Justin Halpern is an accomplished American television producer and author, best known for his "Shit My Dad Says" series of novels. Raised in San Diego's Point Loma neighborhood, Halpern is the son of an Italian American mother and a Jewish father who worked as a medical doctor of nuclear medicine at the University of California before retirement. Halpern's father was known for his blunt and straightforward personality, often sharing expletive-laden comments and advice that left a lasting impression on his son.
In the summer of 2009, Halpern started a Twitter account to archive his father's colorful words of wisdom, which quickly gained popularity and amassed a large following. Within a month, @shitmydadsays became an Internet sensation, with over 2.5 million people following Sam Halpern's musings on Twitter and Facebook. Inspired by the success of the Twitter account, Halpern wrote a collection of essays about growing up with his unfiltered father, which was published as the #1 New York Times bestseller "Sh*t My Dad Says" in 2010.
Halpern is also the creator of the sitcom "$#*! My Dad Says," which aired on CBS from 2010 to 2011 and starred William Shatner as the father figure. He served as the show's co-executive producer alongside his writing partner Patrick Schumacker. Halpern currently divides his time between Los Angeles and his parents' home in San Diego.