As the media dug into Jesse Helt's background this week following his debut on the Video Music Awards stage over the weekend, details on his criminal record emerged. Helt had been charged with attempted burglary in 2010, and violated his parole. A warrant remained out for his arrest in Oregon, his home state — until this week, that is. With money from Miley paying for his ticket, Helt returned home and promptly "turned himself in to Polk County authorities," the Associated Press reports (via The New York Daily News). He then posted bail, and his next court date will be in two weeks. Helt's mother Linda told Us Weekly that Miley has offered to help with any/all legal fees that ensue, though it's not yet clear if she also ponied up the cash for his bail so he could enjoy his time back in Oregon at home with family, and, you know, not in jail.
Miley had previously chastised coverage of Jesse's story earlier this week. In a series of angry tweets she wrote that the media "never fails to disappoint," and argued journalists had "gone after" a negative, clickbait story instead of focusing on the greater, positive cause. The rub is, though, that Helt's background — particularly given his sensationalized introduction to the world — is pretty intrinsically linked with youth homelessness now; his moving speech at the VMAs will have made him a face (if not the face) of the issue.
Is it unfortunate his dirty laundry is being aired in the tabloids? Yes. Is that something you sign up for when you agree to take on a starring role in a major, nationally broadcast awards show? Arguably, yes again. But then surely his story, warts and all, helps add context — at least one person's context — to an otherwise amorphous, faceless group. Whether that makes him more or less relatable (as expected, the response has fallen on both sides of the coin) is sort of immaterial, actually; it's made him more real — because Jesse and the other 1.6 million homeless youth across the United States are all real people. And, hey, that's actually what Miley wants to publicize!
So then, as she also tweeted, if that's a reality you'd like to help with, consider entering her Prizeo contest and/or making a donation to My Friend's Place (or one of the many other stellar organizations out there dedicated to helping homeless youth).
Follow Alex on Twitter.
Korin Miller
Michelle Ruiz
Dara Adeeyo
Elisa Benson