Steven Williams
Williams in 2018
Personal information
Born
Steven Jason Williams

(1974-07-24) July 24, 1974[1][2]
Abingdon, Virginia, U.S.[3]
OccupationYouTuber
Spouse
Desiree Williams
​
​
(m. 2013; div. 2018)​
[4][5]
YouTube information
Also known asBoogie, boogie2988
Channel
Years active2006–present
Genre(s)Gaming, comedy
Subscribers4.01 million[6]
Total views930 million[6]
Associated actsAngry Grandpa
Angry Joe
Keemstar
100,000 subscribers2012
1,000,000 subscribers2013
Last updated: January 6, 2023

Steven Jason Williams (born July 24, 1974), better known by his online alias Boogie2988 or simply Boogie,[7] is an American YouTuber best known for his video rants about video games and nerd culture as a character named Francis.[8][9]

Early life and education

Steven Jason Williams grew up in St. Paul, Virginia. His father, Carl Williams[10] (May 1, 1935 - September 2, 2001) was a coal miner, and his mother, Wanda Faye Williams (née Privett)[11] (December 6, 1941 - October 6, 2009) was a preschool teacher. He has two older siblings.[12]

Williams described his childhood as a "sad" time period in his life, due to dealing with obesity, lack of friends, and suffering verbal and physical abuse from his mother. Despite this, he considers her death in 2009 to be the "saddest moment" of his life. He had already been depressed due to his father dying of cancer.[12][13] Williams had gastric bypass surgery due to morbid obesity on August 1, 2017.[14]

Williams graduated from St. Paul High School in Virginia[15] and attended University of Virginia's College at Wise but did not graduate.[12] He later moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas, where he did not leave his home for seven years while being financially supported by a friend. It was then that he discovered YouTube and started to create videos,[12] which he said "gave [his] life a meaning."[16]

YouTube career

The Francis character is based on stereotypes of nerdy video game players and often parodies trending video game news, reaction, and culture.

Williams based the character on his early life experiences and has said that he wants viewers to hate the character for embodying gamer stereotypes.[17] Williams videos range from absurd rants to serious discussions on daily life,[18] such as the ethics of paid promotion on YouTube channels, and his experiences with mental health.[7][19]

Williams won the Trending Gamer award at The Game Awards 2016.[20]

In June 2016, Williams' YouTube account was temporarily closed due to an anonymous hacker. The unidentified person got hold of his phone number via Verizon during his time at VidCon and was able to gain access to his accounts associated with it, including his YouTube channel. His channel was restored less than a week later.[21][22][23]

On May 13, 2023, Williams faced streamer WingsOfRedemption in a boxing match on the preliminary card of MF & DAZN: X Series 007.[24] Williams lost the fight via TKO in the second round.[25]

In November 2023, Williams appeared in a feature-length Documentary by independent filmmaker Mike Clum, which analyzed his downfall as well as his financial situation.[26]

Controversies

In October 2018, Williams faced scrutiny due to his relationship with the controversial counseling service BetterHelp. He and other YouTubers sponsored by the service were accused of profiting from mental illness, which led to Williams publicly terminating his partnership with the company.[27] Later that month, Williams was removed from a Dungeons & Dragons charity event due to concerns from LGBT activists.[28]

In February 2019, Williams was criticized when he joked that he would "make a better team leader" over another player due to their parents' divorce and correlated it with anger issues during a live stream of the game Apex Legends.[29] In April 2019, Williams admitted to potentially committing tax fraud. He stated that he purchases Magic: The Gathering cards for his channel, writes them off as a business expense, and then resells them without claiming the income on his taxes. The IRS states that income above $400 from self-employment must be reported.[30] In June 2019, Williams faced criticism after clips from older live streams of him making racially charged comments resurfaced. He commented during one live stream, "That's a lot of money, I guess, for a person of color, or is it not?" after receiving a $3 donation from a follower who frequently donated to him on his stream with the message "I am a black person".[31]

On June 27, 2019, Williams announced on Twitter that he had purchased a new Tesla automobile.[32] Following his announcement, Williams held a live stream in early July in which he sarcastically asked for money to help pay for the new car, upsetting some of his viewers who took his comments seriously.[33] Williams subsequently received harsh criticism for his live stream, prompting him to clarify that he did not actually purchase the car, but rather only put a down payment on it, and that he had cancelled the order as a result of the backlash against him, among other things.

In August 2019, Williams made a controversial statement against his internet trolls where he claimed "I think that there are rapists and Nazis out there who... are more redeemable than you because at least they're doing something they believe in."[34]

Personal life

Shortly after his mother's death in 2009, he met Desiree, "Dez" for short, and she moved to Arkansas to live with him. She later became known in his content as Dez2988, taking on his numerical suffix and occasionally portraying the unseen character of Francis' sister. In October 2013, Williams and Desiree got married. On December 19, 2017, Williams announced that Desiree filed for divorce and had planned to for a while, but waited until he sufficiently recovered from his gastric bypass surgery which was back in August.[5] The divorce was finalized on February 13, 2018.[35]

Williams is a theist.[36]

In November 2022, Williams was diagnosed with polycythemia vera, a type of blood cancer.[37]

In July 2023, Williams announced that he was in a relationship with Deziree Davis, who at the time, was 20-years of age. The announcement was met with mixed reactions, with some showing support of his new relationship, while others have pointed out the 29-year gap between the two despite being of legal consent.[38][39]

Aggravated assault charge

In September 2020, Williams began trending on Twitter after news broke out of an ongoing conflict between him and Frank Hassle, a YouTuber who began harassing him over the course of several months after suspecting he was the cause of his channels' termination. After Hassle had made his way down to Williams' home in Arkansas, the two were interviewed by Keemstar, in which Williams threatened to kill Hassle if he stepped on his property. The next day after Hassle showed up at his house wearing a GoPro, Williams pulled out a revolver and fired a warning shot into the air. Hassle eventually left and the entire incident was caught on camera. A police investigation was launched shortly afterwards. On May 7, 2021, a warrant was issued for Williams' arrest on a charge of aggravated assault with a $5,000 bond by the Washington County, Arkansas sheriff's department.[40][41] Williams turned himself in on May 12, was processed over the course of three and a half hours and posted bail.[42] On March 7, 2022, Williams stated that his case was settled on a deferred adjudication.[43]

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2014 Supersize vs Superskinny Himself 1 episode

Web

Year Title Role Notes
2014 Did You Know Gaming? Himself Episode: Skyrim
2015 Your Grammar Sucks Himself 2 episodes
2016 Super Planet Dolan Himself / Francis (voice) Episode: What Are Earthquakes Called On Mars?
2016 Crash Zoom Mancis (voice) Episode: Sky Scam
2016–2019 Youtubers React Himself 10 episodes
2017 H3 Podcast Himself 3 episodes
2018 HowToBasic Himself Episode: "Face Reveal"
2023 The Dark, Sad Life of Boogie2988 Himself Mike Clum documentary

Exhibition boxing record

1 fight 0 wins 1 loss
By knockout 0 1
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
1 Loss 0–1 WingsOfRedemption TKO 2 (3), 0:29 May 13, 2023 Wembley Arena, London, England 1 minute rounds

References

  1. ↑ @Boogie2988 (July 25, 2016). "Birthday stream on Twitch in about an hour and a half! See you there!" (Tweet). Retrieved December 25, 2019 – via Twitter.
  2. ↑ "ITS MY BIRTHDAY! WOOHOO!!". YouTube. July 27, 2014. Archived from the original on August 20, 2014. Retrieved December 25, 2016.
  3. ↑ "My Origin Story: Where I Grew Up In Small Town Southwest Virginia..." YouTube. Boogie2988. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Desiree Williams' Wiki: Facts to Know about Boogie2988's Ex-Wife". www.earnthenecklace.com. December 20, 2017. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  5. 1 2 "It's true, wife and I are getting a divorce. Here's whats next for us". youtube.com. Archived from the original on February 28, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  6. 1 2 "About boogie2988". YouTube.
  7. 1 2 Grayson, Nathan (October 8, 2014). "The Messy Story Behind YouTubers Taking Money For Game Coverage". Kotaku. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  8. ↑ Sam Machkovech (March 25, 2015). ""That life is over": Zoe Quinn looks beyond GamerGate". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on May 1, 2017. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  9. ↑ Amini, Tina (December 14, 2013). "A Note To Everyone Who Says YouTubers Should 'Get A Real Job'". Kotaku. Archived from the original on December 3, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Carl Williams". May 1935.
  11. ↑ "Wanda Faye Williams". December 6, 1941.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "Draw My Life - Boogie2988 (Aka Francis)". YouTube. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  13. ↑ "On the death of my mother". YouTube.
  14. ↑ "Boogie2988 Surgery Update". Heavy.com. August 2017. Archived from the original on August 2, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  15. ↑ My Origin Story: Where I Grew Up In Small Town Southwest Virginia..., archived from the original on July 10, 2019, retrieved August 24, 2019
  16. ↑ "The Meaning Of Life" Archived May 12, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, YouTube, December 15, 2008
  17. ↑ Narcisse, Evan (December 1, 2013). "The Bittersweet Story of Francis, YouTube's Biggest Video Game Nerd". Kotaku. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  18. ↑ Writer/Director/Producer, Alex Koenig; Koenig", Host of "Point Blank With Alex (March 18, 2014). "Four Years Ago, Boogie2988 Was on Disability -- Now He's a YouTube Star". HuffPost. Archived from the original on November 23, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  19. ↑ Jessica Conditt (January 23, 2014). "YouTuber boogie2988 on Microsoft contracts: 'It is the norm'". Engadget. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  20. ↑ Stark, Chelsea (December 1, 2016). "The Game Awards: Here's the full winners list". Polygon. Archived from the original on December 2, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  21. ↑ Adame, Dennis (June 27, 2016). "YouTube Gamer Boogie2988 has his channel hacked and closed". www.gameskinny.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  22. ↑ HOW I GOT HACKED!, archived from the original on June 30, 2016, retrieved August 14, 2019
  23. ↑ "What Boogie2988's Hacking Can Teach Creators About Cybersecurity". What's Trending. July 1, 2016. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  24. ↑ Keemstar (April 23, 2023). "Wings of Redemption vs Boogie2988 Trailer is now Live on #DramaAlert YouTube Channel!". Twitter.
  25. ↑ "WingsOfRedemption stops Boogie2988! Stream the full fight replay now". Bloody Elbow. May 13, 2023. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  26. ↑ Dee, Katherine (November 9, 2023). "Pity the plight of the internet celebrity". UnHerd. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  27. ↑ Lorenz, Taylor (October 12, 2018). "YouTube Stars Are Being Accused of Profiting Off Fans' Depression". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on December 14, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  28. ↑ "Alt-right gamers are lying to you on YouTube". The Daily Dot. October 26, 2018. Archived from the original on September 4, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  29. ↑ "Boogie2988 Under Fire For Joke Made While Streaming 'Apex Legends'". WWG. Archived from the original on August 20, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  30. ↑ "Boogie May Have Admitted To Committing Tax Fraud During A Livestream". TheGamer. April 4, 2019. Archived from the original on August 20, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  31. ↑ "Controversial YouTuber Boogie2988 under fire for racist comments on stream". Dexerto.com. June 27, 2019. Archived from the original on November 29, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  32. ↑ @Boogie2988 (June 27, 2019). "I legit just bought a tesla. This is my first new car in my lifetime. I am shaking baked so excited!!!!" (Tweet). Retrieved January 17, 2020 – via Twitter.
  33. ↑ "Fans outraged after Boogie2988 "begs" for money following $100k Tesla purchase". Dexerto.com. July 2, 2019. Archived from the original on August 20, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  34. ↑ Sant, Sam (August 29, 2019). "Boogie2988 says 'rapists and Nazis' are more redeemable than his trolls". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  35. ↑ "Desiree Williams' Wiki: Facts to Know about Boogie2988's Ex-Wife". earnthenecklace.com. December 20, 2017. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  36. ↑ Steven Jay Williams [@Boogie2988] (February 4, 2021). "Grew up Christian. Spent a long time atheist and nihilist. Became agnostic for a while and now consider myself a theist" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  37. ↑ Steven Jay Williams [@Boogie2988] (November 15, 2022). "Hey so I debated not sharing this. But I got my official diagnosis today so why not? I do in fact have a type of blood cancer called Polycythemia Vera. It's extremely slow moving and many people live with it for decades. No big deal" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  38. ↑ Masiello, Shawna (July 16, 2023). "Boogie2988 Confirms He's Dating a 20-Year-Old Girl". POPTOPIC. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  39. ↑ Wayne, John (August 16, 2023). "Boogie2988 New Girlfriend - Exploring the Latest Chapter in His Life". Techstry. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  40. ↑ "What happened between Boogie2988 and Frank Hassle? YouTuber fires gun over harassment". GameRevolution. September 29, 2020. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  41. ↑ Trobaugh, Justin (May 11, 2021). "Popular YouTuber 'Boogie2988' has warrant out for his arrest". KNWA-TV. Nexstar Media. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  42. ↑ "Popular YouTube personality faces charge of aggravated assault in Washington County". Arkansas Online. May 13, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  43. ↑ "My Legal Issues Are Finally over". YouTube.
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