Dr. Sebi (whose real name is Alfredo Bowman) has gotten renewed attention following Nipsey Hussle’s tragic shooting death. Hussle was working on a documentary about Dr. Sebi when he was killed. Sebi was a Honduran herbalist and biologist who claimed to have cured everything from cancer to AIDS. Sebi died at the age of 82 while he was battling pneumonia and in police custody. He had been arrested for money laundering and died on the way to the hospital. His wife, Patsy Bowman, carries on his work now that he’s gone, along with his daughter. Here is what you need to know about Patsy.
1. Patsy Bowman Runs a Website Selling Dr. Sebi’s Products Called International Healing
International Healing
Patsy Bowman is running a different herbal company from Dr. Sebi’s Cell Food, which you may see online if you search for Dr. Sebi. Bowman. Her company is called International Healing. According to the FAQ on the site: “Our products are as authentic as it gets. Patsy Bowman is the widow of Dr. Sebi. She has worked along side him for over 20 years. Quite naturally she knows the formula to every product Dr. Sebi has sold and has also been the one making the products while he ran the Honduras village. To answer the question, yes, our products are 100% authentic. No extras or additives just the traditional and original herbal supplements the world loves!”
2. Dr. Sebi’s Cell Food Website Is Run by a Student of Sebi, Not His Family
YouTube
Meanwhile, the website commonly associated with Dr. Sebi — Dr. Sebi’s Cell Food — is run by a student of his and not his family. There has been some controversy over which site has Sebi’s real formula. You can see Sebi’s Cell Food site here (we’re linking to an archive because the website is down due to increased Internet attention from Hussle’s death.) According to this site’s FAQ, Pablo Medina, Dr. Sebi’s “disciple,” now runs this company. Pablo Medina was arrested at the same time as Dr. Sebi and was released from jail several months after Sebi died.
The FAQ reads, in part: “Dr. Sebi’s death, unfortunately, opened an opportunity for other “experts” to come forward and to make unfounded claims about our company and the formulas used to make Dr. Sebi’s Cell Food. Not one of these people have any proof or grounds for the accusations against Dr. Sebi or his products. Dr. Sebi’s Cell Food is today run by people selected and trained by Dr. Sebi himself. The staff at Dr. Sebi’s Cell Food is managed by Pablo Medina, Dr. Sebi’s disciple, friend and long time associate. Pablo Medina is the only person who worked with Dr. Sebi when he developed his latest and improved formulas.”
3. Bowman Said She Wants To Continue Her Husband’s Legacy, But There’s Controversy Over Who Is Selling His ‘Authentic’ Products
On her website, Patsy Bowman says that she worked alongside her husband and wants to continue his legacy. She wrote, in part:
I want to personally thank all of you who have called my office and sent your condolences regarding the passing of my husband Mr. Dr. Sebi. It has been an overwhelming time for us all but the love and light that you guys have wished me and our family is definitely appreciated. We will continue his great legacy and healing of the world. The herbs will continue to be in production with authenticity, care, originality and perfection. It is my responsibility and I gladly take the duty of supplying the herbs our community needs. I know you all have a lot of questions and I have answers. Please give me time as I will be posting videos on my website that will answer questions and taking lead where my husband left off. … These products are the same compounds that have been used throughout the years of us practicing healing. 100% Original and authentic herbal compounds. Most of you know that Dr. Sebi strongly believed women were the natural healers. I have spent years alongside my husband curating our most popular herbs such as; Viento, Banju, Tonic, H1, Green Food etc. Those I did not help create were then taught to me to produce while Sebi was in Honduras. What I’m simply saying is “Your health is in good hands.” If you have any health concerns or questions, please feel free to ask any of my trained staff and they will be glad to assist you.
There is some controversy around her company. Some claim that Dr. Sebi filed a lawsuit against the creation of a competing company before he died and that he and Patsy Bowman were estranged before he passed away. It’s not clear if any of that information is accurate, but here is a video addressing that question:
Patsy released her own video on the topic, disputing the claims:
4. Dr. Sebi Had 17 Children When He Died
Nick Cannon has announced that he will honor the late Nipsey Hussle by completing his controversial documentary on Dr. Sebi
When he died, Dr. Sebi had 17 children, according to The Root. He once claimed that he was able to have a baby at the age of 80 because of his herbal products.
5. His Previous Wife, Maa Bowman, Was Named with Him in a Legal Consent Agreement Against Their Products
Dr. Sebi was married once before Patsy, to Maa Bowman. She was named in a consent agreement against Sebi by the New York Attorney General. It barred Ogun Herbal Research Institute, Fig Tree Products, Alfredo Bowman, and Maa Bowman and their successors from claiming their products were effective against AIDS, herpes, leukemia, sickle cell anemia, lupus, or other human diseases, or selling their products as such. You can read the 1988 consent agreement here.
Maa’s business has also been caught up in the controversy about who is selling Dr. Sebi’s authentic products. She gives a different viewpoint in the video above. Maa Sebi is currently with Fig Tree Bio Electric according to the company’s website.
It should be noted that according to some sources, Maa and Dr. Sebi were still married and were together for 30 years. In the two hour video below, Maa says that they had three children together and she helped him create his original formula.
And in this video below, Dr. Sebi’s grandson said that his grandfather was only legally married to Melba Jean Bowman for more than 50 years.