In the '90s, one of the most popular pastimes was watching late-night infomercials, and there was arguably nobody taller than the genre's most famous star, Miss Cleo. It has been confirmed that an official documentary on the life and controversial career of the late Miss Cleo is currently in the works.
It seemed like there was no escaping the insanely popular Psychic Reader's Network commercials starring none other than pop culture favorite Miss Cleo in the late 1990s, but it all fell apart when it was discovered that Miss Cleo was actually an actress named Youree Dell Harris, who sadly passed away from cancer in 2016 at the age of 53. Fast-forward to the present, and there comes a documentary about his iconic rise and tragic fall. @Deadline reports that entertainment studio XTR and production company Majority have jointly announced they are producing a film about Miss Cleo, who has been at the center of a billion-dollar fraud investigation.
Directed by Senain Kheshgi, the documentary outlines what fans can expect. XTR Studio's description reads, "Miss Cleo's charisma and famous imperatives, posing as a Jamaican shaman, allowed the Psychic Readers Network, a pay-per-call service, to offer callers seeking answers via a Billion dollars to bill for advice. But everything collapsed in 2002 when the Federal Trade Commission accused the network and its owners of fraudulent advertising, billing and collections practices, bringing Miss Cleo's reign as psychic queen to a dramatic end.
In addition, Kheshgi explained her reasons for making the documentary and highlighted the treatment of minority women in Hollywood. “Her story is an example of how brown and black women have historically been marginalized and exoticized in society and popular culture. The enduring image of the dark, mystical woman still perpetuates this stereotype."
There's no word on a release date or title at this time, but the project is expected to interview people from Harris' past and those close to her.
