When the wealthy guests gathered around the huge swimming pool, sipping champagne and enjoying free professional massages, they suspected Martin Markowitz was a waiter.
There they celebrated the 30th birthday of Dr. Isaac “Ike” Herschkopf’s wife Rebecca.
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Dr. Isaac ‘Ike’ Herschkopf and ‘victim’ Martin Markowitz, who was only left in his own home as a craftsman by the controlling therapistPhoto credit: William Mebane
The stately home in the Hamptons, America’s playground for the rich, had Herschkopf’s name on its mailbox. Inside were countless photos of the psychiatrist with famous people like Gwyneth Paltrow, Brooke Shields, OJ Simpson and former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
But the luxurious home did not belong to the 69-year-old Herschkopf, but to Martin, another “customer” of the therapist and not one of his domestic workers.
The millionaire, controlled by the man he paid to help him, had been persuaded to hand over his house and was relegated to a guest camp in the back of the property.
New Yorker Martin Herschkopf – who counted Gwyneth and Kurt Cobain’s widow Courtney Love among his clients – paid fees of £ 2.5 million over 29 years, according to investigative journalist Joe Nocera.
Martin also claims he lost £ 1.25 million by following the therapist’s advice to deposit into a Ponzi scheme – a scam that typically costs investors a fortune.
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Martin and sister Phyllis in the home that he wanted to leave to Frau von HerschkopfPhoto credit: Instagram / Alisha reports
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Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd play Martin and Ike in The Shrink Next Door
Completely against any code of ethics, Herschkopf was appointed president of his client’s theater fabric business, became a co-signatory of his Swiss bank account and the name of his wife was entered in Martin’s will as the recipient of his house by the sea.
The story of how the psychiatrist took over his patient’s life has now been processed in the television series The Shrink Next Door after a hit podcast of the same name prompted Herschkopf to resign from several important posts.
The Apple Originals series – starring Paul Rudd as Ike and Will Ferrell as Marty – will be available on Apple TV + November 12th, and the trailer has now been released.
Martin, 79, who has now freed himself from the power of the psychiatrist, says: “I felt like I was in a sect.
“He took over my life very quickly. It was one ethical violation after another. “
The psychiatrist says Martin acted of his own free will and denies many of the claims made by Bloomberg journalist Joe on the podcast.
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Herschkopf would flaunt his connections with celebrity clients, including Gwyneth PaltrowPhoto credit: Eugene Reznik
“He poured salt into the wounds”
When wealthy businessman Martin first sat on his New York couch in 1981, he was in dire need of psychological support.
Both of his parents had recently died and his wedding was canceled when his future bride got cold feet.
He also argued with his uncle about running the Associated Fabrics family business, which supplied goods to both the Super Bowl and the Olympics.
In front of Herschkopf sat a fragile young man whose shattered self-confidence had to be rebuilt.
Instead, he told his patient to put all his trust in his shrink.
Martin says: “He cut me off from everyone. The only person I could turn to was Ike. “
With three sessions a week on Herschkopf’s couch, Martin was gradually becoming convinced that his family was the problem. He says, “Over a period of about 18 months, Ike very quietly began pouring salt into all of my open wounds.”
It was subtle nursing aimed at taking over his business affairs.
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Martin has now taken his life back into his own handsPhoto credit: William Mebane
Cut off from his discharged sister
In 1983, Martin was persuaded to undermine his younger sister, Phyllis Shapiro, who worked at the fabric company, by lowering her wages and then not inviting her to his second bar mitzvah.
Fearing that she would lose everything, Phyllis removed money and gold coins from accounts in Switzerland that she had managed with her brother.
The shrink told his client to fire his sister and send her a letter saying she would not inherit a penny. According to the podcast, Herschkopf said to his patient, “You have no family? Do not worry.
“My family will be your family. My children like your nieces and nephews. And we will create a social life for you. “
In early 1984, Martin wrote a new will that left everything to an organization called the Yaron Foundation.
Herschkopf and his wife were the directors of the foundation.
The psychiatrist also expressed relationships with his patient that had the potential to lead to marriage.
Martin says: “I had a ring in my nose and he showed me around.”
In 1987 the flashy parties began at Martin’s house in Southampton, in the easternmost county of New York.
It has a tennis court, full size basketball court, hot tub, and 18-hole mini golf course.
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Rulers with OJ SimpsonPhoto credit: William Mebane
Herschkopf, who grew up in a working-class district, loved showing his friends his opulent “home” and sometimes arranged buses for up to 170 guests.
Martin says: “People thought I was the caretaker.”
For almost 23 years, the two men lived in this bizarre world in which the employee ran the employer.
That all started to change in 2010 when Joe moved in alongside Herschkopf – and Martin – in Southampton.
Eventually Martin realized that his shrink was not his friend. The truth dawned when Martin came to the hospital for a hernia operation and Herschkopf didn’t bother to visit him.
He says, “I was devastated. I started to question the very basis of our relationship. “
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New Yorker Martin Herschkopf paid £ 2.5 million in fees over 29 years, according to investigative journalist Joe Nocera
“Ike loses his license, that would be justice”
The journalist Joe was shown around the house by Herschkopf – and like the posh party guests, he thought Martin was a caretaker.
He adds, “A few weeks later, Marty stopped by with his sister Phyllis.
“The first words out of his mouth were, ‘This is my sister Phyllis, I haven’t seen her in 27 years.’
“At the time I thought that was something I wanted to know more about.
“When Marty started showing me all the documents and photos he had, I knew it was a story I wanted to tell.”
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In early 1984, Martin had written a new will that left everything to an organization called the Yaron Foundation, directed by Herschkopf and his wifePhoto credit: William Mebane
Martin began to take control of his life again and befriended his sister again.
The scandal only came to light in May 2019 when Joe published the story on the American podcast network Wondery, which also hosts the true crime podcasts Dirty John and Dr. Death produced.
Other former clients reported unethical behavior on the part of Herschkopf, including one who was asked to rewrite her will so that the money went to his daughters.
Now Herschkopf’s name has been removed from the New York University Medical School website and he has resigned from the Fellowships At Auschwitz For The Study of Professional Ethics organization.
But the psychiatrist says, “Ninety percent of the podcast is untrue or out of context.”
There is no doubt that a psychiatrist should never be so personally involved with a patient.
Under no circumstances should you be given control of a client’s finances or put a family member’s name on a patient’s will.
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At the moment, Herschkopf can still practice as a psychiatrist, but Martin tries to have him deleted.
He says, “I want justice to be done and for me it is justice when he loses his license. I just don’t want him to do that to anyone else. “
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