Owen Benjamin (aka Owen Smith) is a former mainstream comedian and actor who has embraced far-right conspiratorial and antisemitic content since 2018. He released a standup comedy performance on October 13, 2023, that includes antisemitic, anti-LGBTQ+ and racist rhetoric.

Benjamin, who starred in several films and comedy specials in the early 2010s, experienced significant success as a mainstream conservative comedian, and appeared in the movies The House Bunny and All’s Faire in Love, in addition to guest spots on a variety of television shows, including Inside Amy Schumer. Benjamin concurrently appeared on conservative programs and platforms such as Joe Rogan’s podcast, PragerU, The Daily Wire and InfoWars.

After Benjamin, who describes himself as a “general in the culture wars,” began to use his Twitter account to express bigoted views on gender-affirming hormone therapy for transgender teenagers in October 2017, however, his talent agency dropped him, and his tour dates were cancelled. Benjamin also faced intense criticism in 2018 after he performed a song that repeatedly used the N-word in relation to a man who allegedly stole his bicycle. Following this incident, Benjamin made a few additional appearances on PragerU and Daily Wire shows, but never regained his former popularity.

With his YouTube account demonetized, his Twitter account banned (a decision that was reversed under X management) and all his Instagram accounts deplatformed (at least 14, per his claims), Benjamin increasingly turned to antisemitism, xenophobia, and attacks on so-called “political correctness.” He has embraced Covid denial and vaccine conspiracy theories and said he believes that the earth is flat and that the moon landing never happened.

Even though Benjamin has been “canceled” by mainstream comedy and has been banned from Instagram, he has a wide following on X (172,000 followers) and significant viewership for his streaming platforms. In the wake of the October 2023 war between Israel and Hamas, Benjamin has been actively expressing antisemitic views on X and on his livestream. Benjamin rants for hours on unmoderated fringe streaming platforms, spreading his ideas to his devoted fans.

Notable examples of Benjamin’s antisemitism, xenophobia and conspiratorial views:

Benjamin’s Antisemitism:

Benjamin regularly propagates harmful antisemitic conspiracy theories that Jews control the world via their alleged total control over the money supply. In October 2022, Benjamin claimed on his livestream, “[Jews] literally control your entire currency. They're the richest people in the entire world and they are funding Black Lives Matter, fuck the police, defund the police, abortion, gay marriage, LGBT — everything that's pissing everyone off.” Earlier, in July 2022, Benjamin claimed that Joe Biden and his administration were run by “the Jews,” and that the governments of most powerful countries are also controlled by “the Jews.”
Benjamin repeats antisemitic myths about the content of Jewish religious texts. In response to the fact that many consider his beliefs antisemitic, in October 2022 Benjamin responded on his livestream, “When they call you antisemitic to stop you criticizing their gangster mob cartel of your entire currency, they're aware of what they're doing. It's in a little book, they have a little trick book, a little prank book called the Talmud.” In referencing the Talmud, Benjamin draws on the centuries-old antisemitic belief that ancient Jewish religious texts are guidebooks on how to undermine society and maintain power.
Benjamin engages frequently in Holocaust denial. He often refers to it as the “Holo-hoax,” a common neologism employed by Holocaust deniers. As far back as July 2019, he was confidently asserting on a now-deleted YouTube video that “the Holocaust narrative does not line up one bit.” He has also frequently denied the validity of still-standing concentration camps as evidence for the slaughter. In July 2022 on his livestream Benjamin stated: “the Holocaust isn't what people think. The gas is flammable and there's open light bulbs and wooden doors and all this fake bullshit. It's like a Disneyland exhibit.”
Benjamin whitewashes Hitler's genocidal plans: In 2019, Benjamin defended Hitler's persecution of European Jews, saying on a now-deleted YouTube video, “Really what he was trying to do was clean Germany, clean it of the parasites, of the fleas. He did not hate Jews. He hated filth and he was trying to clean up.”
Antisemitic views related to Israel’s war with Hamas (October 2023): Benjamin tweeted on 25 October 2023: “ I wonder if a J[ew] that gets arrested for beating his wife says that humas [sic] was hiding behind his wife’s face[.]” Earlier on the same day Benjamin wrote: “When a J[ew] tries to convince you to fight a complete stranger to the death so they can get rich just say “no.” They’ll call you an anti semite [sic] and scream and cry and say you’re unhinged but it’s the right move. All they do is squeal and lie to try and get you to fight their wars. It’s a crazy fetish they have and I think it comes from horrible parenting and watching pornos from a young age.”

Bigotry and Xenophobia:

Since his first anti-trans post, Benjamin has voiced his reproach for and distrust of the transgender community. He makes it a habit to deadname transgender people, such as in May 2023 when he did this to Caitlyn Jenner. In February 2022, Benjamin claimed that “they’re trying to normalize the trans stuff” because soy-based foods “are literally destroying kids’ endocrine systems.” In November 2018, he claimed on his podcast that the increased acceptance of transgender people was part of a United Nations eugenics program to reduce the population, a conspiracy that also involves the world’s richest people, including Bill Gates. This idea draws on the Agenda 21-conspiracy theory, which alleges that a decades-old U.N. sustainability resolution is actually the impetus for a scheme to depopulate the world and establish a totalitarian one-world government.
Benjamin frequently uses racial slurs in his content. In 2019, Benjamin called former President Obama the N-word — a term he continues to use, alongside slurs against gay people, transgender people and Jews.
Benjamin often expresses his xenophobic views on his livestream. In May 2019, Benjamin referred to himself as a “white enthusiast.” In response to the debunked claim that Mexico had lowered its age of sexual consent to 12, Benjamin said of Mexicans, “I don't want them living by my family nor should you. It's a different way of life.” Benjamin also claimed in 2019 that Muslims who come to America "can't believe that the women aren't wearing potato sacks, so they rape them […] then they're so excited they just start stabbing people because that's what they do.”
Benjamin is proudly homophobic. In his comedy special he complained that the month of June is dedicated to “sodomites,” which he dislikes because “you know what they do. It’s super gross.” In the same rant he added, “I’m not scared of [gay people]. I’m disgusted,” while encouraging his audience members to respond that way to anyone who accuses them of being homophobic. Benjamin also stated that homosexuality is so “despicable” that he won’t discuss it in the presence of children.

Owen Benjamin: What You Need to Know