Home / Arts and Entertainment / Top Model Reveals Decades in Hidden Cult
Top Model Reveals Decades in Hidden Cult
6 Jun
Summary
- Hoyt Richards lived a double life as a model and cult member.
- He joined Frederick von Mierers' Eternal Values cult.
- The cult believed the world would end in 1999.
Hoyt Richards, once a prominent male model, details his entanglement in the Eternal Values cult, led by Frederick von Mierers, in the HBO Max docuseries 'Bring Me the Beauties: A Model Cult.' Richards met von Mierers in the 1970s, who later helped launch his modeling career, exposing him to a glamorous world.
However, behind the facade, Richards was drawn into von Mierers' group, which held beliefs including an impending apocalypse in 1999. Richards dismissed initial warnings about it being a cult, as his life involved high-profile events like those at Studio 54. The cult's teachings included von Mierers claiming to be an alien consciousness.
Richards gradually became more committed, contributing significantly financially and giving up most of his earnings to the group. He lived in the cult's 'apex' apartment in New York City. The cult ultimately disbanded in the early 2000s, a decade after von Mierers' death in 1990.
His realization of being in a cult was crushing, especially after being pressured to end a relationship. Richards' journey involved extensive research and reconnecting with former members to understand the extent of the mind control he experienced.
