Steven Jay Williams (born July 24, 1974), better known by his online alias Boogie2988 or just Boogie, is an American video blogger and comedian.
Video Boogie2988
Early life
Steven Jay Williams was born in St. Paul, Virginia on July 24, 1974. His father was a coalminer and his mother worked for the government, teaching a pre-school program. He has often discussed his childhood, during which he suffered regular psychological and physical abuse at the hands of his mother. He suffers from anxiety, PTSD, and other mental illnesses as a result of the abuse. Williams attempted suicide as a teenager, and again after the death of his mother in 2009. He has since become an advocate for suicide prevention.
Maps Boogie2988
Career
Williams is best known for his persona Francis, especially videos containing Francis's absurd behavior such as spending $380 on a mobile game or defacing a Christmas tree. Francis is a heavily exaggerated portrayal of a "typical" gamer, and often parodies representations thereof in news and online. Williams has stated that the character is based on his early life, saying that he wanted viewers to hate the character for its exaggerated gamer trope.
When not portraying Francis, Williams' videos usually contain serious discussions concerning daily life and online culture, such as the ethics of paid promotion on YouTube channels and daily life with morbid obesity. Williams received the Trending Gamer award at The Game Awards 2016.
Personal life
Williams resides in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Williams proposed to his girlfriend, Dez, via a YouTube video on July 27, 2012. They married in October 2013. On December 13, 2017, Williams announced via a tweet that he and Dez would be getting a divorce, stating that they "fell out of love and are splitting amicably as friends". The divorce was finalized on February 13, 2018.
Williams suffers from morbid obesity and previously experienced type 2 diabetes, weighing 587 lbs (266 kg) at his heaviest. In April 2017, Williams announced plans to undergo bariatric surgery as a "last resort" for his unstable health, beginning with a gastric bypass operation scheduled for August 1, 2017. The surgery was successful, and as of March 7, 2018, Williams weighs 387 lbs (175 kg). His diabetes is currently in remission.
Although a registered Republican, Williams has voted for Democratic candidates in most presidential elections. He supports the Affordable Care Act and believes he will lose his insurance without it.
References
External links
- Boogie2988 on IMDb
- Boogie 2988 on YouTube
Source of article : Wikipedia