Legal battles and bitter fallout are escalating around the controversial Norwegian documentary series Kollaps – Profeten i Bærum, as 47-year-old former financier Christian Sønstebø and his partner, 44-year-old Carine Smeby Schackt, take TV 2 to Hordaland District Court.
The documentary, produced by Finn-Erik Rognan and production company Maverix, explores a closed commune-like environment at Nordhaug gård in Bærum, where roughly 30 adults and children lived when filming began two years ago, according to details reported by VG. Central to the legal challenge is a hidden audio recording featuring an anonymous person in Sønstebø’s circle admitting to giving children microdoses of psilocybin—the active psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms—with the stated intention of helping them wake up in the morning.
The claim has drawn sharp condemnation from medical professionals. Tor-Morten Kvam, a psychiatrist, researcher, and senior physician specializing in psychedelic substances, called the practice completely irresponsible
in an interview with VG, emphasizing that psilocybin remains an illegal narcotic in Norway outside strictly controlled clinical research.
Court Proceedings and Dispute Over Hidden Footage
The dispute centers on allegations of journalistic malpractice and manipulated narratives. Sønstebø and Schackt filed for a temporary injunction to halt or restrict the series, arguing that the final product offers a deeply misleading and unnuanced depiction of their lives, specifically criticizing the heavy reliance on covert recording methods. Program editor Trygve Rønningen countered in statements to TV 2 that the subjects were presented with all critical allegations and given ample opportunity to respond prior to broadcast.
Further compounding the controversy, TV 2 reported that Sønstebø claimed in the documentary to have purchased Dalbo gård, a historic agricultural property near his former Bærum estate, on a divine mission. However, local agricultural authorities and the actual property owner confirmed that no such sale has taken place, and municipal agricultural officials have received no ownership transfer applications.
Political Fallout and Re-evaluating Media Access
The documentary’s ripple effects have also ensnared public figures. Christian Democratic Party (KrF) politician Hans Edvard Askjer faced severe public criticism after appearing in the series. NRK reported that Askjer admitted to being naive, explaining that he initially believed his interview would serve as part of a biographical project about Sønstebø rather than an exposé on a controversial commune.
Askjer stated that his participation has been a painful lesson in media vetting. Program editor Trygve Rønningen defended the network’s editorial integrity to NRK, noting that the politician reviewed and approved his segments beforehand and must own his public statements.
As the legal battle heads to Hordaland District Court, fundamental questions remain regarding the boundaries of covert investigative journalism, the protection of minors in alternative communities, and the accountability of public figures who grant access to documentary filmmakers.
