Née John Edward McGee, Jr., he’s best known for his TV shows Crossing Over with John Edward and John Edward Cross Country. His website has no autobiography. People who want to attend small group readings can be added to his mailing list to receive information about the place and time. No price is given. His site features books, DVDs, jewelry and tickets to his show.
John Edward’s Alleged Chicanery
It has been alleged that Edward gives "hot readings," using secretly gathered information about subjects before the show. Cold questioning, in which he tries to gather information by questioning and making educated guesses, is another ruse. Edward denies using these tricks. TV shows are taped and edited before they’re aired and during the editing process, wrong answers and bad readings are typically cut. It has been alleged that remarks are taken out of sequence to make him appear to be authentic.
James Underdown, the Executive Director of the Center for Inquiry-Los Angeles and Founder and Chair of the Independent Investigations Group which investigates paranormal claims, attributes much of Edward's accuracy on television shows to editing.
Edward Caught Having Taped Show Edited
Chris Ballard, The New York Times Magazine reporter, attended a taping of Crossing Over. Edward’s hits were significantly below 50%. He spent more than twenty minutes “reading” a man in the audience, making wrong guesses and trying to compensate for them, then announcing that people shouldn’t “honor” this man.
This reading and the misses were edited out of the aired show, but there were spliced in clips of another man nodding "yes" to Edwards; in reality, it's said that the subject had disagreed with these statements.
Dateline Catches Edward Giving a Hot Reading
Edward said spirits were telling him to "acknowledge Anthony." The cameraman signaled that this was his name. Edward asked him if he saw his father before he died. Anthony was a cameraman on a prior taping of Edward’s show and the two engaged in a conversation. Edward claimed that he had received information from spirits; in reality, it's said that he was simply recalling information from their prior discussion..
When Edward was asked if he knew Anthony’s father died before he gave the reading, he said he thought the cameraman mentioned it. When he was told that he knew the cameraman’s name, that his father died and spirits didn’t give him the information, Edward mentioned something to the effect of he interprets what he feels and sees. In his book, Crossing Over, Edward tries to minimize the fact that Dateline caught his chicanery by claiming that he ignores any advance information he receives before readings.
John Edward's 9/11 Fiasco
Shortly after the September 11, 2001 Twin Towers attack, Edward decided to film at least one show in which he met with victims’ relatives to communicate with the those who died in the tragedy. Trade magazine Broadcasting & Cable faxed a story, "'Psychic' Plans WTC Victims Show,” to news media and TV station executives on October 25, 2001.
Steve Rosenberg, at Studios USA — the company that distributes Edward's programs — had tentatively scheduled the shows for airing in November. News of the taping sparked a national outcry. The SCI FI Channel and Crossing Over with John Edward production office were overwhelmed with phone calls and e-mails, expressing outrage at Edward’s exploitation of a national tragedy. The shows never aired.
John Edward and the Terri Schiavo Controversy
On the March 24, 2005 Fox News TV show Fox & Friends, Edward was asked if he could communicate with Schiavo, who was diagnosed as being in a vegetative state that lasted for over a decade. He answered that he could communicate with Schiavo, claiming her brain was conscious. Edward then proceeded to “communicate” with her.
He said she was aware of what was happening. Edward was criticized for this because medical experts indicated that her brain was not functioning at the time and there was no evidence to suggest that she was capable of consciousness. Her life support system had been removed on March 18, 2005. Schiavo died on March 31, 2005.
What is John Edward?
Skeptics point to evidence that suggests that he is a performer who knows the tricks of con-artist psychics so he can make money. His record, as evidenced by unedited tapes of shows, of more misses than hits signify that he has no significant psychic ability and, sometimes below average.
Edward’s TV group readings have a good chance of success because he throws out a general statement to audiences, so it’s likely at least one person will respond. Then, he cold questions his chosen subject. If he misses, he suggests that the meaning will be clear later. He tells people to write his misses down or to think about them. Skeptics claim that watching unedited tapes and the statements of people who have been “read,” suggests that the allegations are true.
Articles Related to Celebrity Psychic John Edward
Readers who liked this article might enjoy Celebrity Television Psychics Real or Not, along with Television Psychics - Tricks and Chicanery and Celebrity Psychic James Van Praagh – Real or Charlatan.
Sources:
John Edward, JohnEdward.net
“John Edward: Hustling the Bereaved,” Joe Nickell, The Skeptical Inquirer, (November/December 2001, Volume 25.6)
“They See Dead People – Or do They?: An Instigation of Television Mediums” Jim Underdown, The Skeptical Enquirer, (September/October 2003, Volume 27.5),
Jill Stefko - I'd rather deal with the paranormal than human abnormal - having dealt extensively with both.
