Sister exposes shocking truth: years of deceit behind ‘believe in magic’ charity
A long-held secret is finally coming to light as Megan Bhari’s half-sister, Nina, has delivered a devastating account of the charity she and her mother, Jean O’Brien, built – and ultimately, the lies that consumed it. Years after investigations revealed serious financial irregularities and a fabricated illness surrounding Megan’s health, Nina’s testimony to The Times paints a disturbing picture of manipulation and a desperate need for validation.
A childhood of doubt
Nina, who grew up alongside Megan and Jean, recalled a childhood filled with contradictions. She described Megan as a ‘chubby’ child, affectionately nicknamed for her ‘bouncy cheeks,’ yet simultaneously voiced growing concerns about the increasingly fantastical claims surrounding her sister’s health. “I felt something was off from the start,” Nina stated. “I was watching from a distance, frustrated because I felt it was all built on a lie.”
She detailed unsettling incidents – Megan ‘fainting’ dramatically in front of her, only to immediately rise and walk away, seemingly unconcerned by Nina’s reaction – which Nina viewed as calculated performances designed to elicit sympathy and donations. The dynamic, she explains, was profoundly unhealthy, rooted in a power imbalance between mother and daughter.
The mother’s manipulation
Nina alleges that Jean O’Brien deliberately infantilized Megan, exerting significant control over her life and fostering a dependency. “Meg didn't really have a voice,” Nina said, “She can't speak for herself.” The claims extend beyond Megan’s personal life, hinting at a calculated effort to cultivate a narrative of profound illness, a strategy that ultimately led to the charity’s downfall.
Unraveling the truth
The charity, initially founded in 2012, quickly gained traction thanks to the support of celebrities, including One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson. But behind the fundraising efforts and promises of granting wishes to seriously ill children lay a web of deception. The Charity Commission froze the charity’s accounts in 2017 after discovering over £100,000 in unaccounted donations, with funds allegedly siphoned into Jean O’Brien’s personal account. Believe in Magic eventually closed its doors in 2020.
Crucially, Nina’s testimony directly contradicts previous assertions regarding Megan’s health. The coroner’s report, released after Megan’s death in 2018 at the age of 23, revealed that she did not suffer from a brain tumour. Instead, her death was attributed to an acute cardiac arrhythmia linked to fatty liver disease – a condition that, according to the post-mortem, left her brain “morphologically normal.”
A legacy of deception
Nina’s revelations cast a dark shadow over the entire affair, exposing a complex and deeply troubling Family dynamic. While Jean O’Brien vehemently denied any wrongdoing, her daughter’s account offers a chilling perspective on the lengths to which she allegedly went to maintain a fabricated image of suffering. The case serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of deception and the importance of questioning narratives, particularly when they appear too good to be true.
Ultimately, the story of ‘Believe in Magic’ is a tragedy – not just for the children who were promised hope, but for the Family caught within its web of lies.