Top 10 Viral Stars: Where Are They Now?

A mugshot of Jeremy Meeks flooded the internet in 2014. Meeks was a member of the North Side Gangster Crips, which had a criminal history of violence, and that year, he was convicted on the felony charges of being in possession of a firearm and grand theft. After police posted his mugshot on Facebook, it quickly went viral, with many people calling him smokin’ hot - mostly due to his piercing eyes. Meeks signed a modeling contract while still in prison and made his runway debut at New York Fashion Week in February 2017. To this day, Meeks continues to work as a model.. talk about a turnaround.

David After Dentist was a viral phenomenon that showed young David super high after a trip to the dentist for oral surgery. It was a great time for everyone, but unfortunately, not much is known about good ol’ David. After the video went viral in 2009 the family became YouTube Partners, which gave them a share of the advertisement revenue. The family also sold t-shirts, but reportedly made very little money from it. According to the Instagram account daviddentist, as of 2018 David is living a normal teenage life and looking forward to college. Good for you, David!

Harry and Charlie are the stars of the viral phenomenon Charlie Bit My Finger. Uploaded in May 2007, it quickly made the rounds and was once the most-viewed video on YouTube, though it has now been surpassed by many music videos. The family reportedly made £100,000 in advertisement revenue and bought a new house with the money, but they have also kept their privacy. The boys’ parents have declined talk show appearances on numerous occasions, and in a 2015 CBBC catch-up story, Charlie admitted that he found it “a bit odd” that the video became so popular. Sorry, Charlie.

Poor Caitlin Upton. Miss South Carolina took part in the Miss Teen USA beauty pageant in 2007 and like in most beauty pageants, she was asked a question by one of the judges. Her rambling, nonsensical answer quickly went viral and made Upton the laughing stock of the internet. But rather than retreat from the limelight, she soldiered on. After the debacle, Upton began modeling work in advertisements and was signed to Donald Trump’s modeling agency. She then placed third in “The Amazing Race 16” with her boyfriend Brent Horne. As of 2016, Upton has been a real estate agent based out of Brentwood, Los Angeles.

Alex became a viral sensation overnight. It all started when a Target customer discreetly took a snapshot of the “hot boy working at the checkout counter” in 2014. That hot boy was Alex, and he soon blew up over social media. Alex rode his newfound popularity, got a manager, and went on DigiTour 2015 with his friend. He also moved out to LA where he met his girlfriend, Kelsey, and started a YouTube channel that detailed more personal aspects of his life. He recently told J-14 that he will soon be going to school to train as an EMT because he doesn’t want to focus solely on social media.

Star Wars Kid is like the forerunner to all subsequent viral videos. In the video, dated from 2002, 15-year-old Ghyslain Raza wields a golf ball retriever like a lightsaber and completes some totally wicked moves. The video went viral and even made its way into popculture, as spoofs appeared on “Arrested Development” and “American Dad!,” among many other shows. Raza was viciously bullied both online and in person for the video, and he was forced to leave school due to the abuse. However, Raza would later become a legal graduate from McGill University and president of the Patrimoine Trois-Rivières heritage society.

(“I move away from the mic to breathe in.”) When those nine words flashed across the screen, we all knew that we were watching a modern-day masterpiece of a viral video. In April of 2007, Tay Zonday, whose real name is Adam Nyerere Bahner, released “Chocolate Rain”, a bizarre song about racism. A combination of Zonday’s deep voice, the peculiar lyrics, and the unintentional hilarity of the video itself made it a sensation, and Zonday was suddenly making headlines in mainstream publications and touring the talk show circuit. Zonday is currently running his YouTube channel, doing voice-over work, and appearing in various television shows and movies, including “The Jack and Triumph Show.”

Dodson became a viral sensation in July 2010 following an interview on a local news channel after an intruder broke into his home and attempted to sexually assault his sister. Despite the serious subject matter, Dodson’s flamboyant attitude, warnings to neighbors, and threats against the rapist were considered funny by a lot of people. Dodson made money through a remix of his interview called the “Bed Intruder Song” and capitalized on merchandising. Dodson has since become a Hebrew Israelite and started a family with his wife, despite once claiming to be gay. Dodson then came under fire when he stated that he would attempt to convert his son if he turned out to be gay, but apologized shortly thereafter.

Does Rebecca Black even need an introduction? In case you’ve been living under a rock during the 2010s, Rebecca Black was the famous artist responsible for the viral hit “Friday.” “Friday” was insanely popular - mostly due to its low quality - and Black quickly found herself ridiculed from all corners of the internet. Since that time, Black has maintained a YouTube channel, which includes blogs and covers of popular songs, and has consistently released new music. She released a sequel to “Friday” appropriately titled “Saturday”, which charted on the Billboard Hot 100, and released her debut EP, titled RE / BL, in September 2017.

Chris Crocker became a media sensation after he posted the video “Leave Britney Alone!,” in which he defends Britney Spears’ performance at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. Some people loved the passion, others thought it was melodramatic and selfish, with the latter believing he was using Spears’s personal troubles to get famous. Either way, Crocker found himself an internet star overnight. Since that time, Crocker has dabbled in all sorts of entertainment media. He starred in an HBO documentary about himself called “Me at the Zoo” in 2012, released his 2nd EP in March 2013, and acted in a pornographic film. As of 2014, he was planning to raise a family and was debating whether to fully transition to a femal gender identity.