If you spent years glued to the chaotic, high-stakes drama of Tyler Perry’s The Haves and the Have Nots, you know that nobody was ever truly safe. Between the Cryers, the Harringtons, and the Youngs, the body count on that show rivaled a Shakespearean tragedy. But one question still lingers in the minds of fans who might have blinked during a chaotic season finale or missed the series' final beats: did Benny die in The Haves and the Have Nots?
The short answer is no. Benny Young, played by Tyler Lepley, managed to survive the entire eight-season run of the show, though he certainly didn't escape without some serious trauma.
Benny was always the "moral compass" of the Young family, or at least he tried to be. While his sister Candace was busy blackmailing judges and his mother Hanna was praying for everyone's soul, Benny was usually just trying to run his towing business and keep his head above water. But in a show where cars are weapons and hit-and-runs are a casual Tuesday, "survival" is a relative term.
The Near-Death Experiences That Fooled Everyone
Honestly, it's easy to see why people are still confused about whether Benny bit the dust. Tyler Perry loves a good cliffhanger, and Benny was the victim of one of the most infamous ones in the show’s history.
Remember Season 1? The hit-and-run?
That was the moment that defined the early years of the series. Wyatt Cryer, high on whatever he could find, mowed down Benny and a young girl. For a long time, Benny was lying in a hospital bed in a coma. It looked grim. Fans were convinced that the show was going to kill off the "good son" just to break Hanna’s heart. He was legally brain dead at one point. But because this is a soap opera at its core, a miracle occurred. Benny woke up.
He didn't just wake up; he eventually became a powerhouse.
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Then you have the constant run-ins with the Malone family. Toward the end of the series, the Malones were the looming shadow over everyone. Benny got caught in the crossfire of Candace's endless schemes. There were shootouts, kidnappings, and threats that had us all holding our breath. Every time a season ended with Benny looking down the barrel of a gun or caught in an explosion, the search queries spiked. Is he actually gone this time? He wasn't.
Why the Benny Death Rumors Won't Go Away
There is a weird phenomenon with long-running shows where viewers conflate different characters' fates. In the final seasons, specifically Season 7 and 8, several major characters met their end. Jim Cryer’s world was crumbling, and the violence escalated.
People often confuse Benny's fate with characters like Quita or the various henchmen who were wiped out during the Malone wars. Also, let's talk about the series finale, "The Haves and the Have Nots: If Loving You Is Wrong." It was... a lot. It was rushed, violent, and left several characters' futures up in the air. While the Cryer mansion was essentially becoming a tomb, Benny was one of the few who had a semblance of an "ending" that involved remaining upright and breathing.
Tyler Lepley, the actor, also started getting huge roles in other shows like P-Valley and Harlem while HAHN was still airing or just wrapping up. Usually, when an actor starts popping up as a lead in other major series, fans assume their previous character was killed off to free up their schedule. In this case, Lepley just happened to be incredibly hardworking and booked.
Benny Young vs. The Final Season Chaos
By the time we reached the series finale in 2021, the show had shifted from a soapy drama about class into a full-blown crime thriller. Benny’s arc was less about his towing business and more about surviving the wreckage of Candace’s life.
In the final episodes, the tension was through the roof. We saw the downfall of the powerful families, but Benny remained a survivor. He didn't die in a blaze of glory, and he didn't die in a hospital bed. He was there at the end, a testament to Hanna's resilience, even if their relationship was strained by the constant lying and danger.
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The misconception that he died often stems from the sheer volume of "death scares" he endured. Let’s count them:
- The Season 1 hit-and-run (Coma/Brain Death scare).
- The various confrontations with the Malones.
- The shootout at the hospital.
- The general threat of being Candace Young's brother.
If you survived all that, you'd be a legend too.
What the Fans Get Wrong About the Ending
The finale of The Haves and the Have Nots is polarizing. Some call it a masterpiece of chaos; others think it was a messy way to close a decade-long story. Because the ending was so abrupt, many viewers felt like they missed something.
"Wait, did I see Benny get shot?"
No, you probably saw someone else. The finale was a bloodbath. Many characters didn't make it out, but Benny Young was not on the casualty list. He ended the series having gone from a humble worker to a man who had seen the darkest sides of Savannah, Georgia, and lived to tell about it.
If you’re rewatching on OWN or catching clips on YouTube, keep an eye on the hospital arc in the early seasons. That is where the "death" rumors usually start for new viewers. The show plays with the idea of his mortality so often that it becomes a "Boy Who Cried Wolf" situation. After the third time he almost dies, you just stop believing he can be killed.
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Actionable Takeaways for HAHN Fans
If you're looking to dive back into the series or finally settle a bet with a friend about Benny's fate, here is how you can verify the madness:
- Watch Season 1, Episodes 10-15: This is the peak "Is Benny dead?" era. It covers the hit-and-run and the subsequent legal battle over his life support.
- Check the Series Finale: Look for the scenes involving the Malone family standoff. You'll see who makes it out and who doesn't. Hint: Benny is still standing.
- Follow Tyler Lepley: If you miss the character, Lepley’s work in P-Valley as Diamond gives off similar "tough guy with a heart" vibes, which might be why people keep searching for his HAHN fate—they want to see where the journey started.
- Ignore the Clickbait: There are dozens of "In Memoriam" videos on YouTube for The Haves and the Have Nots that include Benny in the thumbnail just to get views. Don't fall for it.
The legacy of Benny Young is one of survival against impossible odds. In a world of "Haves" who lose everything and "Have Nots" who scramble for scraps, Benny was the one who managed to keep his soul—and his life—intact.
To clear up any lingering doubt for your watch party or trivia night: Benny Young survived the series. He did not die. He was the ultimate survivor in a show designed to break everyone. If you're looking for closure, rewatch the final confrontation with the Malones; it's the closest Benny ever came to the end, but he walked away.
Next Steps for Your Rewatch
Start by revisiting the mid-season 5 finale. It’s often cited as one of the most intense periods for the Young family and sets the stage for the final run. If you want to see the specific moment the show shifts from a family drama into the crime saga that confused everyone about who lived and died, that's your starting point. Check the official OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) website for character bios if you ever get lost in the sprawling cast list again. Drawing a character map might actually be necessary given how many cousins and hitmen show up in the last two years.