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. He gained initial fame on Vine before transitioning to YouTube, where he became one of the highest-paid creators, according to Forbes, in 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2023. Paul has successfully leveraged his online presence to launch a career in professional boxing.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Controversies & Scandals

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

On May 30, 2017, Jake Paul released the single "It's Everyday Bro", featuring Team 10, which became YouTube's third most disliked video and peaked at number 91 on the Billboard Hot 100.

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July 22, 2017: Departure from Bizaardvark

On July 22, 2017, Disney Channel announced Jake Paul's departure from the series Bizaardvark due to public complaints about his behavior, though he later revealed he was fired.

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August 1, 2017: Paul makes insensitive comments about Kazakhstan

On August 1, 2017, Jake Paul uploaded a video titled "SELF DRIVING TESLA IN DRIVE THRU PRANK (FREAKOUTS)". In the video, Paul responded to a fan who identified himself as Kazakhstani with the retort, "It sounds like you're just going to blow someone up. Send the nuke!" For that, Paul was accused of perpetuating stereotypes of Arabs and Muslims in the United States as suicide bombers, as Kazakhstan is predominantly Muslim. His comments were considered insensitive due to Kazakhstan's history with nuclear weapons.

November 2017: Martínez twins leave Team 10, alleging anti-Mexican sentiment

In November 2017, twin brothers Ivan and Emilio Martínez left Team 10. In a vlog explaining their departure from the group, the brothers 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. The Martínezes alleged Paul and his associates would use Hispanic stereotypes and slurs, invade their privacy, destroy their property, and withhold payment after telling them they could not have a bank account in due to being immigrants.

January 3, 2018: Paul uploads controversial "I lost my virginity" video

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 as a result, and critics such as Keemstar criticized the thumbnail as being inappropriate for his younger audience. The thumbnail was later changed with both Paul and Costell fully clothed and not touching each other.

January 5, 2018: Paul uses racial slur in freestyle rap

On January 5, 2018, in the week after his "I lost my virginity" video and his brother's Aokigahara controversy, TMZ revealed a video in which Jake Paul used the racial slur nigger multiple times while freestyle rapping to "Throw Sum Mo".

January 2018: Paul launches Edfluence program

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 costs $7 per user, allowing users to unlock a series of videos for a "roadmap" to success as an influencer. However, the $7 did not unlock the entire program but only gave a few basic tips. Paul also promised his audience that if they joined the course, they would get to join "Team 1000", which did not happen.

April 24, 2018: Paul sued for $2.5 million by Cobra Acquisitions

On April 24, 2018, it was reported that Jake Paul was being sued by Cobra Acquisitions, the company that owns his house, for $2.5 million, following public complaints in 2017 that eventually led to Paul's dismissal from Bizaardvark and after Paul's neighbors in the Beverly Grove neighborhood of Los Angeles filed a class-action public nuisance lawsuit against Paul.

August 15, 2018: "Champion" Single Release

On August 15, 2018, Jake Paul released the single "Champion", a diss track towards his boxing opponent Deji Olatunji, with a music video.

January 3, 2019: Paul promotes MysteryBrand website

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.

2019: Alleged Sexual Assault Incident

In 2019, Justine Paradise alleged that Jake Paul forced her into oral sex and touched her without consent at the Team 10 House.

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. Following the interaction, Paul posted about it on Twitter, which drew attention from Malik's girlfriend, American model Gigi Hadid. 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: Participation in George Floyd Protests and Looting Incident

On May 30, 2020, Jake Paul and his friends were present at P. F. Chang's outside Scottsdale Fashion Square during the George Floyd protests, which escalated into looting. Paul was criticized for documenting the incident, and he later apologized for the violence, claiming he was filming for a future video.

June 4, 2020: Charged with Criminal Trespass and Unlawful Assembly

On June 4, 2020, Jake Paul faced misdemeanor charges for criminal trespass and unlawful assembly related to his presence at the Scottsdale Fashion Square mall during the riot.

July 11, 2020: Paul throws large party amid COVID-19 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 and maintaining social distancing. Calabasas mayor Alicia Weintraub expressed outrage and stated that the city was looking into "all of our options" regarding penalties for Paul and the attendees of the party.

July 24, 2020: "Fresh Outta London" Release

On July 24, 2020, Jake Paul released the single "Fresh Outta London", with a music video. The video shoot included a party at his home in Calabasas on July 11, which drew criticism from Calabasas mayor Alicia Weintraub due to videos surfacing online.

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August 5, 2020: FBI Raid on Calabasas Mansion and Dismissal of Charges

On August 5, 2020, the FBI raided Jake Paul's Calabasas mansion as part of an ongoing investigation, and the criminal charges against Paul were dismissed without prejudice, allowing a federal investigation to proceed.

November 25, 2020: Paul claims COVID-19 is a hoax

On November 25, 2020, Jake Paul attracted further COVID-related controversy due to statements in an interview with The Daily Beast. Paul responded to a question about regretting his actions regarding the July 11 party by saying that COVID-19 was a "hoax", also stating that "98 percent of news [about COVID-19] is fake".

November 29, 2020: Paul claims to have paved the way for content houses and influencer boxing

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 to Paul's claim, observing that 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 Allegations by Justine Paradise

On April 9, 2021, Justine Paradise accused Jake Paul of sexual assault in 2019, alleging he forced her into oral sex. Paul denied the allegations, and Paradise later reported harassment and death threats.

April 22, 2021: Second Accusation by Railey Lollie in The New York Times

On April 22, 2021, The New York Times published an article featuring a second accusation against Jake Paul by Railey Lollie, who claimed Paul called her "jailbait" and groped her when she was working for him at 17.

August 2021: No Federal Charges Filed

In August 2021, it was reported that Jake Paul would not face federal charges related to the Scottsdale Fashion Square incident.

February 18, 2022: Paul named in SafeMoon class-action lawsuit

On February 18, 2022, in a class-action lawsuit filed against the cryptocurrency company SafeMoon that alleged the company is a pump and dump scheme, Jake Paul was named as a defendant along with musician Nick Carter, rappers Soulja Boy and Lil Yachty, and social media personality Ben Phillips for 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 scamming fans with cryptocurrency and NFTs

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 he was sponsored. He settled the charges for over $400,000 without admitting or denying the claims.