Steven Bonnell II (Destiny) Height, Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography

Some Lesser Known Facts About Steven Bonnell II

• Steven Kenneth Bonnell II was born in Omaha, Nebraska. He was raised in a conservative Catholic home and attended Creighton Preparatory School, a private Jesuit high school for boys.

• When he was a pre-teen, his mother’s home daycare business collapsed, and his family’s home was foreclosed.

• A few years later, his parents moved to take care of an aging relative, and he lived with his grandmother until 18.

• In 2007, he enrolled at the University of Nebraska Omaha and studied music while working as a restaurant manager at a casino.

• He worked mostly at night but struggled to balance work and studies, so he dropped out of college in 2010. Within a year, he was fired from his job because of workplace politics and difficulty understanding others’ emotions.

• He later worked as a carpet cleaner, worked 12-hour days for commission, and earned $3–4 an hour on average. In 2011, he quit his job and started streaming Starcraft II matches full-time on livestream.com, ustream.tv, and Justin.tv.

• In October 2011, he joined Quantic Gaming and placed fourth in the MLG Global North American Invitational. He became known for an abrasive and confrontational style and used offensive humor during Starcraft II streams.

• He identified as a libertarian until 2012 and then shifted toward social liberalism after hearing a homophobic slur from another streamer.

• From 2016, he hosted political debates with internet personalities on Twitch. In March 2017, he debated YouTuber JonTron on immigration and assimilation after JonTron supported anti-immigration comments by Steve King. In summer 2018, Twitch suspended him for 30 days for using a homophobic slur.

• In November 2018, he co-hosted The DT Podcast with streamer Trihex. In December 2018, he moved from Nebraska to Los Angeles. In October 2019, The DT Podcast ended after a confrontation between the co-hosts.

• In 2019, he debated in favor of capitalism against socialists and communists. In 2020, Twitch ended his partnership agreement for comments endorsing violent action against rioters during the George Floyd protests.

• In 2020, he supported Joe Biden’s presidential campaign and organized canvassing efforts for Democratic candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.

• His volunteers knocked on an estimated 17,500–20,000 doors in Columbus, Georgia, during the Senate runoffs. In 2021, he debated Marxian economist Richard D. Wolff, defended capitalism, and criticized socialism’s historical record.

• In 2021, he led canvassing efforts for Mark Gudgel’s Omaha mayoral campaign, but Gudgel cut ties after Bonnell’s riot-related comments.

• In late 2021, he relocated to Miami, Florida. In December 2021, he married Swedish streamer Melina Göransson in an open marriage.

• In March 2022, Twitch banned him indefinitely for hateful conduct, possibly because he streamed with banned streamer Nick Fuentes or made comments on trans athletes.

• In 2023, after the Hamas attack on Israel, he supported Israel and argued against the Palestinian right of return. In September 2023, he interviewed U.S. Representative Ro Khanna about youth political participation and progressive policies.

• In December 2023, he and Göransson separated and filed for divorce.

• In March 2024, he debated the Israeli–Palestinian conflict on the Lex Fridman Podcast with Norman Finkelstein, Benny Morris, and Mouin Rabbani.

• In early 2024, he co-hosted the “Bridges” and “Anything Else?” podcasts. In 2024, he endorsed Kamala Harris and debated YouTuber John Doyle, who supported Donald Trump.

• In February 2024, he organized canvassing efforts in Cincinnati, Ohio, for Sherrod Brown’s Senate race. After the first 2024 assassination attempt on Donald Trump, he said Trump and his supporters “reap what they sow“.

• In late 2024, members of his Reddit and Discord communities started a campaign against Twitch and pressured its advertisers and leadership. Some campaign activists, including his co-host Dan Saltman, harassed Twitch employees and journalists.

• Saltman was banned from Twitch in November 2024 for extreme harassment.

• On September 9, 2025, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson shot and killed conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.

• Soon after, he appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored and refused to condemn the killing. He said conservatives should be afraid of getting killed and urged them to “turn the temperature down.”

• His remarks went viral and sparked backlash on social media. Elon Musk called for his arrest and said he could stream after serving jail time. Twitch then banned Destiny for hateful conduct, and he publicly shared the ban statement.