Dan Benson was on Wizards of Waverly place. Then he ‘fell’ into adult entertainment.

Remember Dan Benson? He played Selena Gomez’s offsider, Zeke, in Wizards of Waverly Place – and back then, Benson was a teen star on one of Disney’s biggest shows.

While his co-star, Gomez, went on to superstardom, Benson all but disappeared when the show ended in 2012.

Now 35, he’s has made a resurgence of sorts, though he’s shifted well clear of the wholesome Disney show on which he got his start.

Meet Dan Benson, adult entertainer and “every gay guy’s crush”, according to the man himself.

@danleebenson I tripped and fell into adult entertainment. #disney #disneychannel #wizardsofwaverlyplace #adultenteratinment #accountant #zeke ♬ original sound - Dan Benson

In 2022, Dan found himself on the victim’s end of revenge porn. An ex-girlfriend shared X-rated photographs of the then-graphic designer online. 

“It was absolutely horrifying,” he told E! Online. However, he added, his ex’s nasty move stirred something inside he’d been suppressing. Dan wanted to create racy online content – on his own terms.

"It took a little while for me to gain the confidence, not only in my ability to go out there and put that together, but also in not being afraid of what other people would think," Dan said. 

"I think that was the biggest obstacle because this is something I've wanted to do for a while."

What started out as a few shirtless photographs on a little-known website soon became very sexy content on OnlyFans.

“If you wanted to see me naked – your wish has been granted,” his bio reads. And now, less than a year into his career move, he's raking in the cash.

After news of Dan’s ascension into adult entertainment went viral, he jumped on social media to give fans an explainer, because seeing the Disney star in his new role did come as a surprise for some. 

"One of the questions I get asked all the time is, 'What? Huh? What do you mean? No. How? So anyway, I thought I'd take just a minute to explain how I kind of tripped and fell into adult entertainment."

He touched on the aforementioned revenge porn saga, explaining to fans, "I would get messages from people all of the time, some of those being women that I found incredibly attractive. It turns out, messaging those women, who turned out not to be who they said they were, turned out to be not the best idea.”

Watch: Dan Benson talks about creating content. Post continues below.

He called the experience “traumatic” and said he spent years trying to wipe the images from the internet – but failed. 

"Eventually, I decided to stop fighting against it and instead go the other direction and completely lean into it and build out a page. And instead of letting these people sell my privacy, my... you know what I mean, I decided to say, 'Alright, screw you. I'm gonna sell it myself.'"

Less than a year into his OnlyFans era, Dan said he loves being back in the spotlight and is having a “tremendous amount of fun”.

"I've met a lot of great people in the adult entertainment industry, and it's changed my life for the better," he said in the TikTok clip that’s been watched by more than 4 million fans.

So, what can you expect from Dan’s members-only account? Very little... and also a lot, if you know what we mean.

"I try to make content that lots of different kinds of people could enjoy, but the reality is, the significant portion of my followers are gay men. I don't know what it is about me, in particular, but I don't question it,” he told E! Online.

As a heterosexual man, Dan is thrilled his appeal extends to the gay community, given he believes he was responsible for many a young boy’s “gay awakening” during his Disney days in the noughties.

“I'm comfortable with my sexuality. I have a tonne of gay friends, I've been immersed in the culture for a long time, so [the attraction] never bothered me the way it might other straight men in that way. I lean into it," he told the news site.  

Looking at where he is today, the American can’t believe he’s not married with a couple of kids. It was always what he’d dreamt of post-child stardom, but now those plans are parked, for the time being. Dan said his X-rated career makes it a little tricky to find a woman he’d like to settle down with.

Listen to No Filter. On this episode, Madison Missina speaks to Mia Freedman about what it's like to be a gay woman, having straight sex on camera. And why it was time for her to stop living a lie. Story continues below.

"It has affected things," he shared. "But I'm just upfront and honest when I'm starting those conversations, like, 'Look, this is just something that's part of my life and if you're not comfortable, let's get that out, early on.'"

Regardless of his relationship status, Dan said he wanted to ride the wave because it might not last forever. 

"It's very exciting and fun, but I'm also not afraid to go back and be a normal guy. I also had a great time doing that."

Feature Image: Getty