Shane Dawson, whose real name is Shane Lee Yaw, is a multi-talented American personality known for his work as a YouTuber, actor, filmmaker, writer, and musician. He rose to prominence on YouTube in the late 2000s, becoming one of the platform's earliest stars. His comedic videos quickly gained immense popularity, amassing over 500 million views within the first two years of his YouTube career, which began in 2008 when he was 19 years old.
1980: Birth of Jacob Yaw
Shane Dawson's older brother, Jacob Yaw, was born in 1980.
1985: Birth of Jerid Yaw
Shane Dawson's older brother, Jerid Yaw, was born in 1985.
July 19, 1988: Shane Dawson is Born
Shane Lee Yaw, better known as Shane Dawson, was born on July 19, 1988.
2006: Graduation from Lakewood High School
Shane Dawson graduated from Lakewood High School in 2006.
March 10, 2008: "ShaneDawsonTV" Channel Creation
Shane Dawson created his YouTube channel, "ShaneDawsonTV," on March 10, 2008.
August 2008: Fired from Jenny Craig
Shane Dawson was fired from his job at Jenny Craig in August 2008 after uploading a controversial video filmed at the workplace.
2008: Shane Dawson Starts Making YouTube Videos
At the age of 19, Shane Dawson began creating videos on YouTube in 2008 and quickly gained popularity, amassing over 500 million views in two years.
November 2009: Attack of the Show! Feature
Shane Dawson was featured on the television program "Attack of the Show!" in November 2009.
May 2010: Start of Third YouTube Channel
Shane Dawson began using his third YouTube channel, "Shane," in May 2010, where he initially posted vlogs.
August 11, 2010: SD High Pilot Announcement
On August 11, 2010, Shane Dawson announced he was working on a 30-minute pilot titled "SD High."
September 2010: Planned Release of SD High and Television Studio Interest
Initially planned for release in September 2010, "SD High" was picked up by a television studio, putting the pilot's future on hold.
March 26, 2011: Collaboration with Happy Madison Productions
Shane Dawson announced his collaboration with Happy Madison Productions, Sony Pictures, and other YouTubers to create a television show on March 26, 2011.
December 2011: Relationship with Lisa Schwartz Begins
Shane Dawson began dating YouTuber Lisa Schwartz in December 2011.
January 2012: New Television Show in Development
In January 2012, Shane Dawson mentioned working on a new television show loosely inspired by his time at a weight loss center.
March 2012: Music Project and "Superluv!" Announcement
In March 2012, Shane Dawson revealed he was working on a music project and that his debut single, "Superluv!," would be released that month.
March 31, 2012: "Superluv!" Release
Shane Dawson's debut single, "Superluv!," was released on March 31, 2012, along with its music video. The song charted in Ireland, the UK, and the US.
May 8, 2012: Shane Dawson Begins Work on "The Vacation Song"
On May 8, 2012, Shane Dawson revealed he was working on a new song titled "The Vacation Song," a breakup song inspired by Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone."
May 16, 2012: Comedy-Horror Film Announcement
On May 16, 2012, Shane Dawson shared that he was working on a comedy-horror film.
June 2012: "The Vacation Song" Music Video Released
In June 2012, a week after the song's release, Shane Dawson released the music video for "The Vacation Song."
June 23, 2012: "The Vacation Song" Released
On June 23, 2012, Shane Dawson released his new song, "The Vacation Song."
October 2012: "Smiley" Movie Release
In October 2012, the film "Smiley," starring Shane Dawson, was released in theaters.
November 2012: Feature Film Negotiations
During November 2012, Shane Dawson entered negotiations to direct a feature film.
2012: Discontinuation of "ShaneDawsonTV2"
Shane Dawson mostly discontinued the use of his second channel, "ShaneDawsonTV2," later renamed "Human Emoji," in 2012.
2012: Criticism for "Ghetto Pranks" at VidCon
Shane Dawson faced criticism for his "ghetto pranks" at VidCon in 2012, which were considered racially insensitive.
2012: Smiley Movie Appearance
Shane Dawson appeared in the horror film "Smiley" in 2012.
February 5, 2013: "F**K Up" Recording
On February 5, 2013, Shane Dawson recorded a new single titled "F**K Up."
March 30, 2013: "F**K Up" Release on YouTube and iTunes
On March 30, 2013, Shane Dawson's single, "F**K Up," was released on YouTube and iTunes.
June 2013: "Shane and Friends" Podcast Launch
Shane Dawson launched his podcast, "Shane and Friends," in June 2013.
October 18, 2013: "Wanna Make Love to You" Release
On October 18, 2013, Shane Dawson released "Wanna Make Love to You," a song featuring Liam Horne, though Dawson himself does not sing on the track.
November 12, 2013: "Losin' It" Development Announcement
On November 12, 2013, Shane Dawson announced he was developing a comedy series titled "Losin' It" with Sony Pictures Television for NBC, inspired by his weight loss experiences.
2013: Shane and Friends Podcast Launch
Shane Dawson launched his podcast, "Shane and Friends," in 2013. The podcast ran for four years, releasing 140 episodes.
April 4, 2014: Comedy Film Announcement
On April 4, 2014, Shane Dawson revealed he directed and starred in a comedy film shot in Pittsburgh.
September 2014: Criticism for Blackface and Offensive Language
Shane Dawson faced backlash in September 2014 for his past use of blackface and offensive language in his videos, leading to allegations of racism.
September 19, 2014: "Not Cool" Film Release
Shane Dawson's comedy film, "Not Cool," was released on September 19, 2014 as part of Starz's "The Chair."
December 2014: Taylor Swift Parody Removal
In December 2014, Shane Dawson's parody of Taylor Swift's "Blank Space" was removed from YouTube following copyright claims from Big Machine Records and Sony due to violent content.
2014: Not Cool Release and The Chair Appearance
In 2014, Shane Dawson wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the romantic comedy "Not Cool." He also appeared in the accompanying docu-series "The Chair."
February 2015: Taylor Swift Parody Restored
The parody video of Taylor Swift's "Blank Space" by Shane Dawson was restored on YouTube in February 2015.
July 2015: Comes Out as Bisexual, Separation from Lisa Schwartz
Shane Dawson publicly came out as bisexual in July 2015 and confirmed his separation from Lisa Schwartz.
2015: Shane Dawson Begins Discussing Conspiracy Theories
Shane Dawson started incorporating conspiracy theories into his YouTube content in 2015.
2015: "I Hate Myselfie" Release
Shane Dawson's book "I Hate Myselfie" was released in 2015 and became a New York Times bestseller.
2015: "I Hate Myselfie: A Collection of Essays" Memoir Release
Shane Dawson's memoir, "I Hate Myselfie: A Collection of Essays," was released in 2015 by Atria Books/Keywords Press.
July 2016: "It Gets Worse: A Collection of Essays" Release
In July 2016, Shane Dawson released his second memoir, "It Gets Worse: A Collection of Essays," through Atria/Keywords Press.
2016: Internet Famous Movie Appearance
Shane Dawson appeared in the comedy film "Internet Famous" in 2016.
2016: Relationship with Ryland Adams Begins
Shane Dawson began dating YouTuber Ryland Adams in 2016.
2016: "It Gets Worse" Release
Shane Dawson released his second book, "It Gets Worse," which also became a New York Times bestseller.
2017: Focus on Main Channel
From 2017 onwards, Shane Dawson primarily focused on his main YouTube channel.
2017: First Docu-series Release
Shane Dawson released his first docu-series on YouTube in 2017, documenting his reconciliation with his estranged father.
June 2018: "The Truth About TanaCon" Documentary Release
Shane Dawson released "The Truth About TanaCon," a three-part documentary about the failed TanaCon event, in June 2018.
August 2018: "The Secret World of Jeffree Star" Documentary Release
In August 2018, Shane Dawson released "The Secret World of Jeffree Star," a five-part documentary about the life and career of makeup artist Jeffree Star.
September 2018: "The Mind of Jake Paul" Documentary Release
Shane Dawson released "The Mind of Jake Paul," an eight-part documentary series exploring the life and controversies of YouTuber Jake Paul, in September 2018.
2018: 2018 Apology for Controversial Comments
In 2018, Shane Dawson was embroiled in controversy over comments about pedophilia from a 2013 podcast episode. He subsequently released an apology video, explaining that his comedic style at the time was similar to that of shock jocks.
February 2019: "Conspiracy Series with Shane Dawson" Part 2 Release
Shane Dawson released the second part of his "Conspiracy Series" in February 2019, further exploring various conspiracy theories.
March 2019: Controversy Over Podcast Comments
In March 2019, Shane Dawson faced controversy due to comments he made on a 2013 episode of his podcast Shane and Friends about pedophilia. The controversy was further fueled by additional comments he made on a 2015 episode of the same podcast regarding engaging in sexual activity with his cat.
March 19, 2019: Engagement to Ryland Adams
Shane Dawson and Ryland Adams got engaged on March 19, 2019.
July 2019: "The Return of Eugenia Cooney" Documentary Release
In July 2019, Shane Dawson returned to YouTube with "The Return of Eugenia Cooney," a documentary about the titular internet personality's return to social media after a break.
October 2019: "The Beautiful World of Jeffree Star" Release
"The Beautiful World of Jeffree Star," a documentary following Shane Dawson and Jeffree Star's collaboration on a makeup collection, was released in October 2019.
2019: Conspiracy Series with Shane Dawson Premiere
Shane Dawson's web series "Conspiracy Series with Shane Dawson" premiered in 2019.
June 2020: YouTube Demonetization and Backlash
In June 2020, YouTube indefinitely suspended monetization on all three of Shane Dawson's channels due to public backlash over past controversial comments he had made. His books were also pulled from shelves.
June 26, 2020: Apology Video Addressing Racial Comedy
On June 26, 2020, Shane Dawson posted a 20-minute video in response to renewed criticism of his racial comedy, including the use of blackface and offensive language. He acknowledged past apologies were inadequate, vowed to improve his actions, and apologized to James Charles for previous comments. Hours later, Jaden Smith accused Dawson of sexualizing his sister Willow Smith in an old video, and Jaden's mother Jada Pinkett Smith also criticized Dawson.
June 29, 2020: Target Removes Books from Shelves
On June 29, 2020, Target announced the removal of Shane Dawson's books, I Hate Myselfie and It Gets Worse, from its shelves. This decision came amidst ongoing controversies surrounding Dawson.
2020: The Beautiful World of Jeffree Star Release
Shane Dawson created and starred in the docu-series "The Beautiful World of Jeffree Star," released between 2019 and 2020. The series garnered over 130 million views.
August 2021: Move to Colorado
In August 2021, Shane Dawson and Ryland Adams moved to Colorado, purchasing a farm.
October 7, 2021: Return to YouTube
After a hiatus, Shane Dawson returned to YouTube on October 7, 2021.
January 3, 2023: Marriage to Ryland Adams
Shane Dawson and Ryland Adams married in Colorado on January 3, 2023.
December 10, 2023: Birth of Twin Sons
Shane Dawson and Ryland Adams welcomed their twin sons via surrogacy on December 10, 2023.