Do you remember Alex from Target? This handsome young internet sensation became the face of social media back in 2014, when a single shot of the then teenager working in his part time job blew up across Twitter – he went viral on Instagram, Snapchat, Vine, and YouTube. Here’s what he’s been up to since that fateful day.
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Alex Lee, Target Employee
Alex Lee (last name LaBeouf) was born on January 21, 1998 to parents Marci and Eric in Dallas, Texas. He described himself as an introvert that didn’t really care about social media. But in 2014, in the middle of his shift at the local Target, one picture snapped by an awestruck customer launched him into the fray of a social media frenzy.
Alex isn’t doing anything particularly special in the photo, but Twitter was flooded with people fawning over his looks. The original tweet has since vanished, but there are still plenty of screenshots floating around.
He had only had 144 Twitter followers on that fateful afternoon. By the end of his shift, he had gotten to 5,000 followers and he had 30,000 retweets. This wasn’t the attention Alex was used to – shortly after he blew up on social media, all he could say was “Am I famous now?”
From A Name Tag To A Hashtag
The hashtag #AlexFromTarget went viral for weeks. Alex was still trying to process what to do with his fame, while fending off marriage proposals left and right. A few days after his photo blew up, he caught the attention of Ellen DeGeneres and appeared on her show.
The next three years were a blur. Alex Lee became a media star, navigating talk shows, press tours, and rubbing elbows with celebrities. His net worth skyrocketed due to his newfound fame! People loved his “boy next door” looks and he became the hot topic for multiple talk show appearances on networks like Fox and TMZ. Even Target itself got behind the trend, with a shared post on their Twitter account about Alex.
The Price Of Fame
Alex eventually found that being famous has its drawbacks! He could barely go out in public due to fear of being recognised, he had to switch to homeschooling to accommodate his busy schedule, and he was even forced to give up his shift at Target since his fans kept disrupting his work.
Alex was a quiet kid – he didn’t know how to handle all his fans and followers. And while other social media stars tried to help, it seems like he just wasn’t cut out for the lifestyle. Although he was given a chance that most burgeoning stars would kill for, he found it hard to keep up with the demands of fame.
To make matters worse, his family’s personal information got leaked to the public, and he regularly faced insults from random people online. Even his fans started to scare him a little bit, especially after being ambushed multiple times in public.
There was also a lot of pressure on for Alex to maintain his fame, which also led to a whole slew of problems. His managers would often take advantage of his inexperience, stealing up to $30,000. Eventually, he gave up on social media altogether.
Meeting The Girlfriend
It was during this time that Alex met his girlfriend Kelsey Carpenter after moving to LA. He was a new neighbour that moved into the flat next to hers. The landlord of their building told Kelsey that #Alexfromtarget was moving in, but they weren’t formally acquainted until Alex ran into her outside their apartment. There was an instant spark – the first time Alex saw Kelsey, he immediately asked her out to Denny’s.
What’s Alex Up To Now?
Alex played the social media game for a while, his YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter still have a pretty sizable following. But at the end of the day, the teen was always a quiet guy at heart who just wanted to live his life! After his 15-minutes of fame, it looks like Alex has gone back to living a relatively low-key life. He doesn’t post many videos lately, but that’s likely due to him being caught up with other things like school.
A New Target?
The story of Alex Lee from Target just goes to show the amazing power that the internet can have on someone’s life. A single photo launched an unaware teenager to worldwide fame.
Nowadays Alex seems to be content with living a quiet life – last we heard he was training to become an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician). He also seems to have a great support system around him with a lovely girlfriend and a handful of very loyal fans.
Fame isn’t for everyone, and Alex seems to have his priorities straight. So we support him no matter what he decides to do with his life!
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