Gustav Emil Johnson (born June 20, 1995) is an American YouTuber.
Early life
Gustav Emil Johnson was born in Grantsburg, Wisconsin,[2] on June 20, 1995,[3][2] the son of Debra and Pete.[4] He is of Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish descent.[5] In middle school, he filmed what he called "stupid sketches that kids would think are funny", sometimes with his younger brother Sven.[4] He was elected governor of Badger Boys State in 2013,[6] and graduated from Grantsburg High School in 2014.[4] He graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Stout with a degree in entertainment design with a focus on digital cinema in May 2018.[7]
Career
Johnson started his YouTube channel in 2010 with his first video, "Ian's Song".[8] He then went on to create meme videos starring himself and friends, which gradually became more popular.[2] Johnson has released two albums: Lightning Rods and Leaky Roofs and Champagne Seats in 2016.[9][10]
In late 2017, Johnson branched into longform comedy, using Kickstarter to raise funds for a comedy series on a run-down golf course called "Par 9".[11] Johnson and fellow YouTuber Eddy Burback later moved from the Midwest to Los Angeles[2] and created a new show, The Gus & Eddy Podcast.[12] Johnson stepped away from the podcast in October 2021.[13]
In January 2019, Johnson received a nomination at the 11th Shorty Awards for Best YouTube Comedian.[14] On April 10, 2019, Johnson's channel reached one million subscribers on YouTube during his appearance on the H3 Podcast.[5] In 2019, he signed a talent deal with Viacom to create content for Comedy Central.[15]
In 2021, Johnson's ex-partner Abelina Sabrina posted a video accusing him of emotional abuse and neglect while she suffered from an ectopic pregnancy.[17] Several details were later disputed by Johnson in a 2022 interview. [18]