It's not often that a criminal felon gets attention for anything other than their crime, but Jeremy Meeks is an exception to that rule. The 30-year-old was arrested in 2014 for possession of a firearm, so his mug shot was subsequently posted on the Facebook page of a Californian Police Department.

And, to put it lightly, all hell broke loose. Jeremy, with his chiseled jaw and features evidently carved by angels, racked up a hefty 80,000 likes and had women (and men alike) everywhere falling over themselves about how beautiful he was.

Jeremy Meeks

Then the memes started; Meeks was photoshopped into fake designer house campaigns as fans of his face contemplated an inevitable future as a model. You know, if he wasn't locked up.

And now the man himself is out of prison. After serving just over a year, Jeremy Meeks is free, and has already been signed to a modelling agency. Talk about a reversal of fortunes.

On his Instagram account, which has amassed more than 60,000 followers already, Jeremy posted a picture which thanks his family and everybody else for "all your love, support and prayers. I'm overwhelmed and grateful for what lies ahead."

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And what lies ahead is big things, apparently. Having been signed to White Cross Management, He is now preparing to begin his new life as a model. On the straight and narrow, just where he should be. And it seems his management is completely supportive of him, despite his shady past.

Regardless of the fact Jeremy was deemed "one of the most violent criminals in the area" by the Stockton Police Department, his new manager Jim Jordan told BBC Newsbeat that "everybody deserves a second chance".

"When I first saw Jeremy's picture, the first thing that came to my mind was, 'I needed to help this guy," he said. So he did.

And it seems Jeremy has been taking his new career seriously, revealing in an interview last year with ABC that he was spending much of his time in prison working out and perfecting his body.

"I eat healthy. I do a lot of push-ups, pull-ups, dips, burpees, and I stay very active," he described.









Catriona Harvey-Jenner Digital Features Editor Cat is Cosmopolitan UK's features editor covering women's issues, health and current affairs.

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