Greg Baer, founder of the Real Love Company based in rural Georgia, is facing serious allegations from former followers who claim the self-help leader engaged in inappropriate and abusive behavior during private sessions at his home.
Baer, a former eye surgeon who built a self-help empire claiming to have transformed over 450,000 lives, instructed his followers to call him ‘Daddy’ and would hold them in his lap like babies. His philosophy centers on providing the unconditional love he believes most people never received from their parents.
However, interviews with 10 former members and their relatives reveal the organization took on cult-like qualities over the years. Baer allegedly controlled major life decisions for followers, including when they could date, whom they should marry, and which family members to cut off. Many were encouraged to convert to Mormonism, and members feared being expelled from the community if they questioned his authority.
Most disturbing are allegations from multiple women who say they received ‘special attention’ in private sessions where Baer allegedly instructed them to remove all their clothing before holding them. Two lawsuits and interviews with four women suggest the encounters went even further. Among the accusers is Veena Dinavahi, who was just 19 and struggling with suicidal thoughts when her desperate mother discovered Real Love online and brought her daughter to Baer for help.
