‘Fine felon’ Jeremy Meeks shot to fame after his handsome mugshot became an unexpected viral sensation. More than ten years on, his rollercoaster story is still taking surprising turns
Back in the summer of 2014, the Stockton Police Department in California uploaded a mug shot to Facebook. Little did they know the stir they were about to cause.
Officers warned that the arrested man was “one of the most violent criminals in the Stockton area” and that he faced five firearms charges. However, those in the area were more interested in the then-gang member Jeremy Meeks’ ice-blue eyes and striking good looks than his rap sheet.
At the time, the BBC reported that the photo clocked up more than 95,000 comments and 20,000 likes after being posted to the Police Department’s Facebook page. Handsome Meeks quickly became known as the “fine felon”, and his brush with the law turned out to be the beginning of an extraordinary career.
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Meeks was convicted of felony firearm possession in February 2015 and sentenced to 27 months in prison, but even while still behind bars, he began taking strides to stardom. Speaking with BuzzFeed in 2020, Meeks, who served out 13 months of his sentence, said, “While I was still incarcerated, I received, I believe, 45 contracts.”
Upon his release in March 2016, grateful Meeks told his Instagram followers: “I want to thank my family and everybody for all your love, support and prayers. I’m overwhelmed and grateful for what lies ahead. I’m ready.”
This proved to be a new start for the ‘world’s hottest felon’, who had previously served time for grand theft and forgery.
He appeared in several films, including Trigger (2020), Secret Society (2021), and True to the Game 2 and 3 (2020 and 2021). He also made an appearance in the music video Wi-Fi by Russian pop star Olga Buzova.
It wasn’t long before Meeks carved out a path for himself as a sought-after name in fashion, landing a modelling contract and walking the runway for the likes of Tommy Hilfiger and Philipp Plein. Reflecting on his whirlwind Cinderella story back in 2020, Meeks remarked: “If anyone would’ve told me 10 years ago that I was gonna be travelling the world, walking in fashion shows, acting in movies? I don’t know what I would’ve done.”
The former convict has also taken the time to discuss how he ended up stuck in a life of crime, making the following candid admission during a 2019 episode of the What’s Your Water podcast. “Both of my parents were heroin addicts. I was a heroin baby … My childhood was very dark. My dad committed a murder when I was nine months old and killed my mom’s best friend,” he disclosed.
More recently, the now 41-year-old has delved deeper into his personal story in his upcoming autobiography, Model Citizen: The Autobiography of Jeremy Meeks, which is available to pre-order through Amazon now. According to the official synopsis: “It all started with the mugshot seen ’round the world. Jeremy Meeks rose to global fame, as his photograph from jail led to nicknames like Prison Bae and Hot Felon soon after. He became an icon while still behind bars, and once he left the prison system, he vowed never again to return.
“But there is much more to Meeks than a pretty face. From bouncing coast to coast in his childhood to enduring a poverty-stricken and gang-tied adolescence that ultimately led to prison being his second home, Meeks has a story to tell. Model Citizen is the tale of how one man changed his entire world once that world saw his face. From humble beginnings to wealth, high fashion, and Hollywood, Meeks is a true success story. The new American Dream, finally realised.”
Explaining why he’s decided to release his rollercoaster memoir, Meeks told People: “I’m in a place in my life where I am extremely vulnerable and want to tell my story, the whole story and hope that people can connect to it and understand how I came to be in the place that I’m at in my life.”
Career aside, Meeks has also led an eventful love life. The unexpected heartthrob was previously married to Melissa Meeks, the mother of his son, Jeremy Jr. Meeks also found love with Chloe Green, the daughter of former Topshop tycoon Philip Green.
In 2018, the couple welcomed son Jayden Meeks-Green, but ended up parting ways amicably the following year. In an October 2020 conversation with Extra, Meeks confirmed: “I am single. I’m trying to focus on myself. I have an incredible relationship with Chloe, the mother of my two-year-old. And now I have a relationship with the mother of my oldest son. They’re in good places. I’m in a good place. We’re all co-parenting. They are incredible mothers.”
It would appear that romance isn’t a priority for Meeks right now, and, back in July, Meeks revealed he’s now been celibate for “almost three years”. As previously reported by Complex, the prisoner turned superstar divulged this information while attending the premiere of Dutch III: International Gangster when asked about his “biggest turn on”.
Hesitating slightly, Meeks admitted, “I don’t have a girl. I’ve been celibate for almost three years.” When asked why this was the case, he explained: “‘Cause I’m not being distracted.”
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Source: Mirror
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