Miss Cleo is well known for being the psychic spokeswoman handling phone queries on the Psychic Friends Network in the 1990s. Unfortunately, she developed colorectal cancer which metastasized, and while under hospice care in Palm Beach Florida, she passed away. This was on July 26, 2016, at the age of 53.
Details of Miss Cleo’s Career Life
Miss Cleo sat behind a table, with tarot cards and a turban wrapped around her head inviting viewers to her benefit from her gift of second sight. She was well known for her psychic phenomena a medium to connect with a medium without going to them. In July 2001, she started her company Entertainment. From 1997 to 2002, she was on television although she received backlash for her exaggerated accent, she gained popularity with over 6 million calls in three years with around $1 billion in telephone charges. Her hotline was ranked to be making $24 million although she earned $15 an hour and $5,000 for the commercials. Miss Cleo offered readings from $75 to $250 and weddings would range around $350.
Unfortunately, the companies that were sponsoring her were back money to consumers who claimed to have been misled. The Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint against Miss Cleo and the Psychic Friends Network for fraudulent marketing tactics worth over $1 billion. This was because they advertised calls as free but they cost $4.99 per minute. In 1998, Inphomation Communications Inc which was funding Psychic Friends Network declared bankruptcy with over $26 million in liabilities. The accused entered a no-contest plea to settle the charges and as a penalty, they agreed to pay a $50,000 fine and $500 million to avoid further prosecution. They were set free and allowed to keep over $500 million.
During an interview with Vice, Miss Cleo claimed to have made $1,750 for two and a half days from her psychic job. She voiced the character of Auntie Poulet in Grand Theft Auto; Vice City a video game in 2002. Convicted for My Beliefs is a spoken word CD she released in 2007.
In December 2022, HBO Max released a documentary titled Call Me Miss talking about her life and in 2024, Lifetime Movie Network released a movie titled Miss Cleo; Her Rise and Fall produced by Jami McCoy Lankford. The book Psychic Blues by Mark Edward published in 2012 was inspired by the bad business habits of the Psychic Friends Network.
Who is Miss Cleo?
Miss Cleo was born Youree Dell Harris in August 1962 in Los Angeles. She also had other names like Cleomili Harris, Youree Cleomili, and Ree Perris. She got married at age 19 and gave birth to her daughter but unfortunately, she and her partner divorced at 21. Her second daughter was born while she was still in her 20s and 2006, she publicly came out as a lesbian. Miss Cleo battled with colon cancer and unfortunately, she passed away at age 53 after the colon cancer spread to her lungs and liver. She died surrounded by friends and family in a Palm Beach hospice facility.
