Is Banksy’s True Identity Robin Gunningham? His Lawyer Says…

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What’s in a name?

For over thirty years, the world-renowned artist Banksy has remained anonymous by using a pseudonym. He’s known for his graffiti-style art, which often features detailed depictions of people and carries strong political messages.

I knew it! After all these years, Reuters finally confirmed it – the man behind Banksy is Robin Gunningham! I’ve been following his work forever, and it all makes sense now. Apparently, he was born in Bristol and, get this, legally changed his name to David Jones way back in 2008! It’s been a long time coming, but finally, we have a name to go with the genius. His lawyer just spoke up confirming the report, and honestly, I’m ecstatic! It feels like solving the biggest art mystery ever.

According to Mark Stephens, Banksy’s lawyer, the artist disputes claims suggesting he is Brian Gunningham. Stephens made this statement in response to inquiries presenting evidence linking Banksy to Gunningham.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve always been fascinated by Banksy, and it’s clear his anonymity isn’t just a stylistic choice. It’s absolutely essential for his safety. He’s unfortunately faced some really disturbing attention – fixated, threatening, and even extremist behavior – and staying anonymous is how he protects himself from that.

He also explained that writing anonymously or under a pen name is important for society. It safeguards free speech by letting people share their views – especially on sensitive topics like politics, religion, or social justice – without worrying about getting punished, censored, or harassed.

Even Banksy’s representatives at Pest Control Office declined to comment, stating the artist has chosen not to make any statements.

According to Steve Lazarides, who used to manage Banksy, trying to identify Banksy as a man named Gunningham would be fruitless. Lazarides, while not confirming that Banksy was Gunningham, explained to Reuters that he helped the artist legally change his name after they stopped working together in 2008.

He admitted he couldn’t recall who originally suggested it, but he was certain he handled all the arrangements. He believes that once you make a promise, you should always keep it.

Lazarides stated that “Robin Gunningham” is a fabrication, explaining, “That name was retired years ago.”

Lazarides wouldn’t reveal Banksy’s new legal name, but hinted that it’s simply a different name altogether.

Lazarides added of Banksy, “Life-wise, you’ll never find him.”

Banksy isn’t the only famous person who goes by a pseudonym. Here are some other celebrities who’ve used stage names.

Oh my gosh, Post Malone is amazing! Did you know he actually made his legal last name part of his stage name? It’s so cool! But get this – he actually prefers his real name with his closest friends. It’s like, he’s Post Malone to the world, but just Austin to the people he really trusts. I’m so obsessed!

At the 2024 MTV VMAs, Taylor Swift called Post Malone “Austin” after they won the award for Best Collaboration for their song “Fortnight.”

Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, known for playing Lilly on Modern Family, now goes by Frances Anderson. She made the name change to reflect her new focus on a career in music.

In a 2025 interview with TopMob News, Aubrey explained that ‘Frances’ is actually her middle name, given in honor of a close friend of her mother. She also mentioned she chose it because it was shorter than her full, hyphenated last name, Aubrey Anderson-Emmons.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve always found it fascinating how people craft their public personas. A great example is the Fanning sisters, Dakota and Elle. They actually started going by their middle names when they first began pursuing acting in Hollywood, and those are the names we all know them by today – it’s a clever way to establish a unique identity in a competitive industry!

Okay, so Elle told me the reason the sisters all use their middle names? It’s because their mom did! Apparently, it just felt right for them to follow in her footsteps, you know? It’s so sweet and makes total sense when you think about it. I just love how connected they are!

Oh my gosh, she told Glamour about this and it’s just so her! Apparently, it was totally mortifying in school during roll call. They’d call ‘Mary?’ and everyone would be like, ‘There’s no one named Mary here!’ and she’d have to awkwardly raise her hand and be all, ‘Um, it’s me…’ I just can’t even imagine! It’s adorable and heartbreaking all at once!

The Summer House star shocked Bravo fans by revealing his legally given first name isn’t actually Carl.

Carl, who’s been on the reality show for all nine seasons, explained to PopViewers in August 2025, ‘My ID and passport both say William is my first name. However, my middle name is Carl, and I’ve always gone by Carl since the beginning.’

Sterling K. Brown went by his middle name Kelby until he was a teenager.

During an April 2025 interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show, he explained that his father is Sterling Brown Jr. and his grandfather is Sterling Brown Sr. He shared that he wanted to establish his own identity and felt the name Sterling sounded too old for him.

Years after his father passed away from a heart attack, the actor—known for his role in This Is Us—chose to go back to using his original first name as a tribute.

He explained that because his father died when he was ten, and he hadn’t heard anyone say his father’s name in over five years by the time he was sixteen, he simply wanted to remember it. That’s why he started asking people to call him by his father’s name, Sterling.

The winner of Traitors revealed on TopMob’s Hot Goss that his full name is Nicholas Dylan Harrison Efron, but he goes by Dylan. He explained that because Nicholas is his first name, everything else gets shifted – making Harrison his middle name now.

Andrew, Matthew, and Joey Lawrence all decided to change their last names professionally. Joey, whose middle name is also Lawrence, was the first to make the switch after a talent agent pointed out the family name wasn’t ideal.

Kat Dennings began using a professional name when she was nine years old, long before she appeared on an episode of Sex and the City in 2000.

Kat Dennings, known for her role on 2 Broke Girls, shared with Kylie Kelce on her podcast Not Gonna Lie With Kylie Kelce that she prefers not to have her birth name publicly shown, like on a poster.

The actress chose her stage name by combining inspiration from two sources: the character Kat, played by Christina Ricci in the movie Casper, and the last name of Janine Denni, the French wife of Lloyd Alexander, the author of The Black Cauldron. She explained that Alexander was a close friend of her mother’s.

For over thirty years, Cher thought her full legal name was Cherilyn. However, when she requested her birth certificate in the late 1970s to legally change her name to simply Cher, she was surprised to find she was originally registered as Cheryl.

In her 2024 memoir, Cher: The Memoir, Part One, the singer Cher wrote about how her mother, Georgia Holt, reacted when she found out.

When she told her mother, who had her at 19, about it, her mother exclaimed, “Let me see!” Then, remembering her own experience after giving birth, she said, “I was just a teenager myself, and I was really hurting. Cut me some slack.”

The country artist known as Shaboozey got the nickname from a misspelling of his last name on a document from his high school in Virginia, and eventually made it his official stage name.

As a stylist and image consultant, I always say a name can make all the difference! When this artist first started out, she actually released music under her given name, focusing on Christian music. But she had a feeling that a bolder stage name – Katy Perry, which she took from her mom’s family name – would really resonate with a wider, pop audience and help her truly shine. It was all about creating that ‘wow’ factor, and she definitely achieved it!

Cardi B got the nickname ‘Bacardi’ because her sister was playfully called ‘Hennessy’ by those close to them. She later decided ‘Cardi’ was a better fit for her and shortened the name.

Before she became the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle was briefly known as Rachel. 

Shania Twain revealed how she got her stage name while on Apple Music’s Home Now Radio. She was originally born Eilleen Regina Edwards, and later became Eilleen Regina Twain after being adopted. When she started singing professionally, she needed a stage name that didn’t sound so much like her grandmothers, who were also named Eilleen and Regina. She didn’t want to be called after them onstage, so she chose Shania Twain. She had met someone named Shania and loved the name, and that’s how her stage name was born.

Chappell Roan, the singer behind ‘Good Luck, Babe!’, has always approached performing as a distinct artistic persona – a ‘drag project’ – which helps her maintain personal boundaries and keep her private life separate from the demands of her career.

Interestingly, Gigi Hadid didn’t choose her stage name – it was given to her in school! Her teacher kept mixing her up with another student named Helena, so Gigi asked to be called “Gigi” – a nickname her mom used at home – to avoid the confusion, and the name just stayed with her.

If you’re looking for an explosive action-star name, how about Vin Diesel instead?

Miley Cyrus earned the nickname “Smiley” as a child because she was always so cheerful. Over time, the name was shortened to Miley, and that’s what everyone started calling her.

Okay, so get this – before he was the Bruno Mars, he actually resembled a Bruno more than a Peter, believe it or not! His dad noticed it, and just started calling him Bruno. And honestly, the name stuck. That’s how my idol became Bruno Mars! It’s just…perfect, you know?

Before the meat dresses and chart-topping music, Lady Gaga was just an everyday girl from New York.

Jason Sudeikis revealed on the Today show that his father’s name was Daniel, and he was originally named after him. However, to prevent confusion with another Daniel in the family, his mother began calling him by his middle name, Jason.

Emma Stone chose to use a stage name because her real name was already taken by another actor registered with the Screen Actors Guild.

Interestingly, Reese Witherspoon’s first name isn’t actually her middle name! She adopted ‘Reese’ to pay tribute to her mother, whose family name it was.

Every artist has a different side to their public image, and for Lana Del Rey, that persona is the image she presents to the world.

In 2014, Frank Ocean legally changed his name because, why not? 

Many fans don’t realize that Tina Fey, the creator and star of 30 Rock, was actually born Elizabeth. She playfully honored her given name by naming her character on the show Liz Lemon.

This pioneer of West Coast rap would later go on to be known as Snoop Dogg.

It seems the singer known as Lorde developed an interest in nobility, which inspired her stage name – a feminine version of ‘Lord’ with the addition of an ‘e’.

Before becoming a world-famous singer, Ricky Martin was known by a different, more common name.

It’s hard to believe that Iggy Azalea was born Amethyst Kelly!

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2026-03-14 05:18