Street artist Banksy reportedly got married in a ceremony costing just $100.
The creator behind some of the UK’s most famous politically charged street art has kept their personal identity largely out of public view for years, despite global attention.
However, one investigation has long claimed it had narrowed the artist’s real name down to Robin Gunningham, a lead that has continued to resurface as new alleged details emerge.
Over time, Banksy’s work has moved from underground notoriety to mainstream recognition, with his distinctive style becoming one of the most identifiable in modern art and commanding huge sums at auction.
One of the most talked-about moments came when the stencil commonly known as ‘Girl With Balloon’ sold for £1 million (around $1.3 million) before being partially shredded by a mechanism hidden inside the frame—an intervention attributed to the artist.
That same work later returned to the auction world and reportedly sold for £18,582,000, just under $24,600,000.
Yet while the art market has attached staggering price tags to Banksy pieces, a fresh report suggests his wedding was the opposite of extravagant—said to have cost only $100.
According to a new Daily Mail report, documents indicate the internationally known artist quietly married partner Joy Millward in a private ceremony.
The wedding is said to have taken place at the Chapel of the Bells on the Las Vegas Strip, a venue known for offering quick ceremonies and for hosting well-known names over the years, including Leslie Nielsen, Mickey Rooney, and Beverly D’Angelo.
The paperwork cited in the report reportedly lists the groom as Robin Gunningham.
The alleged marriage record resurfaced amid renewed discussion about the artist’s identity following a Reuters report that revisited the claim that Banksy is Gunningham, described as a former private school pupil from Bristol in the UK.
Spanish private investigator Francisco Marco has also suggested that the low-cost Las Vegas ceremony was a notable clue when piecing together information about Banksy.
“When you investigate someone, one of the most revealing documents is their marriage certificate – these are public records,” he said.
“I found that Robin Gunningham got married in Las Vegas in 2006. Las Vegas is a classic destination for discreet, quick weddings, ideal for someone who wants to leave as little trace as possible.
“The interesting thing is that at that time, Banksy was already hugely famous – he had just held his ‘Barely Legal’ exhibition in Los Angeles – but the marriage certificate appeared under his real name, Gunningham, not under any alias. That gave me a key piece of the puzzle.”
The report also claims Banksy is believed to be living quietly in Somerset under the name David Jones, maintaining a low profile.