Miss Cleo, the television psychic with a Jamaican accent and catchphrase “call me now” passed away on July 26. She was 53.
Miss Cleo (nee Youree Harris) died in a Palm Beach County, Florida, hospice after battling cancer, according to TMZ. Cleo was initially diagnosed with colon cancer, which subsequently metastasized to her liver and lungs.
Cleo passed away surrounded by loved ones and was a “pillar of strength” during her cancer battle, according to representatives for the 90s celebrity.
She was a fixture on television screens with her commercials urging viewers to call in and learn of their future through tarot card readings.
However, by 2002 the commercials stopped when the Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against Cleo and the Psychic Readers Network, claiming that fraudulent practices were used to earn nearly $1 billion in profits.
Cleo was subsequently dropped from the lawsuit and the owners of Psychic Readers Network, Steven Feder and Peter Stoltz, settled the case with a $500 million payment to the Federal Trade Commission. They also forgave another $500 million of outstanding consumer debt.
Cleo stayed out of the spotlight except for a few appearances as a voice for a character in “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City” in 2002 and the documentary, “Hotline” in 2014.
In a 2014 interview with Vice, Cleo said she was still working as a psychic.
“Oh, yeah, my clients are international, sweetie. I have clients in New Zealand, Australia, a few here in Toronto, a bunch all over the U.S., Jamaica, obviously. Honey, that’s how I make my money. I’ve got kids and grandchildren; I like being able to help.”
Cleo is survived by her children and grandchildren.
