- Jared Fogle was the spokesperson for Subway from 2000 to 2015.
- Jared was arrested on child pornography charges in 2015.
- Jared’s arrest and trial is the subject of the upcoming documentary ‘Jared From Subway: Catching A Monster’ from Investigation Discovery, premiering on March 6.
Jared Fogle is surely a familiar face to anyone who watched TV throughout the aughts. He became a household name as the spokesperson for the fast-food chain Subway, saying that a diet, consisting of their sandwiches helped him lose 245 pounds. After over a decade as the face of the company, Jared, 45, was arrested and charged for possession of child pornography. His horrifying scandal, including sexual abuse and child porn, will be documented in the upcoming Jared From Subway: Catching a Monster documentary from Investigation Discovery, premiering on March 6. Find out everything you need to know about Jared and his crimes here.
1. Jared became the Subway spokesperson after starting a ‘Subway Diet’
Jared began his now-famous Subway diet in 1999. He credited the new eating routine (as well as incorporating exercise) as helping him shed 275 pounds. In addition to working out, Jared said that he would eat a small turkey sub and a large veggie sub, along with baked chips and a diet soda from Subway, and it helped him shed the weight. His first commercial with the company aired in 2000, and he later became a household name when the ads went national. He regularly appeared in ads for the company, and made appearances in other media, like WWE wrestling, and he gave talks about healthy eating.
2. He established the Jared Foundation in 2004
After the commercials’ success, the spokesperson established his own non-profit, the Jared Foundation in 2004. The organization was focused on combatting childhood obesity with the help of education, but there have been many scandals involving the charity.
Before Jared’s arrest, the foundation’s director Russell Taylor was arrested on child pornography charges months before the spokesman was. He is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence. After both Jared and Russell’s arrests, the organization was subject to more scrutiny. It was revealed that the foundation had not paid grants as it had promised it would, nor did it pay a $5 registration fee to the state of Indiana, according to USA Today. CharityWatch President Daniel Borochoff explained that the organization wasn’t really focused on helping children. “If Jared was really interested in helping children through his foundation, he could have gotten more money,” he told USA Today. “As with a lot of celebrities, the charity appears to be more about image-enhancement than charitable deeds.”
3. He was arrested for child pornography in 2015
After Russell’s arrest, the FBI found that both Jared and his former charity director had traded explicit photos and videos of children. His home was raided and he was arrested in July 2015. After his arrest, Jared and Subway severed ties.
The investigation and charges also later found that in addition to the photos and videos, Jared had traveled to pay minors for sex, per NPR. He eventually plead guilty to a charge of distribution and receipt of child pornography and traveling to engage illicit sexual conduct with a minor, as part of a plea agreement. Parents of one of Jared’s victims sued him for $150,000, but the lawsuit was dropped in October 2016, per People.
4. He is currently serving a nearly 16-year prison sentence
After reaching the plea deal, Jared was sentenced to 188 months, equally 15 years and 8 months, in prison for his charges in November 2015. He will not be eligible for parole until 2029, when he will have served at least 13 years of his sentence.
5. His wife divorced him during his criminal trial
Jared married Kathleen McLaughlin in August 2010, and the pair had two children, but when the trial against the former spokesperson began, she announced her plans to file for divorce in a statement to People in August 2015. “Obviously, I am extremely shocked and disappointed by the recent developments involving Jared,” she said. “I am in the process of seeking a dissolution of the marriage.
The divorce was finalized days before he was sentenced, via Indy Star. After he was sentenced, Kathleen spoke out about her ex-husband in a CBS This Morning interview in November 2016. She revealed she learned about her husband’s crimes when the FBI showed up at their door. “He had two lives going on,” she said. “I knew nothing about his involvement in anything.”