Frederick von Mierers, a self-proclaimed 'psychic astrologer' who claimed origins from the Arcturus star system, built a cult in 1980s New York that exploited young fashion models for money and control. A new HBO Max documentary series, Bring Me The Beauties: A Model Cult, revisits his rise and fall, featuring interviews with former followers like top models Jacki Adams and Hoyt Richards. According to the documentary, von Mierers—born Fred Meyer in Brooklyn—preyed on insecurities of the fashion elite,selling worthless gemstones as healing tools and demanding menial labor under the guise of ego control.

From Suburban Brooklyn to Arcturus: Von Mierers' Fabricated Origin Story

The documentary reveals that Frederick von Mierers was actually Fred Meyer, a man from suburban Brooklyn whose father ran a dry-cleaning business. He invented a German-sounding accent and claimed to be the orphaned scion of a wealthy Manhattan family that knew the British Royal Family. The elaborate backstory—including his supposed arrival from the Arcturus star system—was a key part of his charm, as Bring Me The Beauties shows. This self-invention echoes a pattern seen in other cult leaders: a compelling origin story that makes followers feel they are part of something cosmic and exclusive.

As the documentary notes, von Mierers cut his teeth sponging off elderly New York widows after his own modelling career failed. that experience taught him how to separate rich people from their money—a skill he later deployed on supermodels and Wall Street tycoons who scrubbed his floors.

Jacki Adams: The Vogue Model Denounced as 'Evil' for Falling in Love

Jacki Adams, the face of Elizabeth Arden and a regular Vogue cover model, joined von Mierers' group in 1987 when she was 22. According to the documentary, after she began a relationship with another male member, von Mierers denounced her as 'evil.' The episode illustrates how the cult controlled personal relationships: any bond outside of von Mierers' authority was a threat. Adams' story, as told in the series, highlights the extreme manipulation tactics used by the leader to maintain dominance.

Former follower Hoyt Richards, who was 16 when he met von Mierers on a Nantucket beach, similarly describes how the cult demanded absolute obedience. High-flyers would finish a day's work and then spend hours scrubbing floors or doing laundry, because von Mierers insisted they had to control their egos.

Why a 16-Year-Old From Nantucket Became His First Male Recruit

Hoyt Richards was just 16 when he encountered von Mierers on a beach in Nantucket, Massachusetts. The stranger drew yin and yang symbols in the sand and began spouting Eastern mysticism. Soon, von Mierers took the impressionable teenager to Studio 54 and urged him into modelling. Richards went on to appear on Vogue covers and work for top designers. But he eventually became disillusioned,realizing von Mierers was using him and other fololwers for personal gain.

The documentary frames this recruitment as a deliberate targeting of young, vulnerable people. Richards' experience offers a window into how von Mierers lured followers not only with promises of spiritual fulfillment but also with access to the glamorous world of fashion and nightlife.

The 1999 Apocalypse Prediction and the Cult's Darker Ideology

Beyond gemstones and menial chores, von Mierers preached hatred toward Jews and Hitler and predicted an apocalypse would occur in 1999, following a 'magnetic polar shift,' as the documentary reports. This apocalyptic element is a common feature in cults, creating urgency and dependency. The source also notes that von Mierers was a misogynist who emphasized physical beauty while exploiting the insecurities of his largely female following.

What remains unclear from the documentary is what happened to von Mierers after the group dissolved.. The source does not mention any legal consequences, and the fate of his followers beyond the few interviewed is left ambiguous. Was he ever held accountable? And how many other models or socialites passed through his orbit? These are questions the series raises but does not fully answer.