Reply #14: Miss Cleo!

[Hissyspit]

I hadn't thought about her in several years. Funny how she didn't foresee the trouble she was going to get into...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Cleo

The Psychic Readers Network
In the late 1990s Harris had a career as a television infomercial psychic in which she claimed she was originally from Jamaica. The Psychic Readers Network sent spam e-mails, which stated, " been authorized to issue you a Special Tarot Reading!... it is vital that you call immediately!..."

Starting in 2001, Access Resource Services d/b/a Psychic Readers Network was sued in various lawsuits brought by (among others) Missouri and Florida, and the Federal Communications Commission. Ms. Harris herself was sued only by the State of Florida because Florida law allows a "spokesperson" to be sued as well as the company, however the case was dismissed on the condition that Ms. Harris waive her ability to sue the State of Florida regarding the case. The company owners, Steve Feder and Peter Stolz, purposely marketed the company to appear that Miss Cleo owned and operated the Psychic Readers Network. Later in 2002, a Florida newspaper reported Miss Cleo's birth certificate identifies her as Youree Dell Harris, and that she was born in Los Angeles.

She was paid $1700 for her first infomercial with the company, and was paid a flat fee for each commercial she appeared in thereafter. The company coined the title "Miss Cleo". Ms. Harris used her middle name Cleomili or Cleo when she worked on the psychic line. At the time of the lawsuit, Ms. Harris had severed ties with the Psychic Readers Network. Harris did not have any ownership interest in the Psychic Readers Network and was indeed a paid spokesperson for the network. For more than a year, Ms. Harris worked on the actual "hotline" before appearing in any of the company's commercials.

Long before becoming "Ms Cleo" the psychic advsor, Harris had several run-ins with the law.<2> In 1999, lawsuits against Harris and her promoters concerning the psychic network were filed.<6> In 2002, the FTC Charged Harris' promoters, Steven Feder and Peter Stotz, with deceptive advertising, billing and collection practices, though Harris was not indicted. <7> Her promoters agreed to settle for a fraction of the amount they took in.<8>

The "associates" that gave psychic readings read from a script, made available by Court TV here.