Jake Gravbrot, thrust into public scrutiny after a life behind the camera

Jake Gravbrot, thrust into public scrutiny after a life behind the camera

Jake Gravbrot is a Seattle-area freelance photographer, hairstylist, producer, and photojournalist. He drew public attention after multiple women accused him of physical, verbal, and emotional abuse. These allegations were widely publicised in late 2022 and early 2023, particularly through the podcast Something Was Wrong, which aired on 20 October 2022.

Jake Gravbrot
Jake Gravbrot was accused of emotional, physical, and verbal abuse, and sexual coercion by multiple women. Photo: @__shina_d on X (modified by author)
Source: UGC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Key takeaways

  • Jake Gravbrot reportedly founded Mars Hair, a salon and barbershop in Seattle, in 2011 and operated it until 2014.
  • He has worked as a concert and portrait photographer and has done freelance work for various clients.
  • Gravbrot was accused of physical abuse, verbal and emotional abuse, coercion, child maltreatment, sexual misconduct and assault.
  • The Seattle Police investigated abuse allegations in early 2023, but no recent arrests or convictions have been reported.

Profile summary

Full name

Jake Gravbrot

Date of birth

March 1981

Age

44 years old (as of 2025)

Place of birth

United States

Current residence

Seattle, Washington, United States

Nationality

American

Ethnicity

White

Sexuality

Straight

Hair colour

Dark brown

Eye colour

Brown

Relationship status

Single

Children

Four

Profession

Freelance photographer, hairstylist, media producer

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Jake Gravbrot’s early life and background

Jake Gravbrot was born in March 1981 in the United States of America, making him approximately 44 years old as of late 2025. Specific details about his exact place of birth are not publicly available, though he is known to be based in Seattle, Washington. He was reportedly raised by his single mother and his maternal grandparents.

Five fast facts about Jake Gravbrot.
Five fast facts about Jake Gravbrot. Photo: @__shina_d on X (modified by author)
Source: Original

Career highlights

Jake Gravbrot has worked in both photography and hairstyling in Seattle for over a decade, while also having experience in media production. According to his LinkedIn profile, he has run Jake Gravbrot Photography, a freelance business, since 2011. He has done concert photography for companies like Live Nation and Soundcheck411.com, and worked as a photo documentarian for bands such as Train and Anberlin.

His portfolio also includes landscape, studio, and portrait photography, and he occasionally shares his work on social media. Gravbrot also specialises in short hair. He owned and operated a salon called Mars Hair/Art/Life from 2011 to 2014. Since April 2014, he has worked as a stylist at Zero Zero Hair in Seattle, Washington, United States.

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Gravbrot has also worked in media production with Converge Media, a local Seattle-based company. He contributed as a producer to various shows and events, including the 150th Day March coverage and the show GTFO. He also provided photographs for local publications like Seattle Met.

What Happened to Jake Gravbrot? Inside the abuse allegations

Jake Gravbrot has been accused of abusing multiple women and their children. The allegations date back to at least 2007 and include claims of physical, verbal, emotional, child maltreatment and non-consensual recording of affectionate encounters.

Freelance photographer Jake Gravbrot.
Freelance photographer Jake Gravbrot. Photo: @ConvergeMedia on YouTube (modified by author)
Source: UGC

These accounts were primarily shared on Season 14 of the Iris Award-winning podcast Something Was Wrong, where eleven women shared first-hand accounts of abuse they allegedly suffered at his hands. Gravbrot was also previously convicted of child maltreatment against one of the victims' daughters, a separate case that led to a protection order.

Advocates, including the Something Was Wrong podcast creator and numerous signers of a Change.org petition, urged the Seattle Police Department (SPD) to investigate and hold him accountable. According to The Stranger, SPD eventually responded to the allegations after receiving enough evidence and public pressure. The photographer denied all allegations through his attorney.

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As of the latest information, there are no public reports of Gravbrot being arrested or formally charged by the Seattle Police Department (SPD) for the allegations. Gravbrot lost professional connections and was addressed by former employers such as Converge Media regarding the harm caused to the community.

Who is Jake Gravbrots' wife?

The American freelance photographer is not married and currently presumed to be single. As documented by The Stranger, Jake has been married three times in the past. His first marriage was to Melissa Mullinnex, and they had two children together, a daughter born in 2003 and a son born in 2008.

He later married Kaylan von Sothen, who publicly accused him of abuse, and that marriage ended in divorce. His third marriage was to Mimi Gravbrot, which also ended in 2021.

FAQs

  1. Who is Jake Gravbrot? Jake Gravbrot is a Seattle-area freelance photographer, hairstylist, producer, and photojournalist.
  2. What is Jake Gravbrot's age? The American photographer is 44 years old as of 2025. He was born in March 1981.
  3. What happened to Jake Gravbrot? Jake Gravbrot was accused of abuse by several women on season 14 of the Something was Wrong podcast.
  4. What happened between Jake Gravbrot and Melissa? Melissa accused Jake Gravbrot of emotional and verbal abuse during their relationship, which she shared publicly on the podcast Something Was Wrong.
  5. What happened between Jake Gravbrot and Kaylan? Kaylan also accused Jake Gravbrot of abuse, sharing her experiences publicly as part of the podcast coverage.
  6. Is Jake Gravbrot married? Jake Gravbrot is not married as of 2025. Formerly, he was married to Melissa Mullinax, Kaylan von Sothen, and Mimi Gravbrot, but the three marriages ended in divorce.
  7. Does Jake Gravbrot have children? The American hairstylist has four children from his marriage to Melissa and Kaylan von Sothen.
  8. Where is Jake Gravbrot now? As of late 2025, Jake Gravbrot is believed to still be in the Seattle, Washington area and continues to work as a hairstylist and photographer.

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Jake Gravbrot is a Seattle-based hairstylist, photographer, and former media producer known publicly as the subject of numerous allegations of serial physical, verbal, and emotional abuse by multiple former partners. His career has been overshadowed by extensive accounts shared publicly by eleven women on Something Was Wrong.

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Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Night Mongina avatar

Night Mongina (Lifestyle writer) Night Mongina is an article writer with an experience of more than three years. She has been working as a writer in Legit.ng since August 2021. She won the Writer of the Year Award on Legit in 2023. Night worked with (KNA) Kenya News Agency as a freelance writer (2016-2017). She graduated with a Diploma in Health Records and Information from Kisii University in 2018. In 2023, Night finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. In March 2024, she completed the Google News Initiative course. Email: nightmongina@gmail.com

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