‘Hot Convict’ is now a model and doing runway shows in Milan

Before they become famous, many supermodels are discovered at their local shopping mall or at small-town fashion shows.

But such was not the case for supermodel Jeremy Meeks. This new face of haute couture fashion got his big break from his… mugshot. Yep, while most people look pretty awful in their mugshots, Meeks made global headlines when his arrest photo looked like it belonged on the cover of “GQ.”

Meeks, who is from California, became internet-famous when a mugshot from his 2014 arrest went viral. He earned himself the silly nicknames “Jail Bae,” “Blue-Eyed Bandit” and “Hot Convict” thanks to his perfect pout and runway good looks.

But Meeks does have a dark past. He is an admitted gang-member who has been arrested a handful of times for a variety of charges (including identity theft and robbery). For his most recent arrest, he received weapons charges and street terrorism charges.

After serving his time and being released in March 2016, Meeks found himself in high demand by many designers. He recently modeled a number of looks at Philipp Plein’s men’s spring 2018 show in Milan, Italy, and it’s easy to see that his mugshot wasn’t just a one-off. With his smoldering good looks and impeccable muscles, he’s on his way to becoming America’s next top male model.

However, some people have criticized Meeks’ rise to fame, pointing to his history of violence and law-breaking. Should Meeks be given the fast-track to fame and fortune because of his criminal behavior?

Well, maybe this will make you feel better: The supermodel-in-training is a devoted father of three children, and his family has assured the media that his life of crime is behind him. His mother says that Meeks was unfairly targeted by the police due to his tattoos, and that he is actually a very sweet and loving boy.

So will Meeks make good and become an American success story? Here’s hoping so… after all, those cheekbones have so much more to offer us!

h/t: Yahoo!