Wire report

‘We can all be susceptible’: how did a group of models get taken in by a cult?

In HBO docuseries Bring Me the Beauties, a lesser-known, image-obsessed cult from the 80s is put under the spotlight Documentary film-maker Chris Smith made the seminal 1999 film American Movie, about an indie director’s struggle to complete a horror film, which he ...

Source-feed image associated with ‘We can all be susceptible’: how did a group of models get taken in by a cult?
Source-feed image associated with the linked report: ‘We can all be susceptible’: how did a group of models get taken in by a cult?.Credit: The Guardian Source-feed thumbnail displayed with attribution and outbound source link; VINI does not claim ownership or republish the third-party article body. Image source Cached source-feed image shown for continuity with attribution and an outbound source link; VINI does not claim third-party image authorship or republish the third-party article body.
Reading time2 min

coverage / news / attributed

Reader toolsFollow the reporting.

Get updates, read source context, send useful records, share the story, or support the reporting work from the reading page.

FollowGet story updatesBriefs and topic returnsContextOpen background1 public sourceContributeSend recordsDocuments, dates, photosSupportFund reportingReader-backed workShareCopy story URLvininews.com
Why it mattersGlobal

In HBO docuseries Bring Me the Beauties, a lesser-known, image-obsessed cult from the 80s is put under the spotlight Documentary film-maker Chris Smith made the seminal 1999 film American Movie, about an indie director’s struggle to complete a horror film, which he ...

What to know1 source

Use the references, response options, and updates before treating any contested detail as complete.

Follow the threadPublic Policy

Open topic path or search related wording such as records, sources, agencies, dates, and locations.

What happened

According to The Guardian’s source item, ‘We can all be susceptible’: how did a group of models get taken in by a cult?, In HBO docuseries Bring Me the Beauties, a lesser-known, image-obsessed cult from the 80s is put under the spotlight Documentary film-maker Chris Smith made the seminal 1999 film American Movie, about an indie director’s struggle to complete a horror film, which he hopes will then finance the completion of his dream project. More recently, he’s profiled well-known subjects in projects for Netflix about Jim Carrey and Andy Kaufman, the bands Devo and Wham!, and the disastrous Fyre festival, among others. His new HBO miniseries Bring Me the Beauties is similarly connected to popular culture, but through a story with far less immediately available background material: the rise and fall of Eternal Values, a cult started in the 80s by the eccentric Frederick von Mierers, consisting largely of models. “What was odd about this story,” Smith said, “is that there was very little about it online.”

Context

The development sits in VINI’s Global file for readers following international affairs, institutions, conflict, diplomacy, economics, and cross-border consequences. The original report is linked so readers can check the source account, follow later updates, and compare new coverage against the first published record. The source item is dated 2026-06-01T10:00:15+00:00.

What to watch

Open questions include whether primary sources issue follow-up statements, whether local or market impacts become clearer, and whether additional reporting changes the timeline or adds material context.

Source

Primary source: ‘We can all be susceptible’: how did a group of models get taken in by a cult? via The Guardian. VINI cites and links the source; it does not reproduce the publisher’s full article text without rights clearance.

Keep following

This file can keep developing

vininews.com uses reader tips, public records, right-of-reply requests, corrections, and follow-up reporting to keep important stories current.

SubscribeGet the next updateSend recordsShare documents or leadsRespondRequest comment or replyDonateSupport reporting costs

Support and subscriptions never buy coverage, placement, suppression, or corrections.

Reader comments

Moderated discussion

Account access

Comments are open to authenticated approved accounts, screened for spam and abuse, and published only after newsroom moderation unless editors change the story control.

Article is available above. Checking moderated comments.

No approved comments yet.

Substantive, civil comments can be submitted by approved account holders.

Continue reading

Related coverage

Full archive
Weekend News Archive Briefing: Seven Questions VINI Is Carrying Into the Next Records CycleBriefs / June 20, 2026Public Program Access Log: The Ordinary Records That Explain Whether Services Were ReachableAnalysis / June 20, 2026Safe Parking Source Document Index: The Records VINI Is Sorting FirstRecords / June 20, 2026Vehicle Homes and Release Barriers: The Checklist Behind a Tow Follow-UpAnalysis / June 20, 2026Safe-Parking Donations and Support Needs: What Official Program Materials SayBriefs / June 20, 2026With World Cup in Guadalajara, families of Mexico's disappeared turn loved ones into soccer stickersGlobal / June 20, 2026