A brief history of Logan and Jake Paul’s controversial moments, of which there are many

Logan and Jake Paul might be incredibly rich, somewhat attractive, and brimming with energy, but with more controversies under their belt than most of Hollywood, it’s no surprise they continue to be some of the most disliked people on the internet in 2024.

The Paul brothers’ rise to fame should be studied. They are relics of a bygone era, that era being Vine, but have somehow managed to stay in the news through a combination of shock tactics, business ventures, and the apparent resilience of cockroaches. But which brother takes the crown when it comes to controversies? Let’s take a look, from YouTube scandals to class action lawsuits.

Logan Paul’s controversies date back to 2017

Both Logan Paul and his brother made their start on Vine, a precursor to TikTok that many elder Gen Z and millennial fans still obsess over to this day. Just a few months after it died, Logan hit the headlines for arguably his biggest controversy to date.

In a December 2017 vlog, Logan filmed a deceased man who had died by hanging in Japan’s Aokigahara forest, sometimes referred to as Suicide Forest. The entire Japanese series was widely criticized for being culturally insensitive, but the Aokigahara segment in particular racked up millions of views and an equal number of scathing remarks.

Dear Internet, pic.twitter.com/42OCDBhiWg

— Logan Paul (@LoganPaul) January 2, 2018

Logan did post an apology to his Twitter account, claiming he “didn’t do it for the views” and instead hoped to “raise awareness” of suicide.

In 2018, YouTube suspended all advertising on his account following what they described as a “pattern of behaviour.” This included grabbing a koi from the pond to give it CPR and tasering two dead rats which resulted in a scathing statement from PETA.

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“How many chances does Logan Paul get? PETA finds it repulsive that this “internet personality” with millions of impressionable young followers has not learned the lesson that there is sadness, not humor, in the death of others,” they penned.

Our next ridiculous Logan Paul moment is from November 2018 with the launch of his Impaulsive podcast. In the very first episode, he suggested he was going to go “gay for a month” in a show of solidarity. After numerous statements from LGBTQ+ organizations, he apologized with, “Very poor choice of words….my fault. Let’s get together and talk about it on my podcast next week.”

very poor choice of words… my fault. let’s get together and talk about it on my podcast next week? https://t.co/Ki8RKgMJOO

— Logan Paul (@LoganPaul) January 12, 2019

Logan has somewhat cleaned up his image in more recent years, ditching the humdrum of YouTube influencer culture for adult business ventures with pals like MrBeast and KSI. Don’t fear though, those ventures too sparked criticism.

As cryptocurrency became the talk of the town in 2021, Logan Paul launched CryptoZoo, which he claimed would be a video game for users to hatch and grow NFT animals that would increase in monetary value as they grew. The full game was never released, and following an investigation from CoffeeZilla, a class action lawsuit accused the creator of negligent business practices.

Logan Paul’s energy drink brand PRIME has also been the subject of numerous controversies, first when New York Senator Charles Schumer asked the FDA to investigate its caffeine content. The brand was also sued by bottle supplier, Refresco, for breach of contract, and by the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee for supposedly suggesting they are affiliated with Team USA.

Jake Paul’s controversies won’t be outdone by his brother’s

Jake Paul might be younger than his brother, but if watching him on YouTube for years has told us anything, he doesn’t like to share the spotlight.

His controversial moments can be traced back to 2016 when he purchased a property in Los Angeles for the world’s very first influencer house, Team 10 House. At the same time, Jake split from his girlfriend Alissa Violet who accused him of emotional abuse as he claimed she’d cheated.

When Alissa appeared on Shane Dawson’s docuseries in  2018 to talk about the emotional abuse, Jake responded with: “She can go on … and say whatever she wants, because that’s only fair.”

Following the iconic, and eternally annoying track It’s Everyday Bro, which took multiple jabs at his ex, Alissa posted her own video about the dark underbelly of Team 10 House. Neighbours further claimed that their street had become a “war zone” and a “living hell.” In 2020, the Team 10 House was raided by the FBI where numerous firearms were found lying around the house.

pic.twitter.com/RgM5FweFpE

— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) April 13, 2021

Throughout his career, Jake has weathered sexual assault allegations. The most prominent came in 2021 as TikToker Justine Paradise posted a YouTube video under the name: “TRIGGER WARNING: Jake Paul Sexually Assaulted Me.”

She provided screenshots, evidence, and a graphic retelling of the event, and Jake responded with a lengthy Twitter statement.

There are, of course, oceans of minor infractions and ill-conceived statements, but we don’t simply have enough time to cover those. Don’t fear though, we’ve still got two months left of 2024 and we’re sure the Paul brothers have one of two controversies tucked up their Gucci sleeves.

Featured image via: YouTube/Jake Paul/Logan Paul.

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