Johnny Somali Explained

Johnny Somali
Birth Name:Ramsey Khalid Ismael
Birth Date:26 September 2000
Birth Place:Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Channel Direct Url:@JohnnySomali
Subscribers:18.4 thousand
Subscriber Date:October 9, 2024 (before ban)
Views:4.3 million
View Date:October 9, 2024
Module:
Embed:yes
Subbox:yes
Channel Url:johnnysomali
Years Active:2023–2024
Followers:13 thousand (Before ban)
Stats Update:November 29, 2024

Ramsey Khalid Ismael (born September 26, 2000), popularly known by his alias Johnny Somali, is an American live streamer, self-proclaimed internet troll[1] and nuisance influencer[2] known for his provocative and hostile behavior while traveling overseas.[3] After getting banned from Twitch, Ismael began streaming on Kick (which he is banned on as of May 2024) and Rumble as a tourist in Asian countries. His behavior has gotten him arrested or detained in different countries numerous times, including in Japan in 2023,[4] Israel in early 2024,[5] and South Korea in late 2024.[6] As of November 2024, he is currently under a travel ban preventing him from leaving South Korea.[7]

Early life

Ismael has reportedly made a number of conflicting claims about his ethnicity. He reportedly once claimed to have been born to an Somali father and an Ethiopian mother.[8] A news article from the Japanese Daily Shincho describes him as potentially being of Ethiopian descent.[9] The Somali newspaper Hiiraan reports that Ismael once claimed that he is fully Ethiopian.[10] Ismael also claimed to have been a former child soldier and a former pirate; several sources have expressed doubt about these claims.[11] [12]

Ismael also claims to have grown up in Scottsdale, Arizona, and graduated from Arizona State University, but he also claims to been a financial worker, or a real estate manager.[13] Other sources cite him to be an Arizona native.

Career

Ismael mostly streams himself on video streaming platforms such as YouTube and Kick as a tourist travelling in different countries, in particular Japan, Thailand, and Israel.[14] Ismael also visited Bali in Indonesia despite calls for him to be barred of entry.[15] He began streaming in May 2023. After being banned from Twitch, he moved to Kick before receiving temporary suspensions from Kick.[16] He was banned on Kick in May 2024 and unsuccessfully attempted to persuade Twitch into unbanning him. He currently streams on Rumble.

Japan

During his travels to Japan, Ismael made anti-Japanese taunts towards locals,[17] which include comments about the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki,[18] [19] and threatened to bomb Japan with nuclear weapons on a train. Ismael was occasionally assaulted and called racial slurs by locals who recognized him in public.[20] [21] In one incident, he was confronted by an American man for his behavior, leading Ismael to state, "I'm a troll."[22] The American man was praised by many people on the internet for his actions, while Ismael claimed to have been drunk at the time and had apologized to the man.[23] Ismael harassed Meowko, a Japanese Twitch streamer, which contributed to Ismael's subsequent ban by Twitch.[24]

In June 2023, Ismael went to Tokyo Disney Resort and played music with lyrics containing the phrase "atomic bomb" and recorded guests' reactions without their permission.[25]

In August 2023, Ismael, who was masked, and Jeremiah Dwane Branch, who was recording for him, went into a hotel construction site in Osaka, where he then yelled "Fukushima" at the construction workers. After the construction workers kicked them out, they were both arrested on suspicion of trespassing.[26] [27] [28] In September, they were arrested on the suspicion of conspiracy of obstruction of business when they disrupted a restaurant by playing extremely loud noises and music during business hours.[29] [30] He claimed that the reason the music was playing was because of the phone producer, Huawei, who "put a Chinese virus on the phone". This was later brought up in court, where the judge found him guilty and stated, "he could've just turned down the volume on his phone".[31]

On December 19, 2023, Ismael, who had been in custody since his second arrest, appeared at the Osaka District Court of the charge of conspiracy of obstruction of business.[32] The charge of trespassing on a construction site was dropped. Prosecutors requested a fine of ¥200,000.[33] Ismael later admitted to lying in court to the judge and prosecutor, having previously claimed to have made no money from his videos.[34] A verdict of guilt was reached on January 10, 2024. He was fined ¥200,000 (the equivalent of $1,400) and voluntarily returned to the United States.[35]

In March 2024, Ismael stopped livestreaming and instead opted for "Zoom trolling", mostly targeting Zoom calls involving Japanese people.[36]

Israel

On March 25, 2024, Ismael went to Tel Aviv, Israel, where he became involved in altercations with local Arab and Jewish people there. He was then confronted and beaten.[37] [38] As a result of his stream, Ismael was suspended from Kick for a week due to inciting and promoting violent behavior.[39]

On April 5, 2024, he traveled to the Western Wall in Jerusalem, where he began live-streaming. He filmed himself attaching images of Harvey Weinstein, Adin Ross, and Jeffrey Epstein to the wall, proclaiming Weinstein as one of his "top Jews" and making insulting remarks towards Ross. He was arrested and received a 50-day ban from Jerusalem.[40] [41]

On April 7, 2024, Ismael was detained at a protest in Tel Aviv for sexual harassment of a female police officer. After his release 16 minutes later, Ismael went live again on the same day and claimed to have witnessed a mass shooting at a restaurant.[42] He also excused his actions for being an American citizen.[43] On May 19, 2024, Ismael was assaulted in Israel after being accused of "snitching".[44] One of the men was seen holding an item, possibly a weapon, but Ismael was not assaulted with it.[45]

South Korea

While planning his visit to South Korea, on March 10, 2024, Ismael threatened to slap a BTS member in a now-deleted Twitter post.[46] This came after a statement about going to Seoul the same week.[47]

On October 7, 2024, he kissed and performed lap dances on the Statue of Peace, a memorial which commemorates young comfort women, sex slaves for Japanese soldiers during World War II, though he later apologized for his actions claiming he didn't know the significance of the statue.[48] [49] He also loudly played obscene noises on the subway, such as speeches by Kim Jong Un, and was ejected from a bus after loudly playing North Korean music.[50] [51] On October 17, after workers at a 7-Eleven stopped Ismael from drinking alcohol, he allegedly responded with violence.[52] Ismael also bought ramyeon noodles and then purposefully poured it on a table in the dining area. After being confronted by the store owner and told to leave, Ismael proceeded to throw noodles at customers outside of the store. Due to this and him being barred from drinking alcohol, Ismael made sexist comments towards the worker and attempted to assault him.[53] He was reported to the police the same day.[54]

On October 26, he was taken into police custody and disobeyed directions from police officers.[55] Members of the Korean Parliament discussed his presence in the country during a parliamentary session on October 30 which concluded that he would be monitored more closely.[56] On November 2, 2024, he was barred from leaving the country while being under probe for his earlier incidents.[57] He may face up to 10 years in South Korean prison.[58]

On November 6, Ismael uploaded an apology video in which he filmed next to the Statue of Peace, of which viewers doubted his sincerity.[59] It was also reported that there were bounties offered to reveal his location.

On November 11, Ismael was indicted by the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office on charges of "obstruction of business" over the October 17 incident at the convenience store. A travel ban linked to the case prevents him from leaving South Korea.[60] Ismael also faces additional charges for creating a deepfake video using artificial intelligence of him making out with the Korean content creator on Kick, Bongbong.[61] British media outlet The Standard claimed that as a result of his other controversial actions such as the displaying the Japanese war-time flag of the Rising Sun Flag, playing North Korean pop music, and repeatedly telling other Koreans to speak English to him, he may be further investigated for hindering business operations and suspected drug use.[62] Legal experts claimed that Ismael may also be charged with disseminating North Korean propaganda, and could face up to seven years in prison under South Korea's National Security Act.[63]

On November 19, Ismael was on a subway train in Seoul where during his live stream viewers could donate sums of cash in order to have text read aloud from his speaker using a text-to-speech program. Ismael's program went off and repeatedly said the phrase "I have a bomb" in the Korean language, which potentially came into violation of South Korea's anti-terrorism laws.[64]

While live streaming on multiple occasions, Ismael was assaulted by others in public.[65] On November 29, Dalgeun Yu, a former South Korean Navy SEAL and South Korean YouTuber,[66] assaulted and knocked out Ismael after a confrontation inside an elevator and in response to Ismael's actions towards the Statue of Peace.[67] Ismael was live streaming as Yu was recording Ismael, Yu was speaking Korean to Ismael as Ismael mocked him before punching Ismael in the head as he walked out of the building. Yu was immediately arrested by South Korean police as he posted the video of him assaulting Ismael online. Yu stated in defense of his actions "I could not stand by while someone insulted the victims of history and our nation," and that he did it to "defend national dignity".[68]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ke . Bryan . 2023-07-14 . Man confronts controversial livestreamer who harrassed people in Tokyo about WWII . 2024-05-29 . . en-US.
  2. Web site: Bae . By Hanna Park and Gawon . 2024-11-28 . Controversial American live-streamer faces prison in South Korea for offensive behavior . 2024-11-28 . CNN . en.
  3. Web site: 2024-11-13 . South Korea slaps travel ban on American live-streamer for 'causing a commotion' . 2024-11-18 . . en.
  4. Web site: 22 December 2023 . US streamer faces criminal charges for playing loud music at Japan restaurant . 29 November 2024 . . en.
  5. Web site: American streamer Johnny Somali arrested for sexually harassing police officer during Tel Aviv protest . 29 November 2024 . The Times of Israel.
  6. Web site: 13 November 2024 . American livestreamer indicted in South Korea over offensive antics . 29 November 2024 . . en.
  7. Web site: 13 November 2024 . South Korea slaps travel ban on US streamer for ‘causing commotion’ . 29 November 2024 . The Independent . en.
  8. Web site: 2023-06-21 . Waa kuma Johnny Somali, ninka ay ka qeyliyeen madaxda Japan? . Who is Johnny Somali, the man they shouted at Japanese leaders? . 2023-12-27 . . so.
  9. Web site: 2023-09-29 . 「クソ日本人」と連呼…迷惑系動画で逮捕された"ソマリア海賊"の男が日本に目を付けた特別な事情（デイリー新潮） . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20230929103712/https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/2224f9fad0ccff5a76140ceaaafdff72b8be95f1 . 2023-09-29 . 2024-11-15 . デイリー新潮 . Yahoo News.
  10. Web site: American YouTuber 'Johnny Somali' criticized by Somali diaspora for damaging identity . 2024-11-15 . www.hiiraan.com . en-US.
  11. Web site: 2023-09-23 . Maxaa loo xiray Johnny Somali maxaadse ka taqaanaa ninkan? . Why was Johnny Somali arrested and what do we know about this man? . 2024-04-10 . . so.
  12. Web site: 2023-09-29 . 「クソ日本人」と連呼…迷惑系動画で逮捕された"ソマリア海賊"の男が日本に目を付けた特別な事情（デイリー新潮） . Repeatedly calling them "fucking Japanese"...Special circumstances that caused the "Somali pirate" arrested for disturbing video to focus on Japan (Daily Shincho) . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20230929103712/https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/2224f9fad0ccff5a76140ceaaafdff72b8be95f1 . 2023-09-29 . 2024-11-15 . Daily Shincho . Yahoo News.
  13. Web site: 2023-09-29 . 「クソ日本人」と連呼…迷惑系動画で逮捕された"ソマリア海賊"の男が日本に目を付けた特別な事情（デイリー新潮） . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20230929103712/https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/2224f9fad0ccff5a76140ceaaafdff72b8be95f1 . 2023-09-29 . 2024-11-15 . デイリー新潮 . Yahoo News.
  14. Web site: Braw . Elisabeth . 2023-09-28 . Attention-Seekers and Autocrats Are a Combustible Mix . subscription . 2023-10-19 . . en-US.
  15. Web site: 2024-11-11 . Maxay yihiin waxa uu sameeyay Johnny Somali ee sababay in loo gacan galiyo xeer ilaalinta Kuuriyada Koonfureed? . What did Johnny Somali do that caused him to be handed over to South Korean prosecutors? . 2024-11-18 . . so.
  16. Web site: 2024-04-15 . Johnny Somali wants to work with Twitch to "destroy" Kick for banning him . 2024-05-22 . . en.
  17. Web site: Nishimura . Karyn . 2023-09-27 . Le Japon, terrain de jeu des " streamers nuisibles " . 2023-10-19 . . fr . 0242-6005.
  18. Web site: Glaze . Virginia . 2023-10-13 . Johnny Somali arrested again for unauthorized Kick stream in restaurant . 2023-10-18 . Dexerto . en.
  19. Web site: Hernon . Matthew . 2023-09-29 . 'Johnny Somali' Arrested for Trespassing . 2023-10-19 . . en.
  20. Web site: Inflammatory Kick streamer attacked again by fed-up Japanese local . 2023-10-18 . Dexerto . 12 June 2023 . en.
  21. Web site: 2023-06-02 . 美直播主日本狂喊「再炸廣島」！事後遭路人巴頭襲擊 網譏：他應得的 . American live broadcaster in Japan yelled "Bomb Hiroshima again"! Afterwards, he was attacked by a passerby named Badou. Netizens ridiculed him: "He deserved it" . 2023-10-19 . . zh.
  22. Web site: Ke . Bryan . 2023-07-14 . Man confronts controversial livestreamer who harrassed people in Tokyo about WWII . 2024-05-29 . . en-US.
  23. Web site: Shuttleworth . Catherine . 2023-07-15 . Streamer who harassed Japanese people confronted by American over comments . 2024-05-29 . . en.
  24. Web site: Pinto . Marita . 2023-09-12 . What happened to Meowku? Twitch star calls for ban on Johnny Somali over harassment in Japan . 2024-05-22 . . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20230916155908/https://www.pinkvilla.com/trending/world/what-happened-to-meowku-twitch-star-calls-for-ban-on-johnny-somali-over-harassment-in-japan-1242606 . 2023-09-16.
  25. Web site: Dammann . Luke . 2023-06-30 . Streamer Goes on Racist Tirade at Disney, Ignores Park Rules . 2023-12-13 . Inside the Magic . en-US.
  26. Web site: 2023-09-22 . Controversial U.S. livestreamer arrested over trespassing in Osaka . 2023-10-18 . . en.
  27. Web site: U.S. livestreamer 'Johnny Somali' accused of trespassing . 2023-10-18 . . en.
  28. News: McCurry . Justin . 2023-10-25 . Japan investigates foreign YouTubers accused of dodging train fares and stealing food . en-GB . . 2023-10-27 . 0261-3077.
  29. Web site: 2023-10-12 . 迷惑系「ジョニー・ソマリ」容疑者を再逮捕、牛丼店で大音量の音楽 本人は黙秘 . Johnny Somali suspect arrested again, loud music played at beef bowl restaurant, suspect kept silent . 2023-10-19 . . ja.
  30. News: 2023-10-13 . US livestreamer served new arrest warrant for hindering business at Osaka eatery . en . Mainichi Daily News . 2023-10-19.
  31. Web site: Segura . Lidia Fernandez . 2024-01-11 . El 'streamer' Johnny Somali, expulsado de Japón tras ser condenado por "obstrucción criminal de una empresa" . Streamer Johnny Somali, expelled from Japan after being convicted of "criminal obstruction of a company" . 2024-04-23 . . es . Este altercado tuvo lugar en octubre. En ese momento, ante el enfado del dueño del local por las molestias que estaba causando, comentó que toda la culpa era de su móvil. "Es un Huawei, fabricado en China y con un virus chino", se le puede escuchar diciendo en el polémico vídeo, que llevó a muchos internautas japoneses a pedir su detención. . This altercation took place in October. At that moment, faced with the anger of the owner of the premises for the inconvenience he was causing, he commented that his cell phone was all to blame. "It's a Huawei, made in China and with a Chinese virus," he can be heard saying in the controversial video, which led many Japanese Internet users to call for his arrest..
  32. Web site: 2023-12-21 . Japanese prosecutors demand fine for controversial American YouTuber . 2023-12-21 . . en . 0447-5763 . 21225620.
  33. Web site: Dodgson . Lindsay . 2023-12-21 . Japanese prosecutors have demanded a controversial streamer pays a fine after he played music in a restaurant . 2024-03-08 . . en-US . 1076392313.
  34. Web site: 2024-02-27 . Johnny Somali breaks silence on arrest & admits he lied in Japanese court . 2024-04-09 . Dexerto . en.
  35. News: Kick streamer Johnny Somali vows to stop streaming as Japan court seeks ¥200K fine. en. Dexerto.
  36. Web site: Mukherjee . Shreyan . 2024-03-07 . "Hiroshima, Nagasaki!" - Controversial streamer Johnny Somali disrupts ongoing Zoom call to seemingly harass Japanese people . 2024-03-08 . Sportskeeda.
  37. Web site: Shrivastava . Aarnesh . 2024-03-26 . "You are nobody" - Destiny goes off at Johnny Somali after controversial streamer calls him "unprofessional" . 2024-03-27 . Sportskeeda.
  38. Web site: 2024-03-27 . American live streamer Johnny Somali, previously jailed in Japan and deported, tries to culturally enrich Israel by harassing Arabs and Jews. He finds out quickly what happens . 2024-03-27 . .
  39. Web site: 2024-03-20 . Kick bans Johnny Somali for "promoting violent behavior" . 2024-04-02 . Dexerto. en.
  40. Web site: Gan . Jeremy . 2024-04-12 . Kick streamer Johnny Somali banned from Jerusalem after second arrest in Israel . 2024-04-12 . . en.
  41. Web site: Mukherjee . Shreyan . 2024-05-24 . What happened to Johnny Somali in Israel? Streamer's controversies explored . 2024-10-08 . . The streamer was heard saying: 'Adin Ross, give Somali a deal. Epstein, you've always been one of us. We love you. You're our king Jew. You're one of us. It doesn't matter what you did, n***a, you're still Jewish and you're still one of us. The final one is - Harvey Weinstein. I love you so much. You're one of my top Jews. I love you.'.
  42. Web site: 2024-04-07 . Controversial Kick streamer Johnny Somali reportedly arrested after making contentious remarks towards Israeli female police officer . 2024-04-07 . Dexerto. en.
  43. News: Fink . Rachel . 2024-04-09 . 'I'm from America, bitch': U.S. livestreamer Johnny Somali arrested in Israel on suspicion of harassing polic . subscription . 2024-04-12 . . en.
  44. Web site: Shrivastava . Aarnesh . 2024-05-19 . "Don't touch me" - Controversial streamer Johnny Somali assaulted in Israel after getting accused of "snitching" . 2024-05-22 . Sportskeeda.
  45. Web site: 2024-05-20 . Kick streamer Johnny Somali assaulted in Israel on livestream . 2024-05-22 . . en.
  46. Web site: Wedner . Sacha . 2024-10-31 . South Korean police arrest American YouTuber for his safety . 2024-11-11 . AsAmNews . en-US.
  47. Web site: Gwilliam . Michael . 2024-03-13 . Kick streamer Johnny Somali says he'll "slap" a BTS member on South Korea trip . 2024-07-20 . . en.
  48. Web site: Kim . Stella . Aggarwal . Mithil . 2024-11-13 . American livestreamer indicted in South Korea over offensive antics . 2024-11-18 . . en.
  49. Web site: 2024-11-08 . YouTuber Johnny Somali apologizes for kissing 'comfort woman' statue, viewers question sincerity . 2024-11-18 . . en.
  50. Web site: 2024-10-09 . Controversial YouTuber Johnny Somali kisses comfort women statue, sparks outrage in South Korea . 2024-10-13 . The Korea Daily . en-US.
  51. Web site: 2024-10-08 . ko:"난 한국 편"…소녀상에 뽀뽀한 미국인, 지하철 안에서 한짓 '경악' . "I'm on Korea's side"... American who kissed a statue of a girl was shocked by what he did in the subway . https://www.mk.co.kr/news/society/11134240 . 2024-10-13 . . ko.
  52. Web site: 2024-11-02 . American nuisance livestreamer Johnny Somali barred from leaving S. Korea, probe begins after online personality assaulted for third time (VIDEO) . 2024-11-04 . en-MY . . Malay Mail.
  53. Web site: 2024-10-31 . Johnny Somali, Notorious Japanese YouTuber, Assaulted in South Korea . 2024-11-20 . newsonjapan.com . en.
  54. Web site: 2024-11-13 . South Korea slaps travel ban on US streamer for 'causing commotion' . 2024-11-18 . . en . 1741-9743 . 185201487.
  55. News: . Korean police take Johnny Somali into custody . 26 October 2024 . Atharv . Kapoor . Even within the police vehicle, the video showed the content creator disobeying rules.
  56. Web site: November 2, 2024 . American nuisance livestreamer Johnny Somali barred from leaving S. Korea, probe begins after online personality assaulted for third time (VIDEO) . 2024-11-14 . www.malaymail.com.
  57. Web site: 2024-10-31 . YouTuber Johnny Somali faces police probe in Korea over assault and drug use allegations . 2024-11-04 . . en.
  58. News: 2024-11-10 . YouTuber Johnny Somali could face a 10-yr-prison sentence for kissing a statue in South Korea. Here's why . 2024-12-03 . . 0013-0389 . 61311680.
  59. Web site: Kim . Min-young . 2024-11-11 . U.S. streamer Johnny Somali handed to Korean prosecutors for convenience store outburst . 2024-11-12 . . en.
  60. Web site: 2024-11-12 . South Korea prosecutors indict controversial American streamer . 2024-11-12 . . en-US . Agence France-Presse.
  61. Web site: Bandara . Pesala . 2024-11-12 . US YouTuber May Face 7 Years in South Korean Jail for Deepfake Video . 2024-11-18 . . en.
  62. Web site: Baldwin . Sian . Page . Jordan . 2024-11-11 . Streamer Johnny Somali's most controversial moments as he may face 10 years in jail . 2024-11-18 . . en . 2041-4404.
  63. Web site: 2024-11-18 . Johnny Somali risks years in prison over North Korean propaganda scandal . 2024-11-20 . . en.
  64. Web site: Gwilliam . Michael . 2024-11-19 . Johnny Somali accused of violating anti-terrorism laws after South Korean bomb scare . 2024-11-20 . . en.
  65. Web site: Kim . Min-young . 2024-10-31 . Korean YouTuber arrested for latest assault on U.S. streamer Johnny Somali . 2024-11-12 . . en.
  66. Web site: 2024-11-28 . Johnny Somali punched by Korean YouTuber, sparking legal battle . 2024-11-30 . . en.
  67. Web site: 2024-11-29 . Former South Korean special forces soldier faces jail after knocking out streamer Johnny Somali . 2024-11-30 . . en.
  68. Web site: 2024-11-30 . South Korean Navy Seal Knocks Out Controversial American Streamer Johnny Somali . 2024-11-30 . . en-US.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Johnny Somali".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.