In 2014, a mugshot of Jeremy Meeks went viral – he was dubbed the “world’s hottest felon” and it turned out to be the start of a very different life for him
Julia Banim Audience Writer
14:36, 11 Oct 2025
Jeremy Meeks pictured with Irish actress Rosanna Davison (Image: Getty Images)
Back in the summer of 2014, the Stockton Police Department in California posted a mugshot to Facebook. Little did they realise the sensation they were about to create.
Officers cautioned that the arrested man was “one of the most violent criminals in the Stockton area” and that he faced five firearms charges. Yet, those in the vicinity were far more captivated by the then-gang member Jeremy Meeks’ piercing blue eyes and stunning appearance than his criminal record.
At the time, the BBC reported that the photograph garnered more than 95,000 comments and 20,000 likes after being shared on the Police Department’s Facebook page. The handsome Meeks swiftly became dubbed the “fine felon”, and his encounter with the law proved to be the launch of a remarkable career.
Meeks was found guilty of felony firearm possession in February 2015 and given 27 months behind bars, but even whilst still incarcerated, he began making moves towards fame. Speaking with BuzzFeed in 2020, Meeks, who completed 13 months of his sentence, said, “While I was still incarcerated, I received, I believe, 45 contracts.”
Model Jeremy Meeks and Chloe Green(Image: AFP/Getty Images)
‘World’s hottest felon’ Jeremy Meeks has carved out an impressive career(Image: Getty Images)
Following his release in March 2016, a thankful 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,” reports the Mirror.
This marked a fresh beginning for the ‘world’s hottest felon’, who had previously been imprisoned for grand theft and forgery. He featured in a number of films, including Trigger (2020), Secret Society (2021), and True to the Game 2 and 3 (2020 and 2021).
He also made a cameo in the music video Wi-Fi by Russian pop sensation Olga Buzova.
It didn’t take long for Meeks to establish himself as a hot property in the fashion world, securing a modelling contract and strutting his stuff on the catwalk for big names like Tommy Hilfiger and Philipp Plein. Looking back on his fairy-tale journey in 2020, Meeks commented: “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 ex-convict has also taken the opportunity to talk about how he found himself embroiled in a life of crime, making this frank confession 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 revealed.
More recently, the now 41 year old has explored his personal journey in greater detail through his forthcoming autobiography, Model Citizen: The Autobiography of Jeremy Meeks, which can be pre-ordered via Amazon at present.
The official synopsis states: “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.”
Jeremy Meeks a former gang member who became a model after his mugshot went viral on the internet.(Image: © Stockton Police Department Facebook)
Jeremy Meeks walks the runway at the Philipp Plein show during Milan Men’s Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2018 on June 17, 2017 in Milan, Italy. (Image: Getty Images)
Speaking about his decision to publish his turbulent memoir, Meeks revealed to 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.”
Beyond his career, Meeks has also experienced a turbulent romantic journey. The unlikely pin-up was formerly wed to Melissa Meeks, who is the mother of his son, Jeremy Jr. Meeks also discovered romance with Chloe Green, the daughter of ex-Topshop mogul Philip Green.
In 2018, the pair welcomed son Jayden Meeks-Green, but subsequently separated on good terms the following year. During an October 2020 interview 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 seems that romance isn’t a priority for Meeks at present, and, back in July, Meeks disclosed he’s now been celibate for “almost three years”. As previously reported by Complex, the convict turned superstar revealed this information whilst attending the premiere of Dutch III: International Gangster when questioned about his “biggest turn on”.
Pausing momentarily, Meeks confessed, “I don’t have a girl. I’ve been celibate for almost three years.”
When pressed about why this was the situation, he clarified: “‘Cause I’m not being distracted.”
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