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Miley Cyrus Lets Homeless Man Accept Her VMA Award; He’s Also Wanted By Police

After moving the world by letting a homeless man accept her award for Video of The Year at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, Miley Cyrus is now facing controversy. Reports say that the man wh...
Miley Cyrus Lets Homeless Man Accept Her VMA Award; He’s Also Wanted By Police
Written by Val Powell
  • After moving the world by letting a homeless man accept her award for Video of The Year at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, Miley Cyrus is now facing controversy. Reports say that the man who went on stage is wanted in Oregon. Jesse Helt, 22, was the homeless man who represented one of Cyrus’ causes, the drop-in center for homeless youth, My Friend’s Place. He accepted the award on Cyrus’ behalf for her “Wrecking Ball” video.

    Helt was arrested on charges of criminal mischief and criminal trespass when he was 18 years old in 2010, according to court reports. He allegedly broke into the apartment of a man who had sold him “bad marijuana”. He was sentenced in November 2010 to 30 days in county jail, fined and ordered to pay restitution, as well as placed on probation for a year.

    A warrant of arrest was issued for him in 2011 when he violated probation by repeatedly failing to meet with his probation officer. Helt will be arrested by Oregon police when they catch up with him, said Polk County Director of Community Corrections Martin Silbernagel on Tuesday.

    When asked for a reaction to the reports on Helt, Cyrus’ representative pointed at the tweets of the singer on Monday. Cyrus tweeted, “People who are homeless have lived very hard lives. Jesse included. I hope that this can be the start of a national conversation about youth homelessness and how to end it. Does looking down upon the homeless help people excuse their inaction?”

    Cyrus had given Helt some money to fly back to his hometown in Salem, Oregon, to visit his family, according to Helt’s mother. Authorities visited Helt’s family home on Tuesday but didn’t find him there. Detective John Williams spoke with the family and notified them that he was looking for Helt.

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