo supporters,” “Satanists” and child abusers.
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At a civil trial in Honolulu in August, the jury sided with the Canadians and handed out one of the largest awards in Hawaii history.
The attacks continue
Since that August verdict, Liana Shanti has continued to post online content about the three - by name - 207 times. Some of that content is similar to what was found to be defamatory by the jury.
One of the Canadians who successfully counter-sued Liana Shanti, Byron Horvath has been mentioned in 142 posts on Instagram. Many include vile accusations, which were rejected by the jury, involving abuse of his young daughter.
For example, on Oct. 27, 2026 Shanti posted an Instagram story that said, in part, “...her dad locks her in her room and won’t let her out to pee so she has been peeing on her bedroom floor.”
At trial, one of the statements that the eight-person jury found to be untrue and defamatory included the similar phrase, “Byron Horvath…Locked her in a room for hours where she had to pee on the floor.”
On Oct. 26, 2026, she posted that Horvath “sexually and physically abused their child,” and attributed it to his ex-wife, Haley, who used to be a Liana Shanti student.
Shanti has repeatedly posted old messages from Haley to lend credence to her new online attacks.
But it’s clear that Haley is no longer a supporter of Liana Shanti or what she posts online.
In a statement to W5, Byron’s ex-wife, Haley writes, “Byron, his wife Stefanie, our daughter, our families, others and myself have walked through hell and back because of my involvement in [Shanti’s] programs.”
“[We] lovingly co-parent our daughter, who is thriving…I choose to focus on love and repairing all that was broken after my time spent in a cult.”
Haley’s statement is included, in full, at the bottom of this article.
On Oct. 7, 2026, Liana Shanti posted on Instagram about Byron’s wife, Stefanie, with the caption, “IS [sic] Stefanie covering up abuse?” She posted another version of that story the following day.
During the trial, similar statements were deemed to be untrue and defamatory including: “[e]vil dark satanic people like Byron Horvath, Stefanie Vogt, manipulate and use corrupt systems to gag and silence mothers speaking out about abuse.”
Liana Shanti has also put out a call to her followers to feed her content about Byron’s wife, Stefanie, posting, “Do you have any information regarding Stefanie Horvath?”
Shanti has made similar posts on X, formerly Twitter, naming all three Canadians repeatedly in the past few days.
Her promise to the court
All of this comes despite the fact that after the verdict, Shanti signed a declaration to the court that read, “I will not post in the future any statement about the defendants that I know to be false…”
In an email, W5 asked Shanti about the new posts and their similarity to statements found to be defamatory. She defended her actions, writing, “I have no intention of sharing anything I know to be false.” Her defence is that what she writes was told to her by other people and she believes it to be true.
She writes in one online post, “TRUTH is a defense to defamation. But I wasn’t alllwed [sic] to SPEAK on the truth I was given.”
And then Shanti turned her attention to W5, suggesting that we have been bribed. She writes, “Shortly after I finished my recent stories, a Canadian news reporter who has been obsessed with this case emailed me about my intentions… I have no doubt they are being paid by [the father of one of the defendants].”
She followed that up with a post on Wednesday of this week that says, “Imagine the fool who considers themself a ‘journalist’ and doesn’t actually seek out facts. Those with a cognition level beyond a second grader see right through it.”
W5 has repeatedly offered Liana Shanti the opportunity to sit down and tell her side of the story. We also offered to hear from her current students. She refused both requests and has now blocked W5 from her Instagram account.
Secrets are weapons
Amanda Brady, who was a Liana Shanti student for more than eight years, says that her former teacher collects and then weaponizes information that she gleans from her followers.
“Especially if it’s somebody who has knowledge of Liana’s inner workings and her life, the online attacks start,” she says in an interview from her home in Regina. “She goes after that person on her social media as an attempt to shut them up.”
Amanda says that when she was kicked out of the community, Shanti shared - and continues to share - hundreds of posts about personal and private information.
“Now you have to worry about the fear and the fallout of what’s going to happen if all of my deepest, darkest things that I’ve ever shared with my teacher who I trusted are blasted on the internet for everyone to see,” says Amanda. “Of course no one’s going to want to leave on their own accord, right?”
On Thursday, Liana Shanti wrote on Instagram, “I WILL speak until ALL OF THE EVIDENCE PROOF FACTS DOCUMENTS TIMELINE are for all the world to see…I don’t give a FUCK what anyone says about me because JESUS knows me by name.”
Full statement from Haley Winter, Byron Horvath’s ex-wife:
I have not seen internet posts from Liane Wilson for over three years. Others have shared that Liane Wilson [aka Liana Shanti] has consistently continued to speak and post on the internet about myself and others involved in recent legal judgements. I do not consent to anyone using a public platform in any way to control, slander and publicly humiliate myself, family or anyone else connected to me. I experienced first-hand the cost of trusting Liane Wilson, taking her advice and believing her to be an authority over my life. My family is one of many targeted. Byron, his wife Stefanie, our daughter, our families, others and myself have walked through hell and back because of my involvement in her programs. I have taken accountability for my choices and the consequences of them. We have moved on. I have rebuilt my life. Byron, his wife Stefanie and I lovingly co-parent our daughter who is thriving. I wish for anyone reading this to choose peace and love over chaos, gossip and illusion. For myself, I choose to focus on love and repairing all that was broken after my time spent in a cult.
