For decades, João Teixeira de Faria — known as John of God — was revered as a spiritual healer who claimed to perform miraculous surgeries without anesthesia. Desperate people from around the world traveled to Brazil, believing he could cure what doctors could not.

But behind the promise of divine healing was something far darker.

Hosted by award-winning journalist Martina Castro, Two-Faced: John of God is a six-episode limited series from Exactly Right Media and Adonde Media.

Premieres Wednesday, February 4. New episodes drop every Wednesday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Este podcast también está disponible en español — búsquenlo como Dos Caras: Juan de Dios.

See photos from the story at @exactlyright on Instagram.

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People from all walks of life are drawn to the international healer from Brazil known as John of God. While true believers claim to be spiritually cured, others describe a secret living nightmare.

Two-Faced: John of God is a production of Exactly Right Media and Adonde Media.

From Adonde Media

Hosted and written by: Martina Castro

Senior producer: Mariano Pagella

Reporting and fact checking by: Heloísa Traiano

Production assistance and research by: Giovana Romano Sanchez

Sound Designer: Mauricio Mendoza

Mastering Engineer: Martín Cruz

Original music composed by: Marianna Romano

Interpreter for Ana Paula: Giovanna Romano Sánchez

Interpreter for Luciano Miranda: Andrés Caballero

Interpreter for Marcelo Stoduto: Claudio Dias

Interpreter for Camila R: Laura Ubaté

From Exactly Right Media

Artwork: Vanessa Lilak

Executive Producers: Karen Kilgariff, Georgia Hardstark and Danielle Kramer

Consulting Producer: Lily Ladewig

Associate Producer: Jay Elias

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We go back to John of God’s early life, to learn how he started his path as a healer, leading him to create a spiritual center for what would become his international movement.

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John of God offers various kinds of treatment at his spiritual hospital, but some visitors are chosen for special one on one sessions with him. One survivor tells us what happened behind closed doors.

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Journalists from Brazil’s largest news organization look into a Facebook post accusing John of God of rape. When they find other women with similar allegations, the journalists realize they have a much bigger story on their hands.

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After the news breaks about the allegations against John of God for sexual assault, the government gets flooded with calls from other victims, launching a taskforce to take down Brazil’s most famous healer.

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