HBO is diving deep into the dark side of fame, beauty, and manipulation with its upcoming documentary series Bring Me the Beauties: A Model Cult, premiering June 1.
The three-part HBO Original follows former male supermodel Hoyt Richards, whose glamorous rise in the 1980s modeling world was intertwined with his involvement in a controversial spiritual group called Eternal Values. Directed by Chris Smith, the Emmy-winning filmmaker behind 100 Foot Wave, the series promises a chilling look at how charisma and celebrity culture can blur the line between self-discovery and exploitation.
Richards’ story begins when, as a teenager on Nantucket, he meets the mysterious Frederick von Mierers — a Manhattan socialite whose spiritual teachings and larger-than-life personality quickly draw him in. As Richards’ modeling career skyrockets, so does his devotion to Eternal Values, a group that preyed on ambitious young models and professionals in New York’s fashion scene.
The documentary explores how von Mierers cultivated influence through New Age philosophy, bizarre claims of being an alien “walk-in” from the planet Arcturus, and expensive “healing” rituals. Through archival footage and firsthand accounts from former members, the series paints a portrait of a cult operating beneath the glittering surface of the fashion industry.
Bring Me the Beauties: A Model Cult premieres Monday, June 1 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will also stream on HBO Max, with new episodes debuting weekly.
