Less than two weeks after announcing her second presidential campaign, the author and self-help guru Marianne Williamson has been hit with allegations of “abusive” behavior toward staffers working on her 2020 presidential campaign.

The author of 14 books, Williamson describes herself as “a leader in spiritual and religiously progressive circles.” She gained a national profile through appearances on Oprah Winfrey’s daytime talk show and has positioned herself as an opponent of the Democratic political establishment.

Yet speaking to Politico, 12 former employees described Williamson as full of anger and rage, painting a very different picture of her personality to the one she showcases to the world.

“It would be foaming, spitting, uncontrollable rage,” said one of the former staffers. “It was traumatic. And the experience, in the end, was terrifying.”

Her outbursts were reportedly so severe that she would throw her phone at them and hotel staff would knock on the door to confirm everything was alright.

“She would get caught in these vicious emotional loops,” said another staffer. “This was day after day after day. It wasn’t that she was having a bad day or moment. It was just boom, boom, boom – and often for no legitimate reason.”

Williamson has categorically denied the allegations, which risk effectively derailing her campaign before it has even begun.

Describing them as “slanderous” and “categorically untrue,” she said: “Former staffers trying to score points with the political establishment by smearing me might be good for their careers but the intention is to deflect attention from the important issues facing the American people.”

She dismissed the claims were part of “concerted efforts to dismiss and denigrate” her campaign, adding that the “amplification of outright lies should not occur”.

Williamson launched her campaign earlier this month, declaring she wanted to take on the “system” that currently rules America.

“I want to be president because this country needs to make an economic U-turn,” Williamson told ABC. “The system that effectuates and perpetuates that kind of income and opportunity inequality is not changing itself… It’s not going to change if we continue to elect the same-old, same-old.”