A mugshot may be the last thing you might expect to bring you fame and fortune, and least of all a new career. Too many times the rich and famous have found their faces splashed over the news as police stations release their mugshots to the media. And while celebrity mugshots over the years have become, unfortunately, rather not so unexpected due to their sometimes hedonistic lifestyles, every now and then a mugshot from a civilian will go viral, bringing attention to their lives, and maybe even changing them in the process.
This happened to Jeremy Meeks in 2014. Meeks, 32 at the time of his arrest, was so photogenic in his mugshot that it led to him acquiring a modeling contract, and strutting the catwalk at the 2017 New York Fashion Week upon his release from prison.
Meeks already had one son with his first wife, prior to his initial arrest, and his family grew after he had a second son with his then-girlfriend after his stint in prison. What has the handsome dad had to say about his family?
7 Who Is Jeremy Meeks?
Meeks made headlines around the world in June 2014 after his arrest for his involvement with the Crips gang. Stockton Police Department had performed a gang sweep called Operation Ceasefire, and arrested Meeks and two others, posting their mugshots on Facebook. Awaiting trial, Meeks' mugshot gained popularity due to his good looks, acquiring over 15,000 likes on his mugshot in 24 hours on Facebook alone. The media began referring to him as the "hot felon." As Meeks had previously served time in 2002 and was found in possession of a firearm, he was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Meeks was sentenced to 27 months in prison, ultimately serving 13 months between February 2015 and March 2016.
6 A Mugshot Career
On March 4, 2016, four days before he was released from prison, White Cross Management announced they had signed a management contract with Meeks. His runway debut occurred the following February at the New York Public Library during New York Fashion Week. Meeks continued working in the following years, including alongside Gigi Hadid at the 2018 Milan Fashion Week, and collaborating with Frankfurt-based fashion company Fashion Concept GmbH on a fashion line in Meeks' name, released in July 2020. That year also saw Meeks' acting debut as he starred in the feature film Trigger, alongside Kylie Jenner's ex-bestie Jordyn Woods.
5 Top(Shop) Girlfriend
Meeks and Topshop heiress and Made In Chelsea alumn Chloe Green were spotted kissing on a yacht in June 2017 in Turkey. Meeks was still legally married to his first wife Melissa Meeks at the time. Two weeks later, a source told US Weekly that the two had instant chemistry, but were taking things slowly. A week later he confirmed the two were a pair, telling paparazzi that he and Green were in love. The pair spent the next few months traveling the world, and in March 2018, they announced they were expecting.
4 Jayden Is Born
Jayden Meeks-Green was born in May 2018, the first child of Chloe Green and the second of Jeremy Meeks. The couple announced the birth on Instagram, writing "Mommy and Baby both doing well. We kindly ask to respect our privacy please. Much love Chloe & Jeremy." And despite engagement rumors in the summer of 2019, the two reportedly called it quits that August, with Meeks having nothing but supportive words to say about his ex of two years.
3 How To Co-Parent
"I am single. I am trying to focus on self," the model told Extra in October 2020. "I have an incredible relationship with Chloe... the mother of my 2-year-old. And now I have a relationship with the mother of my oldest son… We're all co-parenting. They are incredible mothers,” he said, referencing both Green and Melissa Meeks, his ex-wife and mother to his first child Jeremy Meeks Jr, 11. In 2019, Meeks posted an image of Green with Jeremy Jr to his Instagram page with the caption "I love this picture [Chloe Green] thank you for loving him like he’s yours," accompanied by the praying hand emoji.
The model also talked about the difficulties he and other parents over the country have been facing during lockdown while children are at home a lot more than most parents are used to. "I realize that like the rest of the United States, I am not smarter than a fourth-grader," he said.
2 A Dark Past
And while the former felon and his two exes work out how to co-parent their children (a court has ruled that Jeremy Jr must spend 70% of his time with his father,) Meeks shared dark facts about his own childhood that he doesn't want to see repeated. "Both of my parents were heroin addicts," said Meeks, "I was a heroin baby. So, my childhood was very, very dark. My dad committed a murder when I was nine months old and killed my mum's best friend. Because he was looking for us and she was the only one who knew where we were at. And she wouldn't tell him, so he stabbed her to death. Not knowing that we had rented the apartment right above her."
1 A Brighter Future
While for now it seems like the felon-turned-model-turned-actor is keeping his youngest son out of the limelight, Meeks is certainly not shy to show off his eldest son Jeremy Jr. to his followers on social media. Calling his son his "mini me," Jeremy Jr. makes frequent appearences on the star's Instagram page, where Meeks has posted throwback pictures of Jeremy Jr. as as an infant, captioned "TBT…. Lil Jeremy’s first haircut. It’s crazy. He’ll be 12 yrs old in a couple months. I love you Baby Boy. More than words could EVER explain."
At the beginning of 2020, Meeks also posted an image of the pair, writing "Happy New Year........2020 is gonna be so amazing. I have so much to work on and change but I’m excited for the future. I’m also very proud of my kids I’m #blessed beyond belief." Later that year, Meeks and his son joined thousands of protesters marching through Beverly Hills to show support to the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of the killing of George Floyd.
