Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Jake Paul

Controversies are a part of history. Explore the biggest scandals linked to Jake Paul.

Jake Paul is an American professional boxer, influencer, and actor who initially gained fame on Vine. He launched his YouTube channel in 2014 and quickly rose to prominence, earning a spot on Forbes' list of highest-paid YouTube creators multiple times. He transitioned into professional boxing, further amplifying his public profile.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Controversies & Scandals

May 30, 2017: Released "It's Everyday Bro"

On May 30, 2017, Jake Paul released the single "It's Everyday Bro", featuring Team 10, which quickly gained millions of views but also became one of YouTube's most disliked videos.

July 22, 2017: Departure from Bizaardvark

On July 22, 2017, the Disney Channel announced that Jake Paul would be leaving the series "Bizaardvark" due to complaints from neighbors about his behavior.

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August 1, 2017: Paul Accused of Stereotyping Muslims

On August 1, 2017, Jake Paul uploaded a video in which he made an insensitive comment towards a fan from Kazakhstan. Paul's retort, "It sounds like you're just going to blow someone up. Send the nuke!", was accused of perpetuating stereotypes of Arabs and Muslims as suicide bombers.

November 2017: Martínez Twins Leave Team 10

In November 2017, twin brothers Ivan and Emilio Martínez left Team 10. The Martínez twins accused Jake Paul and the other members of regularly targeting them out of anti-Mexican sentiment, conflating them with Mexicans when they are, in fact, Spaniards.

January 3, 2018: "I lost my virginity" Video Upload

On January 3, 2018, Jake Paul uploaded a video to his YouTube channel entitled "I lost my virginity" that used a thumbnail of himself and his then-girlfriend Erika Costell posing semi-nude on top of each other. The video was age-restricted by YouTube and criticized for being inappropriate.

January 5, 2018: Paul Uses Racial Slur in Freestyle Rap

On January 5, 2018, Jake Paul was revealed to have used the racial slur nigger multiple times while freestyle rapping to "Throw Sum Mo".

January 2018: Paul Launches Edfluence

In January 2018, Jake Paul started the website Edfluence, a program claiming to teach younger people how to be successful, learn life skills, and earn money online. The course cost $7 per user, but users said they did not receive the promised content. Paul was accused of scamming young followers and stealing their money.

April 24, 2018: Paul Sued by Cobra Acquisitions

On April 24, 2018, it was reported that Jake Paul was being sued by Cobra Acquisitions, the company that owns the house, for $2.5 million. This came after Paul made his home address public, leading crowds of fans to gather outside Paul's residence and noise complaints by neighbors.

August 15, 2018: Released "Champion" Diss Track

On August 15, 2018, Jake Paul released a single titled "Champion", a diss track aimed at his boxing opponent Deji Olatunji.

January 3, 2019: Paul Promotes MysteryBrand

On January 3, 2019, Jake Paul, along with fellow YouTuber RiceGum, came under fire for promoting MysteryBrand, a website that offers the chance to open a digital "mystery box" of pre-selected items with a promise to win one in real life at random. Many users have said they have not received prizes they won through the site.

January 31, 2020: Edfluence Shut Down

On January 31, 2020, Edfluence was shut down, stopping the course permanently after accusations that Paul was scamming followers.

February 23, 2020: Paul Involved in Altercation with Zayn Malik

On February 23, 2020, in Las Vegas, Nevada, Jake Paul was involved in an altercation with British singer Zayn Malik at Westgate. The argument broke out because Paul believed Malik was using a rude tone. Paul later deleted his tweets criticizing Malik and posted another tweet stating that he tweeted about the incident since he was drunk.

May 30, 2020: Involvement in George Floyd Protests and Looting

On May 30, 2020, Jake Paul and his friends were present at P. F. Chang's during the George Floyd protests in Scottsdale, Arizona, where looting began. He documented the incident, leading to criticism for entering the mall while it was being looted. Paul later apologized, condemning violence and stating he was filming for a future video.

June 4, 2020: Charged with criminal trespass and unlawful assembly

On June 4, 2020, Jake Paul was charged with criminal trespass and unlawful assembly, both misdemeanor charges, for being in the mall during the riot.

July 11, 2020: Paul Throws Large Party Amid Pandemic

On July 11, 2020, Jake Paul threw a large party at his home in Calabasas, California, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Dozens of people attended without wearing masks or maintaining social distancing, leading to outrage from the mayor and potential penalties.

August 5, 2020: FBI Raids Calabasas Mansion

On August 5, 2020, the FBI raided Jake Paul's Calabasas mansion in connection with an ongoing investigation. On the same day, the charges were dismissed without prejudice.

November 25, 2020: COVID-19 "hoax" statements

On November 25, 2020, Jake Paul stated in an interview that COVID-19 was a "hoax," claimed that "98 percent of news [about COVID-19] is fake," and opposed COVID-19 measures in the United States. He falsely stated the flu killed as many people in the U.S. in 2020 as COVID-19 and claimed medical professionals said masks were ineffective, sparking condemnation.

November 29, 2020: Paul's Content House Claim Sparks Frustration

On November 29, 2020, Jake Paul sparked frustration after stating he paved the way for content house creation and boxing matches between high-profile social media stars. Many objected, stating he did not create the first content house, nor was he the first YouTube star to fight in a boxing match.

April 9, 2021: Sexual Assault Allegation by Justine Paradise

On April 9, 2021, Justine Paradise alleged that Jake Paul forced her into oral sex and touched her without consent in 2019. Paul denied the accusations, calling them "100% false."

April 22, 2021: Railey Lollie's Accusation in The New York Times

On April 22, 2021, The New York Times published an article featuring an accusation by Railey Lollie, who alleged that Jake Paul called her "jailbait" and groped her at one point.

February 18, 2022: Paul Named in SafeMoon Lawsuit

On February 18, 2022, Jake Paul was named as a defendant in a class-action lawsuit filed against the cryptocurrency company SafeMoon that alleged the company is a pump and dump scheme. Paul was accused of promoting the SafeMoon token on their social media accounts with misleading information as part of the 2022 Safemoon fraud allegations.

March 2022: Paul Accused of Crypto Scam by Coffeezilla

In March 2022, YouTuber Coffeezilla uploaded a video in which he accused Jake Paul of using cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens to scam his fans out of $2.2 million.

March 2023: SEC Charges for Cryptocurrency Promotion

In March 2023, Jake Paul was charged by the SEC for violating investor protection laws by promoting cryptocurrencies without disclosing sponsorship. He settled the charges for over $400,000 without admitting or denying the claims.