Draft:Frederick von Mierers
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Frederick von Mierers
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| Born | December 25, 1946
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
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| Died | February 4, 1990 (aged 43)
North Carolina, U.S.
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| Occupations | Model, socialite, astrologer, spiritual leader |
| Known for | Leader of Eternal Values |
Frederick von Mierers (December 25, 1946 – February 4, 1990) was an American socialite, astrologer, and the leader of Eternal Values, a New Age group active in New York in the 1980s and later described by media accounts and former members as a cult.[1][2] His birth name has been reported as Freddy Miers or Fred Meyers.[3]
Life and career
[edit]Von Mierers was born in Brooklyn, New York. He briefly worked as a model in the late 1960s, changed his name, and became associated with New York high society. Vanity Fair later reported that he claimed aristocratic European ancestry, but that he was in fact Fred Meyers from Brooklyn, whose father ran a dry-cleaning business.[1]
Eternal Values
[edit]In the early 1980s, von Mierers established himself as an astrologer and claimed to be an "alien walk-in" from the star Arcturus, sent to prepare followers for a coming New Age.[4] Von Mierers used his reputation as a New York socialite to recruit young models, students, and professionals into Eternal Values.[5][6][1] One of its best-known members was model Hoyt Richards, who met von Mierers at age 16 and became involved in what Vanity Fair described as a "two-decade entanglement" with Eternal Values.[3] Reports about the group described strict rules governing diet, sex, money, and loyalty to von Mierers.[7] Von Mierers also sold books, videos, cassettes, supplements, psychic astrology reading tapes, and expensive "gem prescriptions" whose stones he claimed had healing or spiritual properties.[1][7] In March 1990, Vanity Fair published Marie Brenner's article "East Side Alien", which examined Eternal Values and a New York prosecutors' investigation into allegations that von Mierers had sold mystical gems with false appraisals.[8]
Death
[edit]Von Mierers died from AIDS-related complications on February 4, 1990, at age 43, after spending his final days at Eternal Values' property in Lake Lure, North Carolina.[1][9] According to Biography, some former followers later alleged that an Eternal Values member suffocated von Mierers with a pillow as a mercy killing, but stated that the allegation had not been confirmed.[1]
Later media coverage
[edit]In 2026, HBO released the three-part documentary series Bring Me the Beauties, directed by Chris Smith, which examined Hoyt Richards's involvement with Eternal Values and von Mierers.[2] [3] Time reported that the series drew on archival footage, new interviews with former members, and extensive conversations with Richards.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Caruso, Catherine (May 29, 2026). "Who Was Frederick von Mierers? All About the 'Bring Me the Beauties' Cult Leader Who Claimed to Be an Alien". Biography. Hearst Magazines. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
- ^ a b c Mangalindan, JP (June 1, 2026). "The True Story Behind 'Bring Me the Beauties' and the Eternal Values Cult". Time. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
- ^ a b c Adler, Dan (June 1, 2026). "How a Male Supermodel Escaped a Manhattan Socialite's Cult". Vanity Fair. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
- ^ Schonfeld, Alexandra (June 9, 2026). "Cult Leader Who Claimed to Be an Alien Moved His Followers to House in North Carolina to Escape 'Apocalypse' (Exclusive)". People. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
- ^ Rathe, Adam (June 2026). "The Cult Leader in the Social Register". Town & Country. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
- ^ Ottenberg, Mel (June 12, 2026). "Supermodel Hoyt Richards on Escaping the Eternal Values Cult". Interview. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
- ^ a b Bianchi, Martín (June 12, 2026). "How Hoyt Richards, the world's best-paid male supermodel, was abducted by a brain-washing cult". El País. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
- ^ Brenner, Marie (March 1990). "East Side Alien". Vanity Fair. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
- ^ Janos, Adam (June 1, 2026). "Who Was Eternal Values Founder Frederick von Mierers?". A&E. Retrieved June 24, 2026.