For the first time since 1998’s I Wanna Be A VJ competition, a kinda-sorta homeless kid named Jesse is making waves on MTV. And much like the long-forgotten Jesse Camp, there’s more to 22-year-old Jesse Helt than we first realized.
First contact came Sunday night, when Helt accompanied Miley Cyrus to the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards. When Cyrus won Video of the Year for “Wrecking Ball,” she sent Helt up to the podium by himself to spread the word about homeless youth. We all awwww’d, and applauded a tearful Cyrus’ efforts, which were tied to promoting My Friend’s Place, a Los Angeles center for homeless youth. He spoke on behalf of the “1.6 million runaways and homeless youth in the United States who are starving lost and scared.” He then admitted he was “one of these people.”
Almost.
Though Helt and Cyrus did first meet through My Friends Place, where he once suught shelter, turns out Helt is an aspiring male model who made his own decision to rough it in Los Angeles. And he has a very loving and caring family back home in Oregon who will welcome him back anytime, a contradiction from his alleged hardships Cyrus spoke about. From The Daily Mail:
And his proud mother Linda Helt, 62, told MailOnline: ‘Jesse’s had ups and downs like anybody else… he didn’t wanna give up and run on home to mommy, but only he knows the reasons, that’s for him to say.’
Speaking from her home in Salem, Mrs Helt, mother to Jesse’s three brothers and sister, added Jesse chose to ‘go it alone’ and chase his dreams. She said: ‘He wanted to be in Los Angeles and he had opportunities and he took them, but you know, he’s had his ups and downs like anybody else. It was his choice, he was always welcome, he could always come back any time. If he needed help, I’d help him, we help one another,’ she added.
And of course, because it’s 2014 and the internet exists, ABC News is reporting that Helt has a criminal record and an arrest warrant is out for him in Oregon. Though looking at the charge, it seems fairly petty.
From ABC News:
Court records obtained by ABC News showed he was arrested for “criminal mischief” and “attempted burglary” in 2010. The burglary charge was changed to “criminal trespass” later that year. The records showed that Helt admitted he tried to enter an apartment by breaking a window amid a “marijuana” dispute.
He pleaded guilty/no contest to the charges and received probation. An arrest warrant was issued in 2011 when Helt violated probation by failing to report to scheduled probation meetings and failing to complete urine tests, among other charges.
Jon Troike, a judicial services specialist, told ABC News that Helt would be arrested if the police found him, and they might find him right in Oregon. Helt’s mother, Linda Helt, said yesterday that he would be flying home later that night.
We’ve definitely not heard the last of him.