HBO Original Documentary Series BRING ME THE BEAUTIES: A MODEL CULT Debuts June 1

The Three-Part Series Explores Male Supermodel Hoyt Richards' Experiences With The 1980-90s Cult "Eternal Values" And The Guru Obsessed With Youth And Beauty

The HBO Original three-part documentary series BRING ME THE BEAUTIES: A MODEL CULT, directed and executive produced by Chris Smith (HBO's Emmy(R)-winning "100 Foot Wave"), debuts MONDAY, JUNE 1 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. Subsequent episodes will debut Mondays at the same time.

Synopsis: BRING ME THE BEAUTIES: A MODEL CULT chronicles Hoyt Richards, who, at 16 years old, meets an enigmatic Manhattan socialite on a Nantucket beach and is pulled into his spiritual group, Eternal Values. Soon after, Richards ascends to fame as one of the first male supermodels of the 1980s.

Eternal Values, the cult-like group, and its larger-than-life leader Frederick von Mierers, leveraged the glamorous world of 1980s New York to prey upon a community of young models and professionals, seducing them with his New Age cocktail of metaphysical and spiritual teachings, and entangling them in a web of fabrication and exploitation.

Told through intimate, first-person narration, the series tracks Hoyt's involvement with the group and its charismatic guru. Richards, who met von Mierers in high school, was captivated with his worldly wisdom and teachings on spirituality, love and self-improvement. After graduating college, Hoyt moved into Frederick's New York City apartment where he became a devoted follower of von Mierers, all while rising to fame as one of the world's first male supermodels.

As he was drawn further into Eternal Values, Hoyt, now well-paid and well-connected, helped fund von Mierers' group while living an ascetic lifestyle - sleeping on a mat and sharing the apartment with other devotees. As Hoyt's story unfolds, the series reveals how von Mierers gained celebrity by claiming to be an alien "walk-in" from the planet Arcturus. His mission was self-realization and he convinced his acolytes to buy expensive "healing" gems that would save them from tribulation, while also encouraging them to recruit attractive new followers.

Incorporating archival footage from the group's public access television shows, the series reveals how its ideas were presented to a broader audience. Former members describe how the group's early emphasis on abstinence shifted over time, giving way to pressure to engage in sexual relationships while discouraging emotional intimacy that might threaten the group - an evolution that unfolded in the shadow of the AIDS crisis. As these accounts deepen, questions also emerge about von Mierers, including whether he was who he claimed to be.

Episode Descriptions:

Chapter 1: "The Promise"

Debut date: MONDAY, JUNE 1 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)

Hoyt Richards recounts how, in 1978, he met Frederick von Mierers, a self-proclaimed guru preaching a seductive gospel of Eastern philosophy, astrology, and New Age spirituality. To the outside world, Hoyt was a successful, jet-setting model, but at the same time, he lived an ascetic life while espousing Frederick's teachings and funding much of his lifestyle.

Chapter 2: "The Antichrist Tapes"

Debut date: MONDAY, JUNE 8 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)

In preparation for Frederick's prediction of a coming global cataclysm in 1999, the group sets up a compound in North Carolina, where he claims alien spaceships can land to take them to safety. Jacki Adams, another top model, joins the group, only to trigger a series of events that end up publicly exposing the true nature of the Eternal Values.

Chapter 3: "Mind Games"

Debut date: MONDAY, JUNE 15 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)

The group splinters and eventually dwindles in North Carolina. As 1999 approaches, Hoyt grows skeptical and escapes to California where he grapples with the shame and regret of recruiting others while hurting his own family, as he reconnects and reflects on his experiences with former members.

Featured Participants: Former Eternal Values members Hoyt Richards, Paul Hinton, Dar Dixon, and Elissa Melaragno; models Fabio Lanzoni, John Pearson, and Jacki Adams; modeling agents; family members of Hoyt Richards; and archival footage of Frederick Von Mierers.

Credits: HBO Documentary Films presents BRING ME THE BEAUTIES, a Library Films Production. Directed and executive produced by Chris Smith; executive producer, Ryann Fraser. For HBO: executive producers, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, and Sara Rodriguez.