Model Citizen

Jeremy Meeks first catapulted to fame when his mugshot went viral, earning him the nickname “Prison Bae.” But beyond the headlines and the high fashion, Model Citizen reveals a complex journey from hardship to reinvention.

This memoir traces Meeks’s early life of adversity—from an unsettled childhood to the struggles that led to prison and, eventually, to an unexpected turn on the runway. With grit and a drive to rebuild, Meeks transitioned from gang-tied adolescence to modeling and Hollywood. But his story isn’t about a perfect transformation; rather, it’s a real and ongoing journey, shaped by resilience and an ever-evolving pursuit of something more.

Model Citizen explores the man behind the viral photo, sharing both his triumphs and challenges as he navigates a path from poverty to the glamour of high fashion, in a modern take on the American Dream.

Includes 46 photos, featuring 24 full-page color modeling photos by celebrity photographer Jim Jordan.