The Dating Detectives – "The Cancer Healing Scam: Part 1"

Podcast Host: Dear Media
Episode Date: December 15, 2025
Guests: Tessa & Lena (pseudonyms; sisters recounting their mother’s experience)
Main Theme: Investigation into how a self-proclaimed healer manipulated a vulnerable woman with cancer, exposing dangers of spiritual/medical scams within dating and alternative wellness communities.

Episode Overview

This emotionally charged episode uncovers the story of Tessa and Lena’s mother, Marianne, who became entangled with a charismatic "healer" named Grant. Their account spans their mother’s divorce, foray into spiritualism, meeting Grant, and the subsequent psychological, financial, and health manipulations that followed. The hosts and guests examine red flags: spiritual manipulation, medical misinformation, predatory relationships, and the profound consequences that can occur. This is the first half of a two-part deep dive.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Marianne’s Background & Entry into Spiritualism

• Family Background:
  • Marianne: Energetic, social, loved travel ("She was in a new country every other month." – Tessa, [05:23])
  • Divorced after a long marriage; brief relationship with a "Mustache Man"
• Discovering Reiki:
  • After Mustache Man, Marianne explores alternative healing (Reiki, energy healing)
  • Finds new community: “Very spiritual, into that whole thing. She met a lot of friends and... we were like, okay, cool.” – Tessa, [06:03]

2. Meeting Grant, the "Healer"

• Initial Red Flags & "Coincidences":
  • Grant (Argentina/Croatia): Claims he miraculously healed himself after paralysis.
    • "Supposedly he starts healing himself, and now...miraculously, he can walk." – Tessa, [08:07]
  • Claims to have boarded with Marianne’s uncle in another country – quickly seen by Marianne as fate, not a possible lie.
• Building Trust – Love Bombing & Shared Spirituality
  • Grant integrates himself by leveraging spiritual language and supposed connections to Marianne's origin.

3. Transactional Marriage & Hidden Motives

• Visa & Citizenship:
  • COVID-19 border closures: Grant overstates dependency
  • Moves in “temporarily,” relationship becomes romantic and transactional (citizenship for sharing book royalties, which are never realized)
  • “Maybe a month. It couldn't have been long. And she didn't tell us any of this.” – Tessa, [13:44]
• Family Kept in the Dark:
  • Marriage is hidden, then revealed via text after-the-fact (14:34)
  • Daughters alarmed by secrecy and speed

4. Grant’s "Healing" Practices & COVID-19 Misinformation

• Healing Services:
  • Charges clients for readings; exploits spiritualist community network (12:22)
• COVID-19 "Potion":
  • Claims to “cure” or prevent COVID with a homemade potion that includes a drop of Clorox bleach
  • “They were taking shots of that every hour…that's how they were able to get better.” – Tessa, [17:59]
• Anti-vaccine Propaganda:
  • Marianne, formerly apolitical, begins sending wild conspiracy theories to daughters
  • “It was really concerning. But again, she's very stubborn…Every conversation we would have, she would bring up something that has to do with it.” – Lena, [19:37]

5. Manipulation Intensifies: Medical Misinformation Turns Lethal

• Discouraging Medical Treatment:
  • Grant insists COVID vaccines and conventional cancer treatments are deadly.
  • Persuades Marianne’s sister (the guests’ aunt) to delay essential cancer treatment.
  • "He told her…her tumor shrunk and that she doesn't need to do surgery…when she did get her scans...it's grown." – Lena, [25:29]
• Medical Cosplay & Isolation:
  • Grant wears scrubs, films himself as a doctor; refuses to engage with Marianne’s family, leveraging language barriers for control.
  • Social media is for his image only – Marianne is notably absent despite being the photographer and supporter.

6. Consequences: Family Estrangement & Serious Decline in Health

• Aunt's Death:
  • After relying on Grant's healing instead of surgery, the aunt dies quickly, family devastated (27:10)
• Further Isolation:
  • Marianne stops posting or interacting online; Grant remains front-facing online, travels with her but never acknowledges her.
• Escalating Illness:
  • Marianne travels, falls seriously ill, loses ability to eat, delays diagnostics, downplays symptoms
  • Grant argues “doctors are only after money,” actively sabotages medical treatment decisions (34:48)
  • “He's telling her, the chemo's going to kill you…it’s out of the question.” – Tessa, [41:12]

7. Family Steps In – Legal and Medical Interventions

• Power of Attorney for Medical Decisions:
  • Daughters and extended family obtain power of attorney to counteract Grant's decisions (58:56)
• Hospital Bans Grant:
  • Family ensures Grant is blocked from hospital visits to protect Marianne from more interference (62:29)
• Financial Concerns:
  • Fears that Grant is targeting Marianne’s assets; discussions about property, lack of a prenup, and eligibility for inheritance (53:13)

8. Climax – Confrontation & Moment of Realization

• Hospital Intervention:
  • Nurse confronts Marianne about “end of life” plans due to refusal of care; this confrontation shocks Marianne into reluctantly considering chemo (55:05)
• Grant’s Pressure Persists:
  • Continued undermining: giving iron pills that are dangerous given her condition, smuggling alternative remedies into the hospital ([57:06], [51:20])
  • Family alerts hospital staff, coordinates care as best they can

Notable Family Quotes

• "I feel like I'm more of a doctor than you are right now." – Tessa to Grant (48:49)
• "He's such a scammer. It's insane." – Tessa, [35:43]
• "We don't even speak his language." – Lena, [58:40]
• “I'm sure a lot of you are interested in it and tell us about it, because...everything has the ability to be weaponized.” – Mackenzie (host), [65:08]

Memorable Moments & Quotes (with Timestamps)

• The Coincidence Angle:

  "Oh my God, look at that coincidence." – Tessa reflecting on Grant’s story ([08:08])

• On the Bleach Potion:

  "At the end, you add a drop of Clorox in there." – Tessa, [16:19]
  "Like bleach? Clorox?" – Hanna (host), incredulous ([16:23])

• On Grant’s Medical Pretense:

  "He walks around in scrubs." – Lena, [26:09]

• On Being Shut Out:

  "We don't even know this guy. We don't speak to him. We don't even have his phone number." – Tessa, [58:39]

• Family’s Exhaustion and Frustration:

  "At that point, the entire family was just like, we don't like this guy. Something smells fishy." – Tessa, [60:42]

• On the Line Between Alternative and Exploitative:

  “Everything has the ability to be weaponized…this gets so dangerous.” – Mackenzie (host), [65:17]

Timeline of Key Segments

• [03:35] — Sisters Tessa and Lena begin recounting their story
• [05:47] — Marianne explores Reiki and alternative healing; meets Grant
• [08:07] — Grant’s self-healing backstory
• [12:22] — The business model: $350 for “body readings”
• [15:54] — COVID “potion” with bleach promoted
• [19:37] — Marianne’s increasing consumption and forwarding of conspiracy content
• [22:11] — Grant convinces aunt to delay cancer surgery, leading to her decline
• [26:09] — Grant presents himself in scrubs online
• [34:43] — Marianne’s cancer diagnosis and Grant’s interference with optimal care
• [41:12] — Strong push by Grant against chemo; patient continues to decline
• [45:21] — ICU crisis and harsh truths from medical staff
• [48:43] — Tessa’s confrontation with Grant about his “doctor” persona
• [53:48] — Oncologist urges immediate chemo, Marianne resists
• [55:05] — Hospital forces end-of-life conversation, pushing Marianne toward reality
• [58:56] — Family obtains power of attorney, bans Grant from hospital
• [63:00] — Family investigates Grant’s motives and background
• [65:08] — Hosts reflect on the dangers of weaponized spirituality and alternative healing

Tone & Style

The hosts maintain an empathetic, conversational, and at times darkly humorous tone, balancing the seriousness of the story with relatable asides and compassionate engagement. The sisters’ recounting is forthright, alternating between heartbreak, frustration, and moments of incredulity.

Conclusion

Part 1 ends with the family’s discovery of how deeply Grant has isolated and manipulated Marianne, both emotionally and medically, and their mobilization to protect her. The episode is a warning about the dangers of spiritual and medical scams, especially as they intersect with vulnerable individuals seeking healing or companionship.

Part 2 will continue the investigation, exploring Grant’s background and the aftermath of his involvement.

Listener Takeaway:
This episode is a stark cautionary tale about the overlap between dating scams, pseudoscience, and predatory “healers,” highlighting the need for vigilance, open family dialogue, and advocacy for loved ones in vulnerable situations.

Trust your femtools!

(For further details, tune in to Part 2 and send supportive or related stories to the hosts.)