Tulsi Gabbard's father gives shocking explanation for son's behavior after he was arrested for luring children

Published: 23:25, 19 July 2026 | Updated: 23:25, 19 July 2026 Tulsi Gabbard's father has offered a shocking explanation for his son's inappropriate behavior after he was arrested for allegedly luring children into a hotel room. Bhakti 'Batarti' Gabbard, 55, the brother of the former Director of National Intelligence and the son of Hawaii state Sen Mike Gabbard, is accused of approaching several children near the pool at a hotel in Waikīkī on July 12, according to Honolulu police. He asked for their names, wrote them in a notebook, and offered them money and chewing gum in exchange for accompanying him to his room, witnesses told police. The children refused and Gabbard allegedly walked away. A 42-year-old woman then reported the 'stranger danger' incident to authorities.  Bhakti was arrested on Friday afternoon and charged with second-degree custodial interference. He has not yet entered a plea. But his father has since told KITV that Bhakti had battled mental health issues for many years and was suffering from a drug-induced psychiatric episode. The state senator described how his son had been sleeping on the streets and gave his car away to a homeless person. He was also arrested for theft on Thursday. He appeared before a court Friday morning and pleaded not guilty to the charge. Bhakti was then released after the hearing - only to be taken into custody several hours later on the custodial interference charge. Bhakti 'Batarti' Gabbard, 55, is accused of approaching several children near the pool at a hotel in Waikīkī on July 12 Gabbard's parents Mike and Carol claim the 55-year-old is suffering from a mental health episode and that his wife Kimberly (second from right) kicked him out of the house In their statement, Mike and his wife Carol said Bhakti was 'doing well for the last 10 years,' but began acting erratically several days ago after 'smoking pot.' 'His wife kicked him out of the house, so he's been sleeping on the streets. He gave away his car to a homeless person; lost his ID and phone and has no money,' they said. 'He's renamed himself, Batarti, and also Jim Morrison Jr., as he's having delusions of being a rock star.' Just hours before the alleged hotel incident, Bhakti even took to social media to promote his music career - urging his followers to have a 'sneak listen' of his new song 'before it goes viral.' 'Namaste family,' he wrote. 'Super excited about getting into the Sessions recording studio tomorrow to record some life-altering music to offer to the Lord.' He continued: 'Aloha and I welcome all of you to join me on this crazy ride Lord Krishna has in store for me. Fame and fortune is imminent, but I intend to use both to help the world discover Bhakti-yoga by using mantras in the choruses of my singles. 'Look forward to seeing you all soon at one of my shows.'  The 55-year-old has since been admitted to a local hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, where he told doctors they would find 'cocaine, ice and pot in his blood tests.' Bhakti was then placed on a 72-hour hold while his care team and family work to determine next steps, the state senator said.  Bhakti, Tulsi, Carol, Mike and Narayan Gabbard pictured together in December last year The senator also told Fox News on Saturday night: 'We love him, and asked him to follow the protocol at the hospital, which he says he will do. 'We're praying for his speedy recovery, and would appreciate the prayers of others.' In the meantime, Bhakti's wife of nearly a decade, Kimberly, has filed a petition for a protective order, alleging that she feared for her safety. She claimed in the court filing that Bhakti was previously diagnosed with bipolar disorder with psychotic features, as well as narcissism.  Then, on July 11, just one day before the incident at the hotel, Kimberly said Bhakti was 'gravely disabled (psychotic break),' according to a petition reviewed by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Kimberly also described how Gabbard was allegedly singing loudly on the main stage at the Ala Moana Center shopping mall, disrupted others and was forced to leave the facility by security. She said that after the incident she tried to stop him from driving, but he got angry and refused. Bhakti's wife, Kimberly,  has filed a petition for a protective order, alleging that she feared for her safety A family court judge denied the petition on Friday.  But Bhakti is due back in court on August 14 for a hearing in relation to his theft arrest on Thursday. No court date has yet been set for his custodial interference charge.  The Daily Mail has not received a response to its request for comment from Tulsi or Mike Gabbard. Calls to a phone number associated with Kimberly went unanswered.