Gary Cameron Owen is a stand-up comedian and actor from the United States. He was born on July 26, 1974. After receiving the title of “Funniest Serviceman in America,” he got his big break on the stand-up showcase Comic View on Black Entertainment Television in 1997. After making his debut with this performance, Owen appeared in featured roles in the films Daddy Day Care, Little Man, and College.
After establishing himself as a headliner on the cable channel BET and appearing at events specifically geared at African Americans, like Shaquille O’Neal’s All-Star Comedy Jam Tour, he has amassed many African-American fans. In 2016, he appeared on The Gary Owen Show, a television program shown on BET.
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Gary Owen’s Career
Gary Owen spent six years as a Master-at-Arms in the U.S. Navy and later served in the Presidential Honor Guard before he became a stand-up comedy sensation. Owen was crowned “Funniest Serviceman in America” after performing stand-up for a year. He kept performing stand-up in San Diego, where he gained a sizable following among African-Americans.
The title of “Funniest Black Comedian in San Diego” was eventually bestowed upon him. As a result, he was given his first performance slot at the famous Hollywood comedy club, The Comedy Store. In July 1997, he attempted to join BET’s Comic View through an audition. Because of his two appearances on the multicultural comedy showcase, Grandstand has given him his very own hour-long show.
He was chosen as host from among the four “Grandstanders” of the year at the season’s finale. In all of Comic View’s history, Owen was the sole white host. Owen was named “Black America’s Favorite White Comic” by Ebony in April 2011. Two of Owen’s stand-up DVDs, Breakin’ Out The Park and Urban Legend, are now selling well across the country. On Starz’s Martin Lawrence Presents 1st Amendment Stand-Up, he was also a featured performer.
In the Screen Gems comedy Think Like a Man, Owen featured alongside Kevin Hart and Gabrielle Union. The film was inspired by Steve Harvey’s book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man. In addition to his role as Zack on Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, Owen has acted in Rebound, College, Daddy Day Care, and Hillbilly Highway films. In the comedy “Meet the Blacks,” he played the role of Larry. His show, “The Gary Owen Show,” airs on BET.
Gary Owen: True Story (2012), Gary Owen: I Agree with Myself (2015), and Gary Owen: DoinWhatIDo (2019), all directed by Leslie Small, are among his comedic works.
Gary Owen Personal Life
Owen was born in the city of Cincinnati in the state of Ohio. He spent his childhood in an Oxford trailer park with his six younger siblings. In 2003, Owen and Kenya Duke, his wife, exchanged vows and became husband and wife.
They have been blessed with two offspring: a son named Austin and a girl named Kennedy. Emilio is Kenya’s son from a previous relationship, and his name is Kenya. Late in March 2021, Kenya, Owen’s wife, submitted a divorce petition.
Gary Owen has accomplished great things in the world of stand-up comedy. After getting his start in 1997 on BET’s Comic View, Owen has seen tremendous success in both the theatre and the movies. As an actor, he was cast in various films, including Daddy Day Care, Little Man, and Think Like a Man. Gary was doing well professionally but also enjoying a fulfilling personal life.
The comedian wed Kenya Burke in 2003, but they just announced their separation after 18 years of marriage and three children. Divorces are often contentious, but these two are raising the stakes.
Who is Kenya Duke?
Kenya Duke, born in Ohio on July 26, 1974, is an accomplished performer in various fields. After she and her family appeared on “The Gary Owen Show,” she became a household name. For those who don’t know her already, she is the wife of famous American stand-up comedian Gary Owen.
Despite being married for nearly 17 years, Kenya has decided to file for divorce. The pair had to answer numerous questions and address many criticisms from people of diverse backgrounds because they chose to be married. As a result, fans are understandably shocked by the news of their split. Gary and Kenya had a very close relationship. Let’s take a peek inside Kenya Duke’s history, shall we?
Kenya entered this world on July 26, 1974, in the United States of America. Kenya Simon Duke is her real given name. She and her family have settled in Ohio, USA.
Duke has enrolled at an area school to further her elementary education. She plans on majoring in business at a prestigious university. She used her time in school to establish her goals. She considered studying accounting in college but ultimately decided to pursue her passion for the fashion industry and modeling instead.
Gary Owen’s Divorce
In a word, Gary Owen was a winner. What could go wrong with a successful comedy career, an understanding spouse, and a well-knit family? Pretty much everything! Gary’s wife of nearly 18 years and the mother of his three children, Kenya Duke, filed for divorce in March of this year. Fans were left wondering what had happened to cause the couple’s marriage to end so tragically, but it appears that time had finally caught up with them.
Gary Owen has disclosed that no dramatic event led to the couple’s divorce; instead, the marriage has just run its course and the couple has decided to end it. However, following a series of rants on Kenyan social media, the comic decided he no longer wanted to make things public.
Kenya alleges Gary has ignored her and their children’s calls and texts throughout the divorce process, so she has resorted to angry outbursts as the only way to get in touch with him. Yikes!
Kenya demands an enormous regular payment from Gary Own as if things weren’t already bad enough. Because the comedian is worth $3 million and has handled the family’s finances for the past 17 years, Kenya believes she is owed a monthly payment equal to that amount.
The Divorce Settlement
From what we can gather from the court documents obtained by People magazine, Kenya initially filed for divorce in March but has since followed up with an RFO for Support after Gary allegedly stopped paying the tens of thousands of dollars in maintenance she and the kids were receiving every month.
Duke wrote in the RFO for support, “although I was trying to come to an amicable resolution with my husband… he has sadly left me with little alternative to filing this RFO for Support.” “Our marriage to Gary now spans over seventeen years. I gave up a bright career as an account manager 23 years ago to devote myself full-time to Gary’s professional advancement, “Kenya cooperated.
Kenya Duke is now asking Gary Owen for $44,000 per month, which was deposited into their account every month when they were married. This amount allowed Kenya to pay all household expenses, including “bills, credit cards, and personal spending for myself and the kids,” as Kenya put it.
In addition to that! For the “past two months, he has neglected to provide me with monies,” Kenya sought a one-time payment of $88,000 in addition to the $44,000 per month she had been receiving for the previous four years. While they may have attempted to keep their divorce under wraps, tensions have escalated.
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