CNN Panelist Defends Dalai Lama Telling Young Boy To ‘Suck My Tongue’: ‘Nothing Sexual’

A CNN panelist has defended the Dalai Lama, Tibetans’ spiritual leader, after a video surfaced online showing him kissing a young boy on the mouth in northern India earlier this year. The incident occurred during an event for the M3M Foundation, a philanthropy group established by an Indian real estate company in February in the hillside city of Dharamshala. After kissing the boy, the Dalai Lama extended his tongue and asked the child to “suck my tongue.”

Rolling Stone columnist Jay Michaelson claimed that meeting the Dalai Lama was “one of the most powerful experiences” in his life and that the Dalai Lama’s actions were not sexual. “There’s nothing sexual or erotic happening in this encounter,” he said. He added that the Dalai Lama was demonstrating an “aura of love and kindness” in the video, which some people may misinterpret as a weird, kind of gross sexualized way.

CNN’s Alisyn Camerota countered by saying that the boy’s body language indicated that “the boy doesn’t want to do it.” The Haq- Center for Child Rights, a prominent child rights group in the area, also denounced “all forms of child abuse,” stating that such cultural expressions are unacceptable.

The Dalai Lama’s Twitter account, which has 19 million followers, released a statement apologizing for the incident. “His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras,” the statement said. “He wishes to apologize to the boy and his family and his many friends across the world for the hurt his words may have caused. He regrets the incident.”

The CNN panel discussion regarding the Dalai Lama is creating controversy among people worldwide.

🤢 This is an alarming scene! The Dalai Lama, who has had ties to NXIVM in the past, caught on camera trying to make advances to an Indian boy.

You can clearly see the boy’s body language as he yanks back the first time, then throws his head upward as the Dalai-Lama says “SUCK… pic.twitter.com/CorBr8tiDz

— NATLY DENISE (@NatlyDenise_) April 9, 2023

The incident has stirred up heated discussions, social media rants, and been criticized for being culturally inappropriate towards a child.

Missing some context here @DalaiLama https://t.co/wCjdmY8eT3 pic.twitter.com/JS1mxQlkIT

— Yashar Ali 🐘 یاشار (@yashar) April 10, 2023