‘Call Me Miss Cleo’ Documentary Will Explore ‘The Truth’ About the TV Psychic

Call Me Miss Cleo (Credit: HBO Max)

What happened to Miss Cleo and her 1990s psychic hotline?

A new documentary titled Call Me Miss Cleo will explore “the truth” about the mysterious TV psychic, according to HBO Max.

The streaming service released a trailer on Dec. 1, and says the film will chronicle “the rise, fall, and reinvention” of Miss Cleo.

Born Youree Dell Harris, Miss Cleo was a self-proclaimed voodoo priestess who gained a cult following with her appearances on the Psychic Readers Network. Known for her signature line “call me now!” — delivered with a Jamaican accent — Miss Cleo became a household name and was parodied on the sketch comedy series MADtv.

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But eventually, it all came crashing down. In 2002, the Federal Trade Commission charged the owners of the Psychic Readers Network, not Harris, with defrauding customers who called into the company’s 1-900-numbers for paid psychic readings. While the TV informercials claimed Miss Cleo was a shaman from Jamaica, it later emerged that she was born in Los Angeles and had been an actress.

“The film explores the many layers behind a complicated and charismatic figure. Revisiting an era of corded phones and 1-900-numbers, Call Me Miss Cleo ultimately reveals the truth behind the ever-enigmatic woman who took TV by storm, only to abruptly disappear from public consciousness,” according to the official description.

The film includes testimonials from people close to Miss Cleo, as well as actresses Raven-Symoné and MAdtv alum Debra Wilson.

Harris died in 2016, but some of her past interviews are featured in the trailer.

“Miss Cleo was such an iconic figure to fans and believers nationwide, but her story behind the camera remained an enigma,” Sarah Aubrey, head of original content at HBO Max, said in a statement. “We are excited at the opportunity to help tell her true story in Call Me Miss Cleo through the testimonials of those closest to the mysterious TV personality.”

The documentary comes from Gunpowder & Sky productions and is directed by Jennifer Brea and Celia Aniskovich. Producers are Joanna Zwickel and Celia Aniskovich. Van Toffler, Floris Bauer, Barry Barclay and Anne Loder serve as executive producers. Executive producing for HBO Max is Jennifer O’Connell and Lizzie Fox.

Call Me Miss Cleo premieres Dec. 15 on HBO Max.