For Jeremy Meeks, a seemingly unremarkable mugshot altered everything.
The ex-offender, who was formerly known as the “world’s hottest felon,” has left his past behind and amassed a net worth of almost $5 million.
And before you see him today, you might want to sit down.
Piercing blue eyes
Jeremy Meeks has entirely changed his story, going from a viral mugshot to an international model, actor, and now book. He was once recognized all over the world as the “hot felon.”
It all started in 2014 when his mugshot was shared on Facebook by the Stockton Police Department following his arrest. Meeks’ picture went viral right away because of his sharply defined features and piercing blue eyes.
Meeks, a 30-year-old forklift operator with high cheekbones, was listed as a ”convicted felon, arrested for felony weapon charges.”
His booking photo, which was posted by the Stockton Police Department, received more than 15,000 likes and 3,700 comments less than a day later. The majority of the comments were from women who were enthralled by his attractive appearance. Many people recognized his distinctive, mixed features as being extremely handsome.
Meeks’ mugshot garnered more attention than any other image the Stockton Police Department has posted since starting its Facebook page in 2012, according to spokeswoman Joe Silva.
Both parents were heroin addicts
Few people at the time thought that the man who was charged with several firearm offenses would eventually sign million-dollar contracts and walk the catwalk for high-end designers.
Before fame, Meeks’ life was anything but glamorous. Born on February 7, 1984, he has been open about his troubled upbringing. In a 2019 interview on the What’s Your Water podcast, he recalled, “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.”
Years of suffering resulted in jail time for a variety of offenses, such as forgery and grand theft. Jeremy’s initial encounters with the law started off as normal teenage mishaps like skipping class or violating curfew, but they swiftly got out of hand. He moved out on his own by the tenth grade, and two months after turning eighteen, he was charged with a felony for auto theft.
Although he was sentenced to 27 months in prison for his 2014 arrest, it also marked a turning point in his life.
When Meeks walked free in 2016, modeling agencies were already waiting. After signing with White Cross Management, he told ABC News, “I’m in a place where I will be able to provide for my family and really change my life.” And he did just that.
41 today
Now 41, Meeks has walked the catwalk for designers like Tommy Hilfiger and Philipp Plein, starred in films like True to the Game 2 and 3, Trigger, and Secret Society, and even started his own clothing line after landing a $15 million contract with Fashion Concept GmbH.
Outside of the runway, Meeks is a loving father to two sons: Jayden with Topshop heiress Chloe Green, whom he dated for two years, and Jeremy Jr. with his ex-wife Melissa.
By 2024, he confirmed to People that he was single, saying, “I am single. I’m trying to focus on myself.”
At 41, Jeremy Meeks, who was formerly regarded as the “world’s hottest felon,” continues to demonstrate that second chances may result in remarkable changes. His journey from a jail cell to Paris Fashion Week is one of the most surprising reimaginings in contemporary celebrity culture.
