Social media and a 2014 arrest managed to make Jeremy Meeks one of the most popular convicts around after his mug shot was shared on the Stockton Police Department’s Facebook page and the world got a look at his baby blue eyes and bad boy good looks. Now the “hot convict” has been released from prison and is no doubt excited to start the modelling gig he scored because of his handsome mug.
A gun possession charge is what managed to get Jeremy Meeks arrested back in June 2014, but it may have been the best thing that happened to him. Once his mugshot hit the police department’s Facebook page, women and men alike could not seem to help but find him sinfully attractive, and before long, his face was plastered all across the internet and a star was born as multiple articles came out about the “hot convict.” The mugshot racked up over 100,000 likes on the Department’s page alone and he was quickly labelled as the “hot convict,” “dreamy convict,” and “sexy felon,” among other names along the same category.
Meeks was sentenced to 27 months in prison and on Wednesday, much to the delight of his many online fans, he was finally released and ready to take on the modelling contract and numerous endorsement deals that had come his way. Indeed, according to New York Daily News , even before he entered medium-security prison Mendota Federal Correctional Institution, Jeremy Meeks had already been signed by two Hollywood agents and had a possible reality TV deal waiting in the wings.
In fact, the 30-year-old began using his social media accounts to count down the days to his release from prison a little early. On March 3, his Instagram showed an older picture of him with his also very attractive brother and a caption which read, “Looking forward to reuniting with my family. Counting down the days. #6days #spreadtheword ”
The J Meeks Official Instagram account also shared a photo of a shirtless and very tatooed Meeks as he steered a boat on a body of water and this one was captioned, “Looking forward to my time on the lake with my kids.”
The fact that he was in prison on a felony possession charge did not stop the talent agency known as White Cross Management from signing Meeks for modelling under agent Jim Jordan last year. The company received a lot of mixed results for the move, but shrugged off the negative feedback with the statement that everyone deserves a second chance, and now with Meeks’ release, they are taking steps towards their goals. Jim Jordan discussed the future that is in store for the “hot convict” with Buzzfeed News, and Jordan had multiple paths forward in the career of Jeremy Meeks .
“We’re putting everything in place. We’re in talks with a lot of different agencies. There’s movies on the table. We have a lot of different things happening.”
Attention all thirsties: Hot convict Jeremy Meeks is a free man now. https://t.co/Q25bXOEygk pic.twitter.com/6v6OQ1WGBj
— E! News (@enews) March 10, 2016
All the opportunities now available are something the married father of three says he never saw coming but is excited for. Last year, Meeks gave an interview from the prison and spoke of how he looks forward to turning his life around.
“‘I’m in a place where I will be able to provide for my family and really change my life. I never thought that everyone in the world would recognize me for my looks, so I feel extremely blessed and very thankful.”
The “hot convict” said that he was constantly working out in prison to remain fit for his release and modelling gig, even eating healthier. He also went on to say how thankful he is for his fans, and the hundreds of letters he gets each month in prison, but has the most thanks for his family and their support. Jeremy had said that above all, he missed his family. His return to his family on Wednesday is surely the highlight of his release.
Despite rumors of his death in prison, his manager stated that everyone treated Jeremy well during his stay.
[Photo Courtesy of the Stockton Police Department]