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Shane Dawson

Early Life and Background

Shane Dawson, born Shane Lee Yaw on July 19, 1988, in Long Beach, California, is an American YouTube personality, sketch comedian, actor, filmmaker, songwriter, and singer. He attended Lakewood High School in his hometown. Dawson faced a challenging upbringing—he was overweight during his childhood and endured abuse from his alcoholic father, who eventually left the family. Raised in a low-income household alongside his two siblings, Dawson was frequently bullied. He is of Dutch, Welsh, Swedish, and English descent.

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Introduction to YouTube and Rise to Fame

Dawson discovered his passion for video production while participating in school video projects with friends. This interest culminated in the launch of his primary YouTube channel, ShaneDawsonTV, on March 10, 2008. In the early days of his online career, he was concurrently employed at Jenny Craig, Inc., working alongside his mother and brother. However, after posting a pole-dancing video filmed at his workplace, Dawson was terminated from the job in August 2008.

His popularity soared with comedic and satirical content featuring recurring characters such as Ned the Nerd, Amy, Aunt Hilda, S. Deezy, Shananay, Mom, and Fruitlupe. One of his notable videos, “Fred is Dead,” earned over 23 million views. Dawson later launched a secondary channel, ShaneDawsonTV2, although it saw limited usage and primarily featured vlog-style content, often posted via iPhone.

The growing popularity of his YouTube videos led to collaborations with other prominent YouTubers including TheFineBros, Joey Graceffa, and Bart Baker. His productions frequently involved long-time producer Lauren Schnipper.


Quick Facts
Birth Date: 19 Jul, 1988
Age: 31 yrs
Citizenship: United States of America
Birth Place: Long Beach
Education: Lakewood High School
Gender: Male
Description: American Internet personality
Twitter Id: Shanedawson
Net Worth 2021: 12 million
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Last Modified: Oct 23 2025
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