Carlos Jesús, a Spanish psychic who became a media phenomenon in the 1990s, passed away at the age of 80 in Dos Hermanas, Seville. The news of his death was not confirmed until April 4, 2023. “It didn't interest anyone,” explained his friend Jesús Chavero regarding the delay in reporting his passing, according to El Confidencial.
Chavero revealed the news on the television program Y Ahora Sonsoles and mentioned that Carlos Jesús died alone. “The story behind him that made him famous disturbed his day-to-day life,” said Chavero, reflecting on how his fame affected his later years. “With how famous he became, he could have made a lot of money, but he chose to isolate himself,” he added.
Carlos Jesús rose to fame in the early 1990s through his appearances on television programs like Al Ataque and Crónicas Marcianas, becoming a character of Spanish popular culture. Known for his white beard, celestial tunic, and claims about Raticulín, his supposed planet of origin, he left audiences completely bewildered and open-mouthed with his astonishing assertions.
Among his extravagant claims, Carlos Jesús asserted that he came from a parallel planet called Raticulín, was born there, and possessed healing powers. He claimed to have died twice due to electric shocks but returned from the dead. He also stated that Jesus Christ appeared to him to entrust him with a mission on Earth, which he said he received in front of a churro shop.
Throughout his media career, he introduced his other two personalities, Crístofer and Micael, asserting that he could divide himself into these different people. When he transformed into Micael, he spoke with a robotic voice that corresponded to the voice of Jesus. Crístofer was responsible for maintaining the spaceships of Raticulín and an intergalactic conference that would collect the chosen ones when the end of the world came.
Carlos Jesús captivated the public with his peculiar visions about the future of humanity, a mix of homemade science fiction, street theology, and suburban messianism. He shared numerous anecdotes and unusual experiences that captured the public's attention, leading to a cult following around his figure that blended humor, incredulity, and fascination.
After his television career, Carlos Jesús settled in Dos Hermanas, where he continued offering his services as a healer and later set up a chapel in a garage in Seville. At the entrance of his consultation, it read: “Carlos Jesús. Curations by faith,” and hundreds of people visited to receive his healing powers. The visitors included the sick, curious individuals, and even skeptics who left with doubts planted.
In his later years, Carlos Jesús led a discreet and quiet routine, distancing himself from the media spotlight. According to La Razón, he did not have a good time and became reclusive, fleeing from television exposure, which took a great mental toll on him that he did not know how to cope with. Behind the character, there was a person who ended up paying a high price.
Carlos Jesús's death, like much of his life, was atypical, disconnected from noise, and ignored for weeks. “Today, Carlos Jesús's ship has taken off,” noted La Razón. There were no official statements or tributes, only the late surprise of those who, upon learning, remembered the times when television allowed such eccentricities.
Despite distancing himself from the public eye, his figure remained in the collective memory as a representative of a television era characterized by singular and controversial characters. Carlos Jesús was many things: self-taught prophet, galactic seer, neighborhood preacher, pop phenomenon. His particular way of expressing himself, appearance, and surprising revelations elevated him as a true icon of 90s television in Spain.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.