YouTube Cuts Ties With Internet Celebrity Logan Paul Amid Suicide Forest Controversy
YouTube has officially cut business ties with internet star Logan Paul.
Paul, 22, recently came under fire for posting a video showing the body of a suicide victim in Japan. He visited the Aokigahara Forest, a place known as a frequent site of suicides. He and his friends were filmed laughing and joking when they came across a lifeless body of a man, who apparently committed suicide in the area.
The now-deleted vlog was first shared on Dec. 31, which triggered widespread criticism.
Now, YouTube has responded to the issue by releasing a statement saying they have decided to cut all business ties with the actor. His YouTube channels were removed from the streaming platform's Google Preferred program in which brands sell ads on the top 5% YouTube content creators.
"In light of recent events, we have decided to remove Logan Paul's channels from Google Preferred," said a YouTube representative in a press release. "Additionally, we will not feature Logan in season 4 of 'Foursome' and his new Originals are on hold."
The company announced that they will not be moving forward with a planned YouTube Red movie that was supposed to include Paul. "The Thinning: New World Order" was originally intended to be the sequel of his 2016 YouTube Red movie, "The Thinning."
Paul has since issued two apologies about the incident before announcing he was taking a break from YouTube. His father, Greg Paul, also issued a statement on Instagram Tuesday saying the "Weird Loners" star will come back to vlogging soon.
"We all screw up. It's a part of life," he wrote in the caption. "Logan is coming back. That is definite." He also slammed Paul's "haters," saying if they just knew how much supporters Paul has, "they would shut their freaking mouths."
