Back in the early social media days it felt like the 'hot felon' mugshot was always on the news feed.
Jeremy Meeks - aka 'Prison Bae' - became the talk of the town when the Stockton Police Department shared a pic of the then-30-year-old looking absolutely immaculate.
In 2014, he was taken into custody in Stockton, California and was listed as a 'convicted felon, arrested for felony weapon charges'. Despite his denial of the crimes, a year later he was convicted of one count of being in possession of a firearm, and was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison.
During that time, he earned the nickname 'hot felon' after his mugshot went crazy viral. After serving around 13 months in jail, he signed a lucrative deal with White Cross Management, which kickstarted his modelling career.
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He made his runway debut at New York Fashion Week for designer Philipp Plein in 2017 and later modeled for brands like Tommy Hilfiger. Meeks, now 41, also went on to land movie roles in the likes of Trigger, Secret Society, and True to the Game 2 & 3.
When it comes to his personal life, the model was married to Melissa Meeks for about ten years before they reportedly filed for legal separation in 2017. His relationship with Chloe Green - the daughter of Philip Green - became public, after they had a son together in 2018.
Back in 2020, Meeks said and that he single and was co-parenting with both Melissa and Green.
During a red carpet interview in August 2025, he revealed that he'd been celibate for three years when asked about his 'biggest turn-on'.
His explanation was because he doesn't want to be 'distracted'.
It comes after Meeks released his memoir Model Citizen: The Autobiography of Jeremy Meeks in 2024, reflecting on what his life has been like after prison.
The former felon now does his fair share of charity work, helping underprivileged youths to avoid gang crime and going down the same path he did.
"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 mum's best friend," he said on the What's Your Water podcast in 2021.
In May 2024, he revealed that he had been working on a 'project to potentially change lives for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals'.
"God is so Good……. With projects like this it makes me feel like I’m actually walking in my Purpose!!!," he wrote on Instagram.
He also revealed that his first born Jayden had just graduated the eighth grade, and that 'it was hard not to be emotional'.
"I love you more than I could ever put into words and I’m beyond proud of you," he penned.
Anish Vij