“John of God,” the self-proclaimed faith healer who achieved international fame after being promoted by Oprah Winfrey a few years ago, has turned himself into Brazilian authorities amid hundreds of sexual abuse allegations by former patients.
On Sunday, psychic “healer” João Teixeira de Faria surrendered himself a day after authorities ruled him a fugitive amid accusations of sexual abuse by over 300 women.
Local outlets say Faria surrendered in a road to the small, centrally located town of Abadiania, where he has run his now-world famous spiritual center since 1976. After Winfrey promoted “John of God” and his spiritual center in 2013, visitors to the center exploded, numbering in the thousands annually and becoming the center of the town’s economy.
A judge issued an arrest warrant Friday for the spiritual healer, whose celebrity patients include singer Paul Simon, super model Naomi Campbell, and, rumor has it, maybe even Bill Clinton. When Faria failed to report by the 2 p.m. deadline on Saturday, he was officially declared a fugitive, Reuters reports. – READ MORE