Once dubbed the ‘world’s hottest felon’ after his mugshot broke the internet, Jeremy Meeks has come a long way since his arrest over a decade ago.
Back in 2014, Meeks’ piercing blue eyes and perfect bone structure made him go viral overnight when the Stockton Police Department posted his booking photo on Facebook. The image racked up tens of thousands of likes and comments, earning him instant celebrity status while he was still behind bars.
At the time, few could’ve predicted that the man once facing multiple firearm charges would end up walking the runway for designers like Philipp Plein and Tommy Hilfiger, starring in movies, and signing multi-million-dollar fashion deals.
Before that infamous photo, Meeks’ life was far from glamorous.
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He’s spoken openly about his difficult childhood, such as on the What’s Your Water podcast in 2019, saying, “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.”
After spending over a decade in and out of prison for crimes including grand theft and forgery, Meeks’ 2014 arrest led to a 27-month prison sentence. But when the handsome convict walked free in 2016, everything changed.
Now 41, Meeks is almost unrecognizable from the man in that viral photo. He still looks rather striking, but with a polished, high-fashion look that’s made him a permanent fixture in the entertainment industry.
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After signing with White Cross Management, he told ABC: “I'm in a place where I will be able to provide for my family and really change my life.” And he did exactly that.
Since his release, Meeks has modelled across the world, appeared in several films, including Trigger (2020), Secret Society, and True to the Game 2 and 3, and even inked a $15 million deal with Fashion Concept GmbH to launch his own clothing line.
In 2024, he added being an author to his resume with the release of his autobiography, Model Citizen: The Autobiography of Jeremy Meeks.
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He said at the time: “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”.
Away from the spotlight, Meeks has two sons: Jeremy Jr. with his ex-wife Melissa, and Jayden with Topshop heiress Chloe Green, whom he dated for two years. He confirmed in 2024 that he’s now single, saying to People in 2024: “I am single. I'm trying to focus on myself.”
From a prison cell to Paris Fashion Week, Meeks’ story is one of the most unlikely glow-ups in modern celebrity culture. And at 41, the world’s hottest felon is still turning heads, this time on his own terms.
Topics: Celebrity
Ben Williams