Justin Halpern

Justin Samuel Halpern (born September 3, 1980) is the American author of the Twitter feed "Shit My Dad Says" and the best-selling book Sh*t My Dad Says. He was also the co-writer and co-executive producer of a CBS television situation comedy series based on the book. His second book I Suck at Girls was published in 2012 and was the basis for the 2014 television show Surviving Jack.

Early life Halpern grew up in the Point Loma neighborhood of San Diego, California. His father is Jewish and his Italian American mother is Catholic.

Halpern's father Samuel Halpern is a retired doctor of nuclear medicine who practiced at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He has been described as "a profane comic genius," "Lenny Bruce with a stethoscope," and "a scatological Socrates showering rough wisdom on his son."

Writing By 2009, Halpern was a full-time writer for Maxim magazine's online publication. Halpern returned to San Diego to live with his girlfriend of three years, but the relationship ended following the move and Halpern then moved back to the family home.

Halpern's record of his father's comments—some repeated to him by brothers, cousins, and other relatives—dates back to when he was four or five years of age. When he recommenced living with his parents, his record of his father's remarks became a daily journal. On August 3, 2009, Halpern started a Twitter feed with the handle "@shitmydadsays" to store his father's rhetorical gems; Though Halpern only posted sporadically after 2014, as of March 2024 the feed still had over 2.1 million followers.

Together with his longtime writing partner Patrick Schumacker, Halpern completed the book Sh*t My Dad Says in February 2010, and it was published in May 2010. In June of the same year, the book topped The New York Times Best Seller list for hardcover nonfiction

Following the cancellation of the CBS television series that was based on Sh*t My Dad Says, Halpern wrote for Grantland.com. His second book I Suck at Girls was published on May 15, 2012, and the writer sold the television rights for the book. He also had another television project titled Sidelined.

Television The television show based on Halpern's debut book was called $#*! My Dad Says (pronounced "Bleep My Dad Says") with William Shatner in the title role as the colorful curmudgeon. The pilot, written by Halpern and Schumacker, was filmed in March 2010, CBS picked it up in May,

In 2011, Halpern worked as a writer for the short-lived comedy series How to Be a Gentleman, but the show was cancelled after four episodes.

In 2019, Halpern joined other WGA writers in firing their agents as part of the WGA's stand against the ATA and the practice of packaging.

As of 2020, Halpern is currently a writer and executive producer on the animated series Harley Quinn.

In 2021 Halpern became an executive producer of Abbott Elementary on ABC, which won a Peabody Award in 2022.

Live performance Halpern performed in Los Angeles' comedy showcase Don't Tell My Mother! in October 2012; Halpern's segment was entitled "Justin Halpern Will Never Screw a Woman Who Looks Like That". The show featured comics, actors and screenwriters such as Mary Birdsong (Reno 911!) and Jen Kober (American Reunion) as they recounted experiences that they would never share with their mothers.

Personal life Halpern married Amanda Schweizer on May 29, 2011, and as of May 2012, the couple divided their time between a Bankers Hill, San Diego apartment and a house in Los Angeles.