Owen Benjamin facts for kids
Owen Smith, known as Owen Benjamin, is an American internet personality. He is known for sharing ideas that many people find harmful. These ideas often go against treating everyone with respect and kindness.
Benjamin used to be a stand-up comedian and actor. He appeared in movies and TV shows between 2008 and 2015. In the late 2010s, Benjamin started sharing more extreme views. Because of these views, he was banned from many popular social media sites in 2019. These sites included Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Quick facts for kids Owen Benjamin |
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Benjamin in 2017
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| Birth name | Owen Smith |
| Born | Oswego, New York, U.S. |
| Medium | Stand-up, television, film, internet |
| Education | State University of New York, Plattsburgh (BA) |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Genres | Observational comedy |
| Notable works and roles | Sullivan & Son The House Bunny |
Contents
Early Life and Education
Owen Smith was born in Oswego, New York. His parents, John Kares Smith and Jean Troy-Smith, were both professors at Oswego State University. He went to SUNY Plattsburgh. While there, he worked at the student TV station.
Career in Entertainment
Acting and Comedy Roles
Owen Benjamin started his career in entertainment. He appeared in several online video series. In 2008, he played Owen in C-SPOT's Gaytown. He also hosted Owen Benjamin Presents that same year.
Benjamin also had roles in movies. He was in the comedy film The House Bunny in 2008. In 2009, he played the main role in the romantic comedy All's Faire in Love. He starred alongside Christina Ricci in that film.
On television, Benjamin played Owen Walsh on the TBS sitcom Sullivan & Son. This show ran from 2012 to 2014. He also appeared on the MTV show Punk'd. He was a correspondent on The Jay Leno Show twice. Benjamin hosted the annual ADG Excellence in Production Design Awards from 2014 to 2016. In 2015, he hosted Esquire Network's The Next Great Burger.
Shift in Comedy and Career Changes
Later in the 2010s, Benjamin became known as a comedian with conservative views. He performed comedy shows at universities. He also hosted a podcast called Why Didn't They Laugh.
In 2017, Benjamin made comments that were seen as offensive. These comments led to the cancellation of his shows. His talent agency also stopped working with him. In 2018, he used a racial slur during a performance. This caused more venues to cancel his appearances. These events marked the end of his mainstream career.
Online Presence and Views
Sharing Extreme Views
Starting in 2018, Owen Benjamin began sharing more extreme political views online. He appeared in videos for conservative media companies. He also was a guest on various podcasts.
Benjamin has shared ideas that are considered harmful. These include views that are racist and go against certain groups of people. He has also promoted conspiracy theories. These are beliefs that secret plots are happening, often without real evidence.
Some of the conspiracy theories Benjamin has supported include:
- Claims that the Moon landing was faked.
- Beliefs that the existence of dinosaurs was made up.
- Ideas that the atomic bombings in Japan were not real.
In November 2019, he spoke at the Flat Earth International Conference. This conference is for people who believe the Earth is flat.
Social Media Account Bans
Because of his extreme views and comments, Owen Benjamin has been banned from many social media platforms.
- Twitter banned him in 2018. His account was later brought back under the new management of X.
- Patreon suspended his account in October 2019. They said he broke their rules about hate speech.
- His YouTube channel was banned in December 2019.
- He was suspended from Facebook and Instagram in December 2019 for breaking their rules.
- He has also been banned by PayPal.
In 2020, Benjamin tried to sue Patreon for banning him. Patreon then sued some of his fans. A judge later denied Patreon's request to stop the case.
After being banned from YouTube, Benjamin started streaming on DLive. This is a livestreaming service. In October 2020, he was one of the highest earners on the site. However, DLive later suspended his account in November 2020. This happened after a report by a researcher who studies extremism.
Personal Life
In March 2008, Owen Benjamin and actress Christina Ricci announced they were engaged. However, they ended their engagement two months later. He later got married and has children.
In 2021, Benjamin started a project on his property in Boundary County, Idaho. Local residents were concerned that he was breaking zoning rules. They also worried he was trying to create a private compound there.
Images for kids
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Owen Benjamin in 2017
See also
In Spanish: Owen Benjamin para niños
