Jeremy Meeks at 41: A look at the man once called the “world’s hottest felon.”
Jeremy Meeks became an unexpected internet sensation in 2014 when his mugshot, released by the Stockton Police Department, spread rapidly across social media. Arrested during a gang sweep in Stockton, California, the photo’s viral fame came not from his charges but from his striking appearance — sharp cheekbones, piercing blue eyes, and a defiant yet photogenic expression.
Born in the late 1980s amid California’s “crack era,” Meeks endured a turbulent upbringing marked by poverty and addiction within his family. Both of his parents struggled with substance abuse, and tragedy struck when his father took the life of a young woman before ending his own. Despite these early hardships, Meeks’ image as the “Blue-Eyed Bandit” transformed his future.
While serving time for federal firearm and theft charges, modeling agencies began lining up opportunities for him upon release. Few could have imagined that a single mugshot would mark the beginning of a remarkable transformation from felon to fashion icon.