Wellness guru arrested for manslaughter and drink driving over fatal head-on crash which left car driver dead

The 32-year-old wellness influencer was driving a 2019 Mercedes Benz after leaving an event at the luxury restaurant Nobu around 10:20pm on Thursday July 4 last year, which is Independence Day in the United States. It is then that her car “crossed the center median for unknown reasons,” crashing head-on with a 2020 Cadillac, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department stated at the time of the incident.

Both Wheaton and the passenger in the Cadillac were taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. The Cadillac driver, Martin Okeke, was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

If convicted of gross vehicular manslaughter, Wheaton could face up to 10 years in prison. She has also been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol causing bodily injury and driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or above causing bodily injury. These charges can be prosecuted as misdemeanors or felonies, with each punishable by up to three years in prison.

The social media star posted a $250,000 (around £197,000) bond and was released later the same day of her arrest. The influencer’s Instagram account, @yepitsmesummer, which was made private since the time of the incident but is now once again public, still boasts more than 102,000 followers. On it, she is described her as a founder of two startups and one nonprofit, a speaker and “wellness advocate.” Her personal website and TikTok page were taken down in July.

The crash occurred after Wheaton reportedly left Nobu restaurant, in Malibu, according to ABC7. The night club Bootsy Bellows was hosting its annual “Red, White and Bootsy” event at the restaurant, where guests, including Tyga, Wiz Khalifa and Mike Tyson, dressed in all-white outfits while drinking Belvedere Vodka, the Malibu Times first reported.

Malibu officials told the outlet they had rejected Nobu’s request for a permit for the party since the owners didn’t comply with traffic and safety stipulations, but it still went ahead anyway.

Okeke’s family brought a wrongful death lawsuit against Wheaton in December, in which they alleged that the influencer was “severely intoxicated and impaired” at the time of the incident. Their lawsuit also named Nobu Malibu, the Hwood Group LLC and DBDJ LLC as defendants, further alleging that Wheaton had been hired to attend the party and was “expected to consume intoxicants” as part of her contract. An attorney for Nobu denied Wheaton had been hired by the restaurant.

In the wake of the tragedy, Malibu Mayor Steve Uhring issued a statement. He said: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life resulting from [the] accident. This heartbreaking incident underscores the importance of the City’s ongoing efforts to address safety on Pacific Coast Highway.”

On her website, Wheaton had written: “I'm leveraging solutions to address the exclusion, disappointment and judgment experienced in the wellness world. These ventures not only reflect my commitment to innovation but also my goal to make an impact in these spaces. Additionally, I'm deeply passionate about personal development and well-being.” She also listed her core values as inclusion, trust, knowledge and satisfaction.

The last post on her Instagram page was on February 17, which was a video of her discussing with her fans how miracles are right at the other side of their lowest moment.