To thousands of people around the world, João Teixeira de Faria was known as John of God, a traditional Brazilian spiritual healer famous for performing miraculous medical procedures without anesthesia. But in 2018, it became clear that John of God was keeping a dark secret that would ultimately lead to his downfall. In this series, we follow a guru who built a holy empire, the criminal activity that made it possible and the powerful network of believers who protect him even to this day. Two-Faced: John of God is a story about the reach of global faith healing movements, the power of belief and just how far we will go before we question it all.You can also find this show en español wherever you get your podcasts. Just look for Dos Caras: Juan de Dios.
Award-winning journalist Becky Milligan introduces the captivating story of two Australian lovers who con their way into British high society, revealing their dark secrets and elusive nature.
4 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT
6: The Fall
The prosecution builds a unique case against John of God and takes him to trial, but was justice served? We hear from the victims, now several years since everything came to light, and the international spiritual community that is still flocking to Abadiania to this day.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
25 Feb 2026TRANSCRIPT
5: Taking Down John of God
This episode explores how authorities respond to allegations against John of God, initiating a task force after numerous victims report sexual assault.
18 Feb 2026TRANSCRIPT
4: Breaking the Silence
Journalists investigate a Facebook post accusing John of God of rape and uncover a pattern of similar allegations, revealing a much larger story of abuse.
11 Feb 2026TRANSCRIPT
3: The Treatment
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
4 Feb 2026TRANSCRIPT
A Healer is Born
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
4 Feb 2026TRANSCRIPT
The Last Hope
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 and Georgia Hardstark
Consulting Producer: Lily Ladewig
Associate Producer: Jay Elias
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
20 Jan 2026TRANSCRIPT
Introducing Two-Faced: John of God
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
Inside a recent episode
Introducing Royal Swindle
Published 16 Jul 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] But the millionaire duo are concealing a dark past and dastardly intentions. My husband turned around and said, we either get that money or we're going to expose you for what you are. I remember my mother saying to me that the ramifications of this were huge. I was terrified, absolutely terrified. […]
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
