• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Girlfriend of man who had 'world's first face transplant' speaks out on ‘gold digger’ accusations

Home> Community

Published 17:31 15 Nov 2023 GMT

Girlfriend of man who had 'world's first face transplant' speaks out on ‘gold digger’ accusations

The girlfriend of Joseph DiMeo - who underwent the 'world's first face transplant' - gets called a 'gold digger' by trolls online.

Anish Vij

Anish Vij

Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@joeroydimeo

Topics: Health, Sex and Relationships, US News

Anish Vij
Anish Vij

Anish is a Journalist at LADbible Group and is a GG2 Young Journalist of the Year 2025. He has a Master's degree in Multimedia Journalism and a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management. Apart from that, his life revolves around the ‘Four F’s’ - family, friends, football and food. Email: [email protected]

X

@Anish_Vij

Advert

Advert

Advert

The girlfriend of the man who successfully underwent the 'world's first face transplant' has hit out against the mindless ‘gold digger’ comments made by internet trolls.

'If you've got nothing nice to say, don't say it at all,' sadly does not apply on the internet as Jessica Perez - the girlfriend of Joe DiMeo - has received hate both online and in person in relation to her relationship.

The New Jersey man, 24, received the world's first face and hand transplant after a horror incident in July 2018.

Joe pictured before he was involved in the life-changing car accident.
Instagram/@joeroydimeo

Advert

Joe suffered third degree burns across 80 percent of his body after a horrific car accident in his Dodge Challenger.

That year, he would hide away at his parents house as he struggled to come to terms with his disfigurements, such as losing his eyelids and finger tips.

2020 would be the year that would changed his life when he was offered the opportunity to undergo a full face and double hand transplant.

Although the 23-hour-long procedure had never been successfully completed before, Joe decided to take the risk and go ahead with it, receiving the face and hands of a deceased 48-year-old stroke victim.

Having read about Joe's story online, Jessica got in touch with him and fell in love after their first phone call.

Advert

Joe received the world's first face transplant after a car crash left him with third-degree burns across 80 percent of his body.
Instagram/@joeroydimeo

Jessica, who is a nurse, said to NeedToKnow.co.uk: "I met him on Instagram after reading his story and adding him, and we bonded talking about our dogs.

"We talked every day on the phone, it was a long distance for us at the beginning – with me based in Ohio and him based in New Jersey. I fell in love with him the first time I hugged him.

"He is a sweet, kind, and caring person who knows what he wants, and what we want aligns. Joe checks all the boxes for me."

Sadly, as Joe's journey went viral online, the pair have received hateful comments from online trolls, with some calling Jessica a 'gold digger'.

Advert

Joe reveals that both he and his girlfriend have received cruel trolling online.
Instagram/@joeroydimeo

She explained: "I get a lot of hate online, at this point I feel like a punching bag. People say I’m a gold digger, attention seeking, and call me fake.

"The disrespect is crazy, especially toward someone who you want on your team. I’m a good person and do the right thing, trust me you want me on your side. In public, people stare.

"Sometimes it’s funny, one time a man gave Joe a thumbs-up. But teenagers can be rude and remark 'what’s wrong with his face'.

"Joe doesn’t care, but I wonder how people are raised so poorly. It bothers me, people need to be better than that.

Advert

"But I also remind myself they are likely projecting their jealousy when they say hateful things."

Choose your content:

7 hours ago
2 days ago
3 days ago
4 days ago
  • 7 hours ago

    Japanese Baba Vanga's chilling prediction that sparked tourist cancellations could have just come true two days early

    The artist had a disastrous vision

    Community
  • 2 days ago

    Mother who lives with her new husband and ex to save money reveals how she makes bizarre situation work

    Her ex-husband is still around as it's an expensive world

    Community
  • 3 days ago

    Why seeing a pink flamingo on cruise could mean someone is a swinger

    The more you know

    Community
  • 4 days ago

    Relationship expert reveals what you should never say to a potential partner if you want them to like you

    Apparently it makes you come across as rude

    Community
  • Man who had world’s first successful face and double hand transplant spoke out about life-changing car crash
  • Woman who breastfed her husband after giving birth reflects on 'out-of-body experience'
  • Man with 'world's smallest penis' reveals devastating reason it's ruined his sex life
  • Man who 'threw up after being told to let wife sleep with another bloke' explains what really made him vomit