Who is William Banks? Method actor behind viral “lost on an island” saga explained

William Banks, a comedian from Brooklyn who also acts and boxes, has become an internet sensation by pretending to be stranded on a deserted island near Argentina. However, people are now questioning whether his story is true.

Starting on October 14th, a series of videos have gone viral on platforms like TikTok, X, Instagram, and YouTube, creating both confusion and excitement. This buzz is growing as Banks prepares for a creator boxing event in Buenos Aires this December.

Banks first gained online fame with his elaborate, months-long “Jail Saga,” where he convincingly acted as if he was imprisoned, sharing videos from a supposed jail cell and even staging a dramatic escape. He’s now known for creating similarly long and complex fictional stories online that often make it hard to tell what’s real and what’s performance art. His latest project involves an unfolding storyline centered around an island.

we are lost on a island

— William Banks (@williambanks_) October 16, 2025

Later reports from Hell Gate and New York Magazine showed the prison scenes in the videos weren’t real. They were filmed in a rented space and advertised as a production on Backstage. Furthermore, while Banks had faced a misdemeanor larceny charge in Connecticut, he never actually served the lengthy prison sentence depicted in the videos.

The Shipwreck Timeline

The story of Banks’s ordeal began on October 14th with a video claiming his boat had drifted off course while traveling to South America. Initial videos showed him and seven companions looking lost and confused, surrounded by vegetation, and stating they had landed somewhere near the Argentinian coast.

In the days that followed, he posted more and more detailed updates about trying to survive, including finding water, building a makeshift shelter, losing items, and trying to attract attention from ships using shiny objects.

On November 12th, William’s friends held a vote to remove him from the group, using a phone for the decision. He hasn’t been seen on camera much since then.

HELP! we got shipwrecked

— William Banks (@williambanks_) October 15, 2025

Around late October, I noticed Banks and his buddies looking really sunburned in their videos, which was weird because they hadn’t seemed to have any skin issues before. Everyone started speculating – was this all part of some elaborate alternate reality game, a clever marketing ploy, or had something actually happened to them? It was seriously confusing!

Banks kept sharing updates from his bank account each day. He told his team that his phone couldn’t make calls, but he was still able to access his social media. He also said he was using solar chargers to keep his phone powered on and responded to comments about it.

Is William Banks actually lost on an island?

We can’t say for certain, but considering William Banks’ history of complex pranks, it’s likely he isn’t really stuck on an island.

we are in Argentina for only a few more days but i wish this trip together would never end!

— William Banks (@williambanks_) October 13, 2025

Lead-Up to the Island Arc

The videos about a shipwreck weren’t a surprise. For weeks before October 14th, Banks had been sharing travel content, hinting he was getting ready for a big trip related to his boxing match at Párense de Manos III, a major event for creators in Argentina.

Event advertising shows Banks with other social media personalities, and he’s set to compete in a fight on December 20th in Buenos Aires. He’s even updated his X profile to say, “I am lost on an island off the coast of Argentina,” which ties into the event’s theme.

Looking back at his posts right before the shipwreck, it’s clear he hinted at the disaster. He wrote things like, “I wish this trip together would never end!” and “We’re planning a sailboat trip tomorrow,” which now seem like foreshadowing.

Viewers have pointed out that the recent island storyline feels similar to past events, especially the ‘Jail Saga.’ Both relied on short, connected videos filmed in a single location. Like the jail videos, the current shipwreck scenes don’t reveal enough information to pinpoint where they’re happening, but they still create strong emotional connections with the audience to keep them invested. The videos also share a similar low-resolution, 240p visual style.

Similar to his previous project, Jail Saga, which aimed to create excitement for a cryptocurrency he planned to use for charitable donations, Island Saga is now being used to promote his upcoming boxing match. This is just one part of his overall promotional strategy, as Bank has already shared several videos unrelated to the island theme leading up to the event.

A Pattern of Elaborate Performances

Banks’ work online has included several major performances:

Car World – a long-running sci-fi narrative in which he claims to be a messenger/cult leader from an alternate planet.
People’s Pops – William claims he was locked in a freezer and had a near death experience while working at a fictional business named People’s Pop.
Jail Saga – staged incarceration videos built around his real 2024 Connecticut larceny charge.
White Moses Crypto – a meme coin project where he was accused of a “rug pull,” later reported to be a stunt that redirected funds to Palestinian aid groups.

In a Channel 5 interview called “Andrew Interviews a Cult Leader,” Callaghan calls Banks a “method actor” and explains how a storyline about jail time seemed to mirror Banks’s own experience – leading to his imprisonment, eventual escape, and life on the run, all of which he then documented.

The way the story is presented aligns with what most reports have shown: Banks often starts stories with real-life events and then builds fictional plots around them, making viewers wonder what parts of the story are actually true.

Promotional angle for amateur boxing

As of mid-November, videos related to the “shipwreck” story are still very popular, getting lots of views and comments. People are actively discussing what the videos mean, with some believing it’s a story about survival, while others think it’s an ad for a boxing match in December.

The event’s social media accounts have engaged with posts by Banks, making it increasingly difficult to tell where the story ends and the promotion begins.

Hey! @williambanks_ bought you a Good Luck present!

— Parense de Manos (@ParenseDeManos) November 4, 2025

Banks hasn’t responded to questions about whether the island videos are real, which is consistent with how he usually handles things. He typically waits a long time before commenting on events like this, often speaking about them in interviews or through other projects.

Although Banks hasn’t officially confirmed a connection, the timing of this storyline closely matches the promotion of the upcoming boxing match, ‘Párense de Manos III.’ He’s featured on event posters with his signature blue gloves, and organizers are actively acknowledging him on social media, even as content about him being ‘stranded’ continues to appear.

Parense De Manos announced on X that William Banks, who was previously imprisoned and left stranded on an island, will embark on a major adventure on December 20th at the Ducó.

Gabino Silva and William Banks, a man who’s explored the hidden corners of Buenos Aires and another who survived being imprisoned and stranded on an island, will embark on their greatest adventure on December 20th at the Ducó.

— Parense de Manos (@ParenseDeManos) October 27, 2025

This new storyline follows a pattern Banks has used before: creating fictional stories to generate excitement around real-life events, like his Car World gatherings, merchandise releases, and even his crypto project. With a major boxing match coming up, this island-based story feels like a natural extension of his signature way of storytelling.

Who William Banks Is and Isn’t

What is true:

Banks is a Brooklyn-based comedian and content creator.
He was charged with misdemeanor larceny in Connecticut in early 2024 but did not spend a month in prison
He is scheduled to fight on December 20 in Buenos Aires.
He was in Argentina on October 11 for his face off for Parense de Manos

What is not true:

That he nearly died in a freezer accident.
That he served time in jail and escaped.
That he recently survived a maritime accident.

Based on his past work, the shipwreck story seems to be another one of Banks’ elaborate performances. However, because he hasn’t confirmed it, viewers are left to speculate as it unfolds, and that real-time engagement is a major reason his content goes viral.

2025-11-20 00:21