Miss Cleo

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Harris as "Miss Cleo"
Harris as "Miss Cleo"

Youree Dell Cleomili Harris (born August 12, 1962 in Los Angeles, California[1]), better known as Miss Cleo, is a self-proclaimed psychic. Harris became well-known through television ads in the 1990s, where she introduced herself as "Miss Cleo" hawking a psychic pay-per-call service.

Contents

[edit] Background

[edit] Seattle

In 1996 in Seattle, Miss Cleo (known then as Youree "Ree" Harris[1]) and her partner opened a production company which produced several of her plays.[2] She acted in her first project, an autobiographical play entitled Women Only: A Celebration of Love, Life and Healing. Her last project, Supper Club Cafe, was not successful and she "left town with a trail of debts and broken promises".[2]

The actors in her productions were not paid and "Miss Cleo", aka Harris "told her cast members she had bone cancer" and "her medical costs would prevent her from paying people immediately, but she wrote each actor and crew member a letter telling him or her how much money she owed them."[2] The actors and crew were never paid.[2]

[edit] The Psychic Readers Network

In the late 1990s Harris had a career with the Psychic Friends Network using her middle name Cleomill or Cleo. After working as a phone operator for over a year, she appeared as a television infomercial psychic in which she claimed she was originally from Jamaica. She was paid $1700 for her first infomercial and paid a flat fee for each commercial she appeared in thereafter. The Psychic Readers Network company coined the title "Miss Cleo" and sent spam e-mails, which stated, "[Miss Cleo has] been authorized to issue you a Special Tarot Reading!... it is vital that you call immediately!..."[citation needed]

Starting in 2001, Access Resource Services d/b/a Psychic Readers Network was sued in various lawsuits brought by (among others) Missouri and Florida, and the Federal Communications Commission. The company owners, Steve Feder and Peter Stolz, had marketed the company to appear that Miss Cleo owned and operated the Psychic Readers Network, but Ms. Harris herself was sued only by the State of Florida because Florida law allows a "spokesperson" to be sued as well as the company they represent. However, the suit against Harris was later dropped on the condition that she waive her right to sue the state regarding the case.

Miss Cleo has since been researched by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Bob Steiner, CSICOP Fellow and magician, has observed that her techniques and methodology were at best questionable.[3]

[edit] Personal life

In the October 2006 issue of The Advocate magazine, Harris stated she is a lesbian.[4]

Harris also has a son (adopted), named Billy Harris.

In 2003, Harris returned to her private practice as a spiritual advisor.[5]

[edit] Where is she now?

Everything about Miss Cleo turned out to be untrue. Harris was actually born in Los Angeles to American parents, and never lived in Jamaica - nor was she a shaman priestess, nor can it be conclusively proven she was even psychic.

The Miss Cleo character was based on a Jamaican character called Cleo that Harris had performed in her Seattle play by the name of For Women Only. The play - as well as several others - were funded by a non-profit organization, but Harris apparently kept the money for herself, only paying some of the cast and crew even partially. Harris - then going by the name Ree Perris - then left town, telling castmates she had bone cancer and would return to settle the debts later.

The calls weren't free either, and investigations by CourtTV, news media, and several state Attorney Generals led to the entire company being shut down (although Harris wasn't held personally responsible).

Harris continues to cash in on the fame of her Miss Cleo character. In 2003, the New York Daily News reported that TV music network Fuse had signed Harris as a spokeswoman. In early 2005, Harris was back on TV as Cleo in advertisements for a used car dealership in Florida, according to the Broward-Palm Beach New Times.

[edit] Legal problems

Long before becoming "Ms Cleo" the psychic advisor, Harris had several run-ins with the law.[2] In 1999, lawsuits against Harris and her promoters concerning the psychic network were filed.[6] In 2002, the FTC Charged Harris' promoters, Steven Feder and Peter Stotz, with deceptive advertising, billing and collection practices, though Harris was not indicted. [7] Her promoters agreed to settle for a fraction of the amount they took in.[8]

In late 1999 Stephen Schwartz was in a "state of depression" and looking for answers he called Miss Cleo.[9] After speaking to the "pyschic" who "commented on his personality and character, but offered little else in the way of a psychic reading until, disappointed, Schwartz ended the call."[9] He was billed full cost ($300) for the call, but sued, ultimately getting back $200.[9]

The "associates" that gave psychic readings read from a script, made available by Court TV here.

She has had to pay fines, according to the Federal Trade Commission for deceptive business practices relating to paranormal claims.

[edit] Trivia

  • Miss Cleo used the catchphrases, "The cards never lie!" and "Call me now!" She often referred to her viewers as "babies," as in "Call me now, babies!"
  • Ja Rule imitates and mocks Miss Cleo on his album Pain Is Love in a skit called Leo. He later reprised the character he invented in this skit on an episode of MadTV.

[edit] Aliases

Miss Cleo uses numerous aliases. In the past, she has gone by:[2]

  • Youree Cleomili Harris
  • Youree Cleolil Dell Harris
  • Youree Perris
  • Cleomili Harris
  • Cleo Harris

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Miss Cleo's birth certificate", The Smoking Gun, 2002. Retrieved on 2006-11-18.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Parvaz, D.. "Miss Cleo left a trail of deception in Seattle", Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 2, 2002. Retrieved on 2006-11-18.
  3. ^ "Miss Cleo Watch", Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, 19 Feb 2002. Retrieved on 2006-11-18.
  4. ^ "Miss Cleo Comes Out", The Advocate, October 2006. Retrieved on 2006-11-18.
  5. ^ "Welcome to Wahgwaan Entertainment Inc....Home of the one and only CLEO", Wahgwaan Entertainment/Miss Cleo, 2003. Retrieved on 2006-11-18.
  6. ^ The lawsuits pile up for Miss Cleo
  7. ^ FTC Charges "Miss Cleo" Promoters with Deceptive Advertising, Billing and Collection Practices
  8. ^ Christopher, Kevin. "'Miss Cleo' settles with the Federal Trade Commission - News and Comment", Skeptical Inquirer, March-April, 2003. Retrieved on 2006-11-18.
  9. ^ a b c Bean, Matt. "Seeing the future—or just dollar signs?", Court TV, Jan. 17, 2002. Retrieved on 2006-11-18.

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../m/i/s/Miss_Cleo_2808.html"