The social media age has ushered in an unprecedented phenomenon – sudden internet celebrities. Twitter, Youtube, Vine, Snapchat and Instagram have proven to be an amazing force for thrusting ordinary people in unexpected fame and fortune. If you were on Twitter in 2014, you might have witnessed the rapid rise of a new internet celebrity known as Alex From Target.
Regular teenager Alex was in his third month of working at a Target in his Texas hometown of Frisco. The introvert had no plans for stardom or fortune, and yet his world was about to turn upside down. So what exactly is Alex’s story and how did it unfold? Who is the man behind the name tag? How did it transform his life, and where is Alex Lee from Target now? Today we learn all about this unprecedented celebrity craze.
RELATED: Where Are They Now? The Stars of Winners and Losers
Who Is Alex From Target?
Alex Lee (whose last name is actually LaBeouf) was born on January 21st, 1991. In 2014, he was just a normal 16 year old. He loved soccer and cars, got into trouble for his messy room, and worked the register at his local Target on weekends.
On November 2nd, 2014, Alex was driven from Sunday church to the Eldorado Parkway SuperTarget by his father Eric Fooks, a small business consultant. Alex clocked in for his shift and noted his mobile phone battery was low. So he switched it off as he took his place behind the register. Days later, Alex would find himself telling none other than Ellen Degeneres, “It was a normal day”.
Alex was ringing up the purchases of a British teenager, who was struck by his looks. In fact, she thought he was so cute she secretly snapped a picture of Alex which would change his life forever.
How Did It Happen?
The girl promptly uploaded the photo to her Twitter account, @auscalum, with the caption “YOOOOOOOOOOO.” It was a mere matter of minutes before the picture had exploded on the web and gone viral. A new meme was instantly born – #alexfromtarget was trending. Suddenly, thousands of people across the globe had shared the new internet sensation.
Meanwhile, young Alex was utterly oblivious. After all, his mobile phone was off, laying dormant in his pocket. But that afternoon, he noticed that his checkout line was strangely long, populated with young giggling girls snapping pictures of him. Then his manager, high school senior Molly, showed Alex the photo on her phone. Things were already getting so out of hand that Molly had to transfer Alex to the stockroom for the remainder of his shift.
At 6:09 pm, Alex clocked out, jumped in the car with his psychologist mum, Marci Fook, and switched his phone on. It was swamped with texts and calls. Then he checked Twitter and to his utter shock, he had shot up from less than 100 followers to well over 100,000. Alex tweeted in amazement, “Am I famous now?” The 42,000 retweets answered his question in full.
Famous Now
Yet Alex’s viral fame was just getting started. Days later, Alex’s phone rang and the caller was none other than Ellen Degeneres, asking him to make a guest appearance on The Ellen Show. He was flown to California and interviewed by the legendary talk show host about how his life had been transformed in a day.
When he went back to school, students were grabbing him every few feet and snapping selfies. After school, Alex and his dad went to Whataburger, only to be met with the squeals of teenage girls who chased them out of the store in a swarm of affection and mobile phones.
The teen was offered so many other talk show appearances that he no longer had time for school – or Target for that matter. His high school even ended up taking him to court for his huge number of absences. So Alex started being homeschooled so he could jet around the country making all the TV appearances he pleased.
Unexpected Consequences
Alex was clearly enjoying his newfound celebrity, however fame has a dark side. Alex is shy and polite, described by his parents as “a sweet kid”. Yet he has had to deal with a lot of negativity. Alex explained that he couldn’t go outside for fear of being accosted. “I’ve been in the house the entire time,” he said. “I’m kind of scared to go in public.”
After all, the anonymity of the internet is also a breeding ground for ‘online trolls’. Thousands took to social media to attack Alex and make up stories about him and insult is appearance. He even began to receive dozens of death threats. While it’s difficult to ignore, Alex claimed he was bullied as a kid and was used to shrugging off the hate.
His father said, “The biggest concern for myself and my wife is some of the negativity we’re seeing online. Our concern is making sure he’s safe.”
People also leaked the family’s personal information such as bank accounts, phone records and even their Social Security numbers – a toxic attack known as ‘doxxing’.
Despite it all, Alex stayed positive and survived the difficult times.
Where Is He Now?
Three years on from the original tweet Alex made his comeback on YouTube in October 2017, uploading a video titled “RIP #AlexFromTarget” which has over 200,000 views. Now 21, Alex has continued to upload new videos for his thousands of subscribers. He’s moved to Los Angeles and built a new life for himself.
Outside of YouTube, Alex also makes regular appearances on YouNow, a live streaming chat site, with his girlfriend Kelsey.
Today he is becoming a fitness icon, replacing his baby-faced image with snaps of him looking ripped and tattooed at the gym with his girlfriend. He has millions of followers on Twitter and famous friends; he’s close with Nick Jonas and Laura Prepon, star of Orange Is The New Black. He even has an estimated net worth of up to US$1 million! Whatever comes next for Alex, one thing is certain; he has had an amazing and unique experience.
RELATED: Instagram Fitness Guru Lost Weight By Eating More Food
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
