Unearth The Voyage
You might think believing in a flat Earth is a modern internet trend, but the idea has been around for centuries and has attracted some surprisingly well-known names. From ancient writers to modern celebrities, flat Earth theories have found believers across many walks of life.
Some were motivated by religious convictions, others by distrust of mainstream science, and a few simply enjoyed stirring up controversy. Here is a look at 11 real people, both historical and modern, who publicly stood behind the idea that our planet is not a sphere.
1. Lactantius (c. 250-325 AD)
Long before flat-Earth theories went viral online, a fourth-century Christian writer named Lactantius was already mocking the very idea of a round Earth. He found the concept of a spherical planet absurd and ridiculed the notion of antipodes, which referred to people supposedly living on the opposite side of the globe.
To him, the idea of people walking upside down was simply laughable.
Lactantius was actually a respected scholar and tutor to the son of Emperor Constantine. His arguments were rooted in his literal reading of religious texts rather than scientific observation.
He believed the sky was above and the Earth was below, period.
His writings were influential during his lifetime, though later scholars largely moved past his flat-Earth views. Lactantius remains one of the earliest named figures to formally argue against Earth being a sphere.
2. Cosmas Indicopleustes (6th Century)
Cosmas Indicopleustes was a Byzantine monk and merchant-turned-writer who had actually traveled widely before settling into religious life. Despite his travels, he became one of history’s most determined flat-Earth advocates.
His major work, Christian Topography, laid out a detailed vision of the world based entirely on his reading of the Bible.
According to Cosmas, the Earth was flat and rectangular, shaped like the tabernacle described in the Old Testament. He believed the sky formed a vaulted ceiling above this flat surface, with the sun moving behind a great mountain at night.
His model was creative but rejected by most scholars even in his own era.
What makes Cosmas stand out is the sheer effort he put into his argument. He built an entire cosmological system to support his beliefs, making him one of history’s most thorough flat-Earth theorists.
3. Samuel Rowbotham (1816-1884)
Samuel Rowbotham is often called the father of the modern flat-Earth movement, and the title fits. In the 1800s, he conducted what he called zetetic experiments along the Bedford Canal in England, claiming his observations proved the Earth was flat.
He published his findings in a book titled Zetetic Astronomy: Earth Not a Globe, which became a cornerstone text for flat-Earth believers.
Rowbotham was sharp, persuasive, and skilled at public debate. He challenged scientists to prove him wrong, and while scientists did successfully counter his claims, he managed to convince many ordinary people through confident showmanship.
His approach was to trust direct observation over theoretical science.
His influence stretched well beyond his lifetime. Many modern flat-Earth arguments trace directly back to his writings and experiments, making Rowbotham arguably the single most impactful figure in flat-Earth history.
4. Lady Elizabeth Blount (1850-1935)
Lady Elizabeth Blount was one of the most active flat-Earth organizers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A well-educated British woman from a prominent background, she took Samuel Rowbotham’s ideas and helped turn them into a real movement.
She founded the Universal Zetetic Society around 1893, giving flat-Earth believers an organized community for the first time.
Blount edited and published a journal called The Earth Not a Globe Review, distributing flat-Earth literature widely across Britain and beyond. She was passionate, determined, and remarkably effective at spreading her message before the internet existed.
Her work is significant because she transformed flat-Earth belief from one man’s fringe theory into an organized social movement. Without her efforts, the ideas of Rowbotham might have faded into obscurity.
Lady Blount gave flat-Earth theory a real institutional foundation that influenced later generations of believers.
5. Wilbur Glenn Voliva (1870-1942)
Wilbur Glenn Voliva was not shy about his beliefs. As the leader of a religious community called Zion, Illinois, he ran the town like a personal kingdom and used his platform to preach flat-Earth doctrine loudly and often.
He publicly offered a reward of five thousand dollars to anyone who could prove the Earth was round, a challenge he believed no one could win.
Voliva condemned modern astronomy as a fraud and called scientists liars. He broadcast his flat-Earth views on his own radio station, reaching audiences far beyond his small Illinois town.
His followers were expected to accept his teachings without question.
He is a fascinating example of how flat-Earth belief can become tied to religious authority and community control. Voliva used the flat-Earth idea not just as a personal belief but as a tool to reinforce his power over a devoted group of followers.
6. B.o.B (Rapper)
Few celebrity flat-Earthers have been as vocal as rapper B.o.B, whose real name is Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. In January 2016, he sparked a massive online debate when he posted a series of tweets claiming the Earth is flat and that the curvature of the planet cannot be seen with the naked eye. His posts included photos he believed supported his theory.
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson jumped into the conversation to correct him publicly, which only made the story bigger. B.o.B responded by releasing a diss track called Flatline aimed directly at Tyson.
The whole episode became one of the most-discussed celebrity science moments of the decade.
B.o.B continued promoting flat-Earth ideas for years after the initial controversy, even launching a crowdfunding campaign to send satellites into orbit to check the Earth’s shape himself. He remains one of the most recognizable flat-Earth celebrity voices.
7. Kyrie Irving (NBA Player)
Kyrie Irving is one of the most talented point guards in NBA history, but in 2017 he became equally famous for something off the court. During a podcast appearance, Irving casually stated that he believed the Earth is flat.
The comment went viral almost immediately, drawing reactions from fans, scientists, and fellow athletes around the world.
Irving later seemed to walk back the statement, suggesting he had made it partly to get people to think for themselves and question what they are told. However, he revisited flat-Earth themes multiple times in interviews over the following years, keeping the topic alive in sports media.
His comments had a real cultural impact, with surveys showing a slight uptick in flat-Earth searches after his statements. Irving himself is known for being deeply philosophical and skeptical of authority, which helps explain why the flat-Earth idea appealed to him at the time.
8. Tila Tequila (Media Personality)
Tila Tequila was one of the first social media celebrities to embrace flat-Earth theory in a very public way. Known from her early MTV reality show fame, she began posting flat-Earth content on social media around 2016, declaring that the Earth is obviously flat and that mainstream science was hiding the truth.
Her posts reached millions of followers.
She combined flat-Earth beliefs with a broader set of conspiracy theories, which made her posts particularly intense and wide-reaching. Tila presented herself as someone who had woken up to hidden truths, a framing that resonated with certain online communities at the time.
Her involvement helped push flat-Earth ideas further into pop culture and introduced the theory to audiences who might not have encountered it otherwise. Whether motivated by genuine belief or a desire for attention, Tila Tequila played a real role in spreading modern flat-Earth content across social platforms.
9. Wiz Khalifa (Rapper)
Wiz Khalifa raised eyebrows when he expressed flat-Earth sympathies during podcast and interview appearances. Known for his laid-back personality and independent thinking, the rapper said he could see where flat-Earth believers were coming from and suggested people should question what they are taught in school.
His comments were more exploratory than aggressive, but they still made headlines.
Unlike B.o.B, Wiz never went fully all-in on flat-Earth promotion. His statements were casual enough to leave some room for doubt about how seriously he held the view.
Still, his willingness to publicly entertain the idea gave it extra visibility among his large fanbase.
Wiz Khalifa has always positioned himself as someone who thinks independently and does not follow the crowd. That personality made flat-Earth skepticism an easy fit, at least conversationally.
His comments added another famous name to a growing list of celebrities willing to question the shape of the Earth.
10. Sammy Watkins (NFL Player)
NFL wide receiver Sammy Watkins made headlines when he publicly shared flat-Earth content and conspiracy material on social media. His posts were enthusiastic and direct, showing that he genuinely engaged with the ideas rather than just reposting casually.
Watkins expressed distrust of NASA and mainstream scientific institutions, a common theme among flat-Earth believers.
Athletes entering the flat-Earth conversation was becoming a pattern by the late 2010s, and Watkins added his voice to that growing list. His posts sparked debates among sports fans and gave flat-Earth content another wave of viral attention across football-focused social media communities.
Watkins is an interesting case because professional athletes are often seen as grounded, competitive thinkers trained to trust data and performance metrics. His willingness to embrace flat-Earth ideas showed that the theory’s appeal cuts across education levels, professions, and backgrounds in sometimes surprising ways.
11. Mark Sargent
Mark Sargent is one of the most recognized names in the modern flat-Earth movement. He rose to prominence through his Enclosed World YouTube series, where he laid out detailed arguments for why he believed the Earth is flat and enclosed under a dome.
His calm, methodical presentation style attracted a large following of people who appreciated a less aggressive approach to the topic.
Sargent became widely known after appearing in the 2018 Netflix documentary Behind the Curve, which followed flat-Earth believers in depth. The film gave millions of viewers a close look at the community, and Sargent came across as its most prominent spokesperson.
He has spoken at flat-Earth conferences around the world and continues to produce content supporting his views. Whether you agree with him or not, Mark Sargent has done more than almost anyone to organize and grow the modern flat-Earth movement into a global community.
