Topics: News, US News, Viral, Celebrity, Mental Health
The man who stole people’s hearts over one mugshot back in 2014 has spoken out about how going viral didn’t really solve all his problems.
First things first: back in 2014, one mugshot photo quickly went viral and spread throughout social media for the most bizarre reason. The man in picture was dubbed ‘prison bae’, ‘hottest felon’, and a whole other bunch of flattering names due to being pretty darn handsome.
Jeremy Meeks had his photo posted on the Stockton Police Department Facebook page, and it quickly racked up millions of views and even pushed him to internet celebrity status. Despite facing multiple gun charges, and serving a 27-month prison sentence, Meeks was able to make the most of his celebrity fame.
He went on to land a modelling contract with White Cross Management and even ended up walking the runway for top designer brands, starring in movies, and signing million-dollar fashion deals.
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While this is quite a wacky turn of events for just being good-looking, Meeks has previously spoken out about how, before his fame, being attractive didn’t solve all his problems.
Only a few years after becoming a viral sensation, in 2017, Meeks opened up about the difficulties he still faced having a troubled childhood.
In his first interview at the time, he said: “I heard all my life, 'you’re so handsome, you have the most beautiful eyes', and I heard it a hundred times a day. To where I would not even pay no mind to it.
“It didn’t fix it then. I still had a father in prison doing life. I still had a heroin-addict mother and me and my brother and sisters struggling through life’s tribulations."
He added that ‘having a pretty face’ didn’t rescue him then, and noted that, despite going on to have some success, it wouldn’t be enough then.
He noted that he was going to use the lessons he learnt to navigate the difficulties of celebrity and Hollywood living.
Speaking on a podcast in 2019, he spoke more about his family and said: “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.”
Now 41 years old, Meeks still looks rather striking, but he's donned a polished, high-fashion look that’s made him a permanent fixture in the entertainment industry.
In 2024, he released an autobiography, Model Citizen: The Autobiography of Jeremy Meeks, to give greater insight into his childhood and life, something he had only touched on previously.
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.
