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Who's Madi Hart And Breakdancing Dad Ben Hart? The TikTok And Twitter Drama Between A Father And Daughter Explained
A strange father-daughter drama is happening on TikTok and Twitter / X right now, involving TikToker Madi Hart (@madihart_soccer) and her dad Ben Hart, a professional breakdancer.
Madi Hart called out her father for allegedly abandoning her and her family to pursue breakdancing. He actually became one of the oldest professional breakdancers in the world, under his pseudonym B-Boy Benihana, leading to viral fame. Hart dumped the "funny trama" on her followers, but her dad has since levied his own response.
What's going on with this family? Who is Ben Hart the breakdancing dad, and is his daughter right about him? Let's explain.
Who Is TikToker Madi Hart?
TikToker Madi Hart posts content on her account @madihart_soocer. She's pursuing stand-up comedy as she frequently posts videos of herself performing in clubs. She's a graduate of Northwestern University and is (according to her father) also pursuing screenwriting.
What's Madi Hart's TikTok About Her Dad?
Madi Hart posted a video last Wednesday in which she was riffing on the prompt "funny trauma." She relayed memories of her father who she claimed abandoned her, her mother and her four siblings to pursue professional breakdancing.
Reluctantly, she claimed that her dad was actually a really good breakdancer. In fact, he was one of the oldest breakdancers in the world. His age and skill apparently earned him viral attention and appearances on national TV.
The video quickly racked up millions of views. Many people sounded off in the comments with jokes, like one that read, "he puts the beat in deadbeat 😭."
@madihart_soccer plz dont bully him btw u just have to laugh!! #storytime #anxiousattachment #therapytiktok #daddyissues #storytimes ♬ original sound – Madi Hart
What Was Her Father Ben Hart's Response?
A few days later, Madi Hart's father saw the video and he wanted to formally respond to the accusations on X. He posted a roughly 10-minute-long video in which he tried to debunk his daughter's claims.
He alleged that he didn't abandon his family. He said that it was just a divorce. He purportedly lived down the street from their house afterward. He further stated that he paid thousands of dollars in child support. He also claimed that he never skipped out on one of his daughter's medical bills.
The entire time that he was recording, Ben Hart was wearing a Bitcoin shirt that was an all-over pattern of the crypto logo. He also took a minute to show off his breakdancing skills, flashing a Bitcoin flag next to an American flag in what appeared to be his home studio.
I wake up at 6 a.m. to find that my daughter has posted a TikTok video trashing me.She's a big social media influencer with millions of followers. Here it is . . . pic.twitter.com/dwPYUjD3AC
— Ben & Wanda Hart (@BenHart_Freedom) February 18, 2024
Who Is Ben Hart The Breakdancer?
Madi Hart's breakdancing father is named Ben Hart. His stage name for breakdancing is B-Boy Benihana. He was known as the oldest professional breakdancer in the world, competing and performing in his 60s.
Starting in 2018, when he was 60 years old, B-Boy Benihana started competing in breakdancing competitions. He went viral on platforms like YouTube. Then, he was asked to perform on talk shows like Good Morning America.
What Is Ben Hart's Relation To Elon Musk?
Ben Hart doesn't seem to know X CEO Elon Musk personally, but Musk sure seems to like him. In the replies of his video about his daughter, Musk wrote, "You are awesome."
The weird interaction seemed to check out, like, he was wearing a Bitcoin shirt after all. The interaction between the two bros gained a lot of meme attention on the day of.
What Was Madi Hart's Response To Her Father?
Madi didn't respond to her dad's video right away. She waited until last night after "two hard kombuchas" to post her rebuttal.
Overall, she doubled down on her claims. She stated that her dad lived down the street for a bit but then eventually moved to Florida full-time with his new wife. She claimed that she barley saw her dad and that her dad didn't even know her birthday. She also said that he had refused to pay her medical bills in college.
Her tone in the video was still nonchalant, as in, she seemed to still find humor in the story. In a nuanced moment, she said that she made her dad seem like a "funny, whimsical guy" when she could have made him appear much worse.
@madihart_soccer Replying to @B. ♬ original sound – Madi Hart
How Is The Internet Reacting?
There a lot of funny reactions to this whole saga. The idea of a Bitcoin-loving, Elon Musk-glazing, deadbeat, breakdancing father has the internet in stitches.
Many of the reactions are in support of Madi Hart. Internet users believe her story. Much of the overwhelming support is a reaction to her dad being objectively odd in his video.
At the same time, others lean towards the dad's point of view. If what he said is true, then his daughter made the situation seem much worse. But that's the thing… "If what he said is true…" So far, this is a "your word vs. mine" situation.
For the full history of the Madi Hart and breakdancing father Ben Hart drama, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's entry for even more information.