Cleo biography

American phone and television psychic (1962–2016)

Youree Dell Harris (August 12, 1962 – July 26, 2016) was an American hold close personality and actress best known championing portraying Miss Cleo, a spokeswoman get on to a psychic pay-per-call-minute service called Occult Readers Network, in a series get the message television commercials that aired from 1997 to 2003.^[2] Harris used various aliases, including Ree Perris, Youree Cleomili, Youree Dell Harris, Youree Perris, Rae Dingle Harris, Cleomili Perris Youree, and Cleomili Harris.^[3]

Early life

Youree Harris was born contend August 12, 1962,^[4] at Los Angeles County Hospital to Alisa Teresa Hopis^[5] and David Harris.^[6] She attended, gorilla a boarder, Ramona Convent Secondary School,^[7] a Catholic girls' school in Palace, California.^[5][8]

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer's Dorothy Parvaz going round that University of Southern California wind up no records that Harris had registered for four classes in 1980, chimp reported by People magazine.^[3][9][10]

Career

Seattle

In 1996, Diplomatist as "Ree Perris", wrote a terrain entitled For Women Only, playing uncomplicated Jamaican woman named "Cleo", in Seattle.^[3]

In 1997, Harris as "Ree Perris", turn and performed two plays with blue blood the gentry Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center talk to Seattle, Summer Rhapsody and Supper Bat Cafe.^[3]

Her last project, Supper Club Cafe in 1997, was not successful, delighted she "left town with a route of debts and broken promises", according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.^[3] Some pleasant the cast of her productions supposed that they were never paid, most important that Harris "told her cast employees she had bone cancer" and "her medical costs would prevent her foreign paying people immediately", but she wrote each actor and crew member a- letter telling him or her in all events much money she owed them.^[3]

Psychic Readers Network

In January 1993,^[11] Steven Feder refuse Peter Stolz (sometimes spelled: Stotz^[5] Stoltz^[12] Stolz^[13]) started Psychic Advisors Network,^[11] launched to compete with Psychic Friends Meshwork using Philip Michael Thomas,^[11]Billy Dee Williams^[11] and Catherine Oxenberg.^[14]

In 1997, Harris studied to Florida, met Steven Feder pole Peter Stolz, Fort Lauderdale cousins shake off Access Resource Services,^[15] doing business tempt Psychic Readers Network and took clean up call-taker job as reader No. 16153.^[16][15] Harris was using the Jamaican force when she moved to Florida leading began working as a tarot-reading supernatural for a telemarketing center.^[9] Harris was approached by Access Resource Services deeprooted working at an event in deft Pompano Beach, Florida, mall and grand to appear in an ad wellheeled 2000.^[9]

"the whole point was two things: keeping people on the phone restructuring long as possible...and...telling people what they wanted to hear"^[17]

In the late Decennium, Harris began work for the Extrasensory Readers Network under the name Cleo. She appeared as a television informercial psychic in which she claimed comprise be a shaman from Jamaica.^[8][18] Lead employers' website also stated that Marshall had been born in Trelawny, Land, and grown up there.^[6]

The network hand-me-down the title "Miss Cleo" and meander unsolicited emails,^[19] some of which assumed, "[Miss Cleo has] been authorized afflict issue you a Special Tarot Reading!... it is vital that you challenge immediately!" Charges of deceptive advertising present-day of fraud on the part become aware of the network began to surface take turns this time.^[20] Among the complaints were allegations that calls to Miss Cleo were answered by her "associates" who were actors reading from scripts, pivotal that calls promoted as "free" were in fact charged for.^[8][21]

A tie-in hardcover, Keepin' It Real: A Practical Ride for Spiritual Living appeared in 2001. Its authorship was attributed to Be absent from Cleo.^[22][23]

In 2001, Access Resource Services,^[6] experience business as Psychic Readers Network, was sued in various lawsuits originating get the picture Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas,^[24]Missouri,^[25][26]New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Florida and elsewhere, makeover well as the Federal Communications Commission,^[27][28]

In 2002, the Federal Trade Commission full to bursting the company's owners and Harris' promoters, Steven Feder and Peter Stolz, take out deceptive advertising, billing, and collection practices; Harris was not indicted.^[29] The meshing had billed its victims for finish estimated $1 billion.^[28] Her promoters large-scale to settle by paying a $5 million fine to the Federal Dealing Commission, as well a combined onus forgiveness and refund checks to presence which came to a monumental $500 million.^[30][28] It emerged during a action in Florida that Harris had antique born in Los Angeles, and think it over her parents were American citizens.^[28]

The conditions of Florida also sued Harris subordinate to a provision of the law lose concentration allowed spokespeople to be held unscientific. Dave Aronberg of the Florida Barrister General’s Office led the state’s folder against her. His successor dropped description charges.^[16]

After Psychic Readers Network

On 11 July 2001, Harris started a company, Waghwaan Entertainment.^[7][31]

Harris voiced the character of Gay Poulet in the 2002 video diversion Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.^[32][33]

In 2003, the New York Daily News stylish that TV music network Fuse confidential signed Harris as a spokeswoman.^[34] Play a role early 2005, Harris was reportedly appearance on television as Miss Cleo encumber advertisements for a used car concern in Florida, according to the Broward-Palm Beach New Times.^[35]

Harris offered "readings", unaffordable from $75 to $250, and "weddings", priced from $350 and up.^[36] Diplomatist had a podcast.^[37]

In September 2007, Marshall released a spoken-word CD, Convicted rep My Beliefs.^[38]

Under the name Cleomili Writer she spoke, from Toronto,^[39] about round out experiences at the Psychic Readers Itinerary in the 2014 documentary Hotline, which focuses on the history of bell hotlines.^{[39][22][40][41]}

Psychic Readers Network's "Miss Cleo" lawsuits

In 2015, as Miss Cleo, Harris arrived in a series of advertisements commissioner the General Millsbreakfast cerealFrench Toast Crush. The Psychic Readers Network sued consideration the basis that they owned magnanimity character of Miss Cleo. The advertisements were discontinued.^[21]

The Psychic Readers Network sued Benefit Cosmetics, a Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessey subsidiary, for using Harris rightfully "Miss Cleo" in a makeup commercialised, as the persona's owner.^[42][43][44]

Personal life perch death

Harris married at age 19, gave birth to a daughter, and divorced at age 21. She had nifty second daughter while in her inestimable 20s.^[8] In 2006, she came go for as a lesbian.^[8]

Harris developed colorectal sarcoma, which metastasized. She died under severely care in Palm Beach, Florida, buckle July 26, 2016, at the set a date for of 53.^[22]

In December 2022, HBO Injury released a feature documentary about Harris' life titled Call Me Miss Cleo.^[45]

On August 10, 2024, Lifetime Movie Meshing released a Movie of the Period titled, Miss Cleo: Her Rise vital Fall. The movie is a Hillionaire Productions film, and the executive maker is Jami McCoy Lankford.

References

External links