“My upbringing was closely tied to fear. I’ve been aware of a fear-based culture for a long time. As a teenager, it was a concept I really identified with, because I felt I had no free will or say in anything,” That’s the reality 24-year-old track and field star Jakob Ingebrigtsen is facing. Right now, Jakob stands before the courts to confront his father and former coach, Gjert Ingebrigtsen, in what has become his most difficult legal challenge to date. This two-time Olympic champion is testifying against his father, Gjert Ingebrigtsen. The charges?

Ab**e. Yep, you heard that right. Gjert served as Jakob’s mastermind to achieve his remarkable success, but now faces charges for ab**ing Jakob as well as his sister, Ingrid, and his brothers during the trial in Norway. This Norway trial began this week, yet it shocked everyone by taking an unforeseen, tragic direction within a surprising family narrative. For years, the Ingebrigtsen family has established itself as the most well-known athletic dynasty in international sports circles. But now?

All four Ingebrigtsen siblings trained under their father, Gjert, to pursue athletics at an elite level. Their athletic superiority in track events became so dominant that their rising fame grew impossible to avoid. The fairy-tale appearance fooled everyone, yet masked dark secrets that are now exposed.  According to Jakob, the ab**e began from the very start. However, the 59-year-old Gjert denies all the charges. But what are the charges?

From a young age, Jakob and his siblings dominated the track, winning Olympic, world, and European titles. Their rise to fame was even documented in a reality TV show, making the Ingebrigtsens one of the most famous families in Norway. Team Ingebrigtsen became so popular that it went down in history as the most-watched TV show in Norwegian history. But what the cameras didn’t show was the dark reality behind the scenes: one of violence, thr**ts, and emotional ab**e.

Recently, the trial unfolded, and Jakob Ingebrigtsen shared the disturbing details of his childhood, recounting how his father would regularly punch and kick him. One of the first incidents Jakob described was when he was around seven or eight years old. His school had called home, and when Jakob couldn’t explain why, Gjert allegedly flew into a rage. He then punched Jakob multiple times in the head.

“The defendant standing over me and screaming at me that Im a liar,” Jakob told the court. Even physical ab**e in the house was not the only mistreatment Jakob faced; Gjert even threatened to beat him to d**th. But the ab**e didn’t stop there.

The breaking point that tore Jakob Ingebrigtsen and his family apart

The violence in Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s life worsened as he aged. He remembered a time when he used his scooter to play outside. Suddenly, his father jumped on him and kicked him in the stomach. “I remember trying to get up, and lying on all fours, before I get a kick in the stomach,” Jakob said. Even in his teenage years, the thr**ts grew more severe. Jakob shared how his father once threatened to “sh*me him and beat him to d**th” while they were sitting in the car with family members.

The breaking point came in 2022. All three brothers observed their father hitting their sister Ingrid in violent ways. When she refused to run, he struck her with a wet towel, which left visible markings on her face.“She is a young, small girl who is in a physical confrontation with a grown, large man,” Jakob said in court.  The incident made Jakob and his brothers decide to cut their father off as they finally revealed the long-term ab**e he had subjected them to.

During the court proceedings, Jakob Ingebrigtsen explained with composure but determination about the deep emotional wounds that the ab*se had created. The actions of his father established hurdles that blocked Jakob from handling or expressing his emotions to people. According to Jakob, the sharing of happiness or performing good deeds with others could be turned against him. The mistreatment by his father compelled Jakob to abandon the name “dad” for his father at age 11. A lack of emotional empathy, combined with care, marked the fundamental aspect that Jakob Ingebrigtsen wished his father would provide.

The court session is predicted to stretch through to May 16 as it reveals the dark aspects of a family previously seen as an inspirational symbol of success, coupled with unity. Through his courageous testimony, Jakob revealed that success cannot protect families from harboring their worst secrets.