When director Chris Smith first heard Hoyt Richards' story, he could hardly believe his ears.
«"The combination of the fashion and modeling world with this other life he led, it seemed incredible that they could coexist like that," Smith tells Gold Derby.
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Richards was one of the first male supermodels, a fixture of the glittering fashion world of the 1980s. Yet, he slept on a mat in a Manhattan apartment, funded a New Age cult, and sincerely believed he was the luckiest man alive.
This story became the basis for the HBO documentary series "« Bring Me the Beauties: The Cult of Models» , which premieres on June 1. But what's even more remarkable is that it was Richards who wanted to tell this story.
«"I've seen a lot of survivor stories," he says. "I just feel like I have to share this information. Otherwise, why would I have gone through this?"»
Promise
It all began on a Nantucket beach in 1978. Richards was 16 when he met Frederick von Mierers, a self-proclaimed Manhattan socialite who preached a blend of astrology, Eastern philosophy, and self-realization. The group von Mierers led, called Eternal Values, consumed the next two decades of Richards's life.
«Bring Me the Beauties: Cult of the Models (provided by HBO)
The seduction occurred gradually. Richards says von Mierers encouraged members to immerse themselves in glamour and luxury while remaining emotionally detached.
They went to Studio 54, but they didn't drink or do drugs.
«"We were just dancing," Richards says. "The idea was to see it for what it is, to feel it, to laugh, to dance, to have fun. But ultimately, you have to be able to walk away, because it's not what's real.".
Richards now considers von Mierers a narcissist who surrounded himself with ambitious, attractive, and influential young men. "He always, in a sense, exaggerated people's virtues," Richards says. "And yet, I never really asked him about himself or his life.".
Frederick von Meyers in "Bring Me the Beauties: Model Cult," courtesy of HBO
Cash cow
After graduating from college, Richards moved in with them. He slept on a mat, attended spiritual meetings until dawn, and, as his modeling career took off, wrote check after check to keep the establishment running.
«"He conned me so skillfully," Richards says. "As long as I kept paying, everything would be fine. And it worked like magic for me.".
The more money he gave away, the more his career flourished—and he expressed gratitude to this group.
«"I think it's about Eternal Values," he says. "The more money I give away, the more money I make. I think, 'That's how it works. It's amazing.'".
Hoyt Richards. Courtesy of HBO.
At the time, Richards didn't feel exploited. He saw himself as a helper. Visitors would come to the apartment for fortune telling, pay hundreds of dollars, and then leave emotionally drained. Von Mierers would tell Richards that someone was in a difficult situation, and Richards would give her even more money.
«"Looking back, I can say, 'Well, how could I not notice that?' But I didn't want to see it," he says. "In situations like that, you really do become your own worst enemy.".
Turn
For years, the group preached celibacy. Then, gradually, it stopped. "Celibacy was pushed because it was a spiritual life," Richards says. "But then we all became attractive, and it became too intense. And then his logic became, 'Don't have relationships with other people (outside of Eternal Values), just with each other. And be detached.' Humans just aren't wired that way. And that's when the abuse happened.".
Smith has observed this evolution through poring over archival footage and conducting hours of interviews. "I think they started out with very altruistic intentions," he says cautiously, "aiming to be a band working to become the best version of themselves, to fulfill themselves. And judging by what's happened, I think that's led to them straying far from their original vision.".
After von Mierers' death, Richards expected everything to collapse. Instead, things got worse. A new leader emerged—a man who had always resented the special treatment accorded Richards as the group's most famous and most financially valuable member.
«"Freddie really did treat me like a child because I was the golden goose," Richards explains. "Because of this favoritism, a lot of resentment built up within the band. And then after Freddie died, we had a power struggle, and another person took over—he was very jealous of the way I was treated. So, over the next 10 years, I was treated much more harshly and abusively than Freddie.".
The leader repeatedly told him: "It's a pity that you were such a coward that you committed suicide. Spare me the suffering associated with you.".
«"And I was thinking about ways to end my life," Richards says. "And I was like, 'Yeah, ultimately, I just don't think I can do it.' And luckily, that's what happened.".
«"I will give Hoyt shelter."»
When he was finally taken out, his place was taken by a man with a full head of hair who, by the looks of it, was an excellent pasta cook.
Fabio Lanzoni—yes, that Fabio—was one of the first models Richards met. "It was like meeting Thor," Richards laughs. "He's absolutely incredible, but at the same time very down-to-earth. And he comes from a very wealthy family, so he's very polite and elegant.".
They were friends—gym buddies, club regulars—but Richards never introduced Fabio to Eternal Values. When Richards finally hit rock bottom, broke, with a shaved head, and making up the excuse of some "extreme modeling job," he showed up on Fabio's doorstep in Los Angeles.
«"He just let me in. He said, 'Let's go to the gym,' and he kept me there for a year. And we've been talking about it ever since. He said, 'I just knew that when you were ready, you'd come talk to me, but I wasn't going to interrogate you.'".
«"And they didn't ask any questions—that's the beauty of it. Because I couldn't answer them. But the last thing I wanted was to be asked.".
Smith, who interviewed Fabio for the series, was struck by his intuition. "The interview with Fabio was incredible because he had such wisdom, understanding—even without knowing anything—how to best support Hoyt," Smith continues. "When I told people the story, they were like, 'Interesting, interesting, interesting, interesting.' And then when he finally escapes, he lives with Fabio for a year and a half—that's what made everyone say, 'Okay, I have to see this.'".
Hoyt Richards and Chris Smith attend the New York premiere of HBO's "Bring Me The Beauties" on May 20, 2026. (Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
Recovery
It took Richards nearly 18 months after leaving Fabio's house before he fully understood what had happened to him. That it was a cult. That what he had experienced had a name.
Today, he works with families trying to connect with loved ones still involved in groups like Eternal Values. His advice seems counterintuitive, but it's hard-won. "The last thing you want to do is confront someone," he says. "You want to build bridges, not engage in confrontation.".
As he explains, the cult's recruitment strategy was designed to ensure that outside interference would backfire. "They told me, 'The brainwashing happened before you even met us. Your parents, although they meant well, brainwashed you. Now you'll learn the truth. We've pulled you out of the matrix. They're still in the matrix. They don't even know it exists. Subconsciously, they'll try to drag you back. You must have the strength to isolate yourself from them.'".
So, instead of confrontation, he advises families to ask questions. «This seems really important to you. I want to understand why it’s so important. Is there anything I can read?„ Try to get into their world to understand them—and perhaps get to know other people, so you can later build more trust and have a more open conversation, because you won’t be perceived as an adversary.“.
Smith believes the film is important precisely because Richards isn't what we imagine when we picture cult members. "Hoyt is someone I think a lot of people can relate to and wonder how he could end up in that situation," he says. "He's a man from such a wonderful family—educated, intelligent, articulate—and the fact that he found himself in that situation made me realize that this could happen to anyone under the right circumstances.".
Richards agrees—and expands on this idea. "Many of us may be in cult-like relationships without even realizing it," he says. "Whether it's political parties or religions—elements of cult-like relationships exist all around us, of which we may not even be aware.".
He still tries to contact people he knew from those years. Some hang up. Some don't. Recently, he reconnected with someone he hadn't spoken to in almost 40 years.
«"Silence won't do any good," he says. "I hope that when this becomes known, perhaps more people will reach out to me.".
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