Jeremy Meeks, now 42, experienced a dramatic life change after his arrest photo gained widespread attention online in 2014. Born in Washington, he grew up in an environment rife with drugs and violence. "Both my parents were heroin addicts. I was born into a family of addicts... My childhood was very dark. My father committed murder when I was just nine months old, and the victim was my mother's best friend," Meeks shared.

Meeks spent over a decade incarcerated in juvenile facilities and prisons for various offenses, including theft and identity fraud. On June 18, 2014, he was arrested in Stockton, California, after police stopped his vehicle and found a semi-automatic handgun and two magazines in the trunk. He faced five charges related to weapons and gang affiliation.

The Stockton Police Department posted his arrest photo on Facebook, which unexpectedly went viral. Within a week, the photo garnered over 95,000 comments and 20,000 likes. The striking close-up highlighted Meeks' piercing blue eyes, leading many social media users to affectionately label him 'the most handsome criminal.'

A police representative remarked on the unusual public reaction, stating, "I have never seen a mugshot receive so many likes." Meeks later explained that he did not intend to pose for the famous photo. "I was just thinking a lot about my son at that moment; that was the only thing on my mind," he said.

The sudden fame significantly impacted Meeks' life in Sacramento County Jail. Although he was allowed to have visitors twice a week, many slots were taken by strangers eager to meet him. "There were so many strangers wanting to visit me. I would look through the glass in the visiting room and refuse because I didn’t know who they were. I thought, 'I don’t know this person!,'" he recalled.

Meeks received about 300 letters daily, including explicit photos and money transfer requests. In February 2015, he was convicted of violating a ban on felons possessing firearms and sentenced to two years and three months in prison. However, he was released after serving just 13 months in March 2016.

Standing at 6 feet 1 inch tall, Meeks capitalized on his newfound fame to launch a career in modeling, acting, and writing. While still incarcerated, he received 45 modeling offers and chose to sign with White Cross Management before completing his sentence. "Now I have the opportunity to take care of my family and truly change my life," he said.

Meeks was previously married to a nurse named Melissa, with whom he has a son. They divorced in June 2018 after he was photographed kissing Chloe Green, the heiress to Topshop. He welcomed a second son with Green in May 2018, but they split in 2019. In the same year, Meeks signed a $15 million contract with Fashion Concept GmbH to develop his own fashion line, launching a high-end collection for the fall/winter 2020 season. He has continued to pursue design, unveiling a second collection in collaboration with Canon Mitchell in January 2024.

In addition to fashion, Meeks has ventured into acting, stating, "I filmed five movies in ten months," starting with 'Trigger' in 2020. Since then, he has appeared in several productions, including 'Secret Society' (2021), 'Unfair Exchange' (2022), 'Dance for Me' (2023), 'Love After Holidays' (2024), 'Beach Chain' (2024), and the 'True to the Game' series.

Reflecting on his life post-incarceration, Meeks describes it as "a tumultuous journey." He expressed disbelief at the thought of traveling the world, modeling, and acting ten years ago. His autobiography, 'Model Citizen: The Autobiography of Jeremy Meeks,' is set to be released in February 2024, in which he hopes to share his story and inspire empathy for his journey to becoming the person he is today.