YouTube star Kris Tyson, known for her appearances in YouTube videos with MrBeast, has come out as transgender.
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Why Jake Paul Is Problematic
Like his older brother Logan, Jake Paul has built a career out of controversy. Paul started as a brazen Vine star, churning out outrageous skits and stunts on the now-defunct video-hosting app. Since his rise to fame, he has been accused of being racist and sexist. He has also faced sexual assault allegations and he was charged with trespassing. He even had his home raided by the FBI and threw a party at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today, the 25-year-old internet sensation is also a pro boxer. He competes under the moniker “The Problem Child,” a nod to his problematic public persona. Despite, or perhaps because of, his behavior, Paul maintains millions of followers across several channels. His matches draw in massive crowds and inspire think pieces about whether it helps or hurts the future of boxing.
As he teases “negotiations” for a potential fight with fellow problematic celebrity Andrew Tate, let’s look back on all the offensive antics that have propelled Paul to infamy and answer the question, “What is wrong with Jake Paul?”
Related | YouTuber Logan Paul Defends Controversial Comments
He Was Fired From A Disney Show For “Terrorizing” His Neighbors
In 2015, Jake Paul was cast in the Disney Channel series Bizaardvark. The show centered around a pair of teenage video bloggers, not unlike Paul himself. Unfortunately, his stint on the show was short-lived. In 2017, Paul was fired from Disney around the same as his first major controversy. A video of the internet sensation and his “Team 10” collective started making the rounds online. In it, the YouTubers are accused of making the lives of their West Hollywood neighbors “a living hell” for their antics and stunts, including setting a mattress on fire in their backyard and riding a motorbike into a pool.
At the time, Paul claimed he was leaving the show of his own volition. He said he “didn’t want to play a teenager for four years of his life”. Paul also said he wanted to focus more on his “personal brand”. This included his YouTube channel, business ventures, and “working on more adult acting roles”.
Love you all! Thanks for the support❤️
Can’t wait to continue to grow and conquer????????
Jake Paulers always rise???????? pic.twitter.com/1dk4CC6eAS
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) July 23, 2017
He Made Xenophobic Comments Towards A Kazakhstani Fan
The same year the controversy with his LA neighbors went public, Jake Paul found himself in hot water yet again. Paul made a xenophobic comment toward a Kazakhstani fan in a vlog called “SELF-DRIVING TESLA DRIVE-THRU PRANK”. In the video, Paul asks the fan where he’s from. When the fan says he’s from Kazakhstan, Paul responds, “It sounds like you’re just going to blow someone up. You’re like, ‘Send the nuke!”
Paul was swiftly lambasted by fans and critics online for the racist comment.
He Was Accused Of Scamming His Followers
Jake Paul was accused of scamming young, impressionable followers several times over the past few years. In one instance, he launched a series of “educational videos” called “Edfluence”. For $7 Paul said that he would help fans follow his path to success as an influencer. However, as it turned out, the $7 did not unlock the entire program but only a handful of basic tips. Subscribers had to cough up an additional $57 to gain full access and a potential spot on “Team 100”. This was an expansion of the popular YouTube squad that Paul founded. However, Team 100 never came to fruition.
Paul was also called out for promoting a loot box brand called Mystery Box. The brand allows players to spend a variable amount of money for a chance at winning mystery prizes. Many Mystery Box buyers called out the company for delivering inferior goods like fake designer shirts. Some buyers claimed to have never even received their orders at all.
View this post on InstagramHe Was Charged With Trespassing In Arizona
In June 2020, a month after he revealed that his high-profile, paid-live streamed Las Vegas wedding to YouTuber Tana Mongeau was staged, Jake Paul’s problematic behavior reached an all-time high. Paul and his friends uploaded videos of themselves at a shopping mall in Scottsdale, Arizona at the same time a Black Lives Matter protest was taking place. Videos taken by his associates and other attendees show Paul in the vicinity as people stole alcohol and threw fireworks at the mall – leading many to believe that the YouTuber and his friends participated in the looting.
Paul later issued a statement saying, “neither I nor anyone in our group was engaged in any looting or vandalism. For context, we spent the day doing our part to peaceful protest one of the most horrific injustices our country has ever seen, which led to us being tear-gassed for filming the events and brutality that were unfolding in Arizona”.
Paul was charged with two misdemeanors for Criminal Trespass and Unlawful Assembly following the incident.
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) May 31, 2020
He Was Caught Partying During The COVID-19 Pandemic
A month after the trespassing incident, Paul came under fire yet again after videos of a massive party in his backyard surfaced online. The videos revealed dozens of attendees ignoring advice to maintain social distancing and wear masks amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in California.
In an interview with Fox 11, Calabasas Mayor Alicia Weintraub called Paul and his associates out, saying the party was a “big huge disregard for everything that everybody is trying to do to get things back to functioning”.
His Home Was Searched By The FBI
In August of that same year, the FBI conducted a federal search of Paul’s home and reportedly seized several firearms, including “at least five long guns”. The search, reported by the Los Angeles Times, was related to the alleged looting incident in Arizona.
One photo even showed “what looked like a long gun propped up against a hot tub in the backyard”. Bear in mind that Paul’s Team 10 house was once the home of underage content creators hoping to make it big under the guidance of stars such as the Paul brothers. Some of those creators have since stepped forward to accuse Paul and his crew of exploiting them for views.
What appeared to be multiple firearms were found scattered throughout the property, including what looked like a long gun propped up against a hot tub in the backyard. https://t.co/oOkiwY7kSz pic.twitter.com/ZeCXhPI5Aa
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) August 5, 2020
He Spread Misinformation About COVID-19 Being A “Hoax”
Since Paul’s pivot to the world of boxing, he’s attempted to shed a bit of his “problem child” persona. He even put his Team 10 mansion up for sale in December 2020 to “focus on training”. Still, an interview with The Daily Beast about his November 2020 fight with former NBA player Nate Robinson stoked outrage from fans and critics once again. This time, for his views on the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is the most detrimental thing to our society,” he said about COVID restrictions. “COVID cases are at less than 1 percent, and I think the disease is a hoax.” When the interviewer pointed out that COVID had already “killed about 260,000 people so far this year”, Paul responded, “Ugh, Yeah, and so has the flu”. When prodded further on why he thinks COVID is a hoax, he dismissed the question by saying he “doesn’t have to elaborate”.
View this post on InstagramHe’s Been Accused Of Sexual Assault
In April 2021, a TikToker named Justine Paradise took to YouTube to accuse Jake Paul of sexual assault. In the video, Paradise talked about signing a non-disclosure agreement before entering the Team 10 house and how she and Paul exchanged text messages for a month in 2019 before Paul assaulted her. She accused Paul of forcing oral sex on her in the Team 10 house and said she was “physically restricted” and “felt emotionally restricted afterward”.
“He didn’t ask for consent or anything,” said Paradise. “That’s not okay. On no level at all is that okay.”
In light of the term “Jake Paul abuser” trending on social media, Paul released a statement on Twitter denouncing Paradise’s claim.
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) April 13, 2021
The Bottom Line
Despite his attempts to move away from his enfant terrible reputation, it seems that Paul’s fame (or infamy, rather) will always be tied to his controversial nature. Whether or not he can break free from this box he put himself in remains to be seen. But before he can ever move on from his past (if he even wants to), he’ll have to own up to years of bad behavior.
Related | 18 Trans and Non-binary YouTubers You Need To Watch
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“Sugar Baby” Is the Perfect Web Series for Pride Month
Drew and Lola are two self-absorbed 20 somethings who are trying to make a name for themselves in the Big Apple in a new YouTube web series, “Sugar Baby.”
The series follows the ups and downs of Drew, a gay stand-up comedian, and Lola, his best friend who is trying to create a successful baby vlog, as they struggle to be responsible adults. Oh, and did I mention they are also raising a baby?
It’s comic, eccentric, honest, and the perfect watch for those who are scrambling to figure out how to thrive in life and adulthood in your 20’s.
Watch “Sugar Baby” now on YouTube here.
Gayety caught up with Drew Lausch, the executive producer, scriptwriter, and star in the series, on how he came to create “Sugar Baby” and why the coming-of-age series is important in the current era of media.
View this post on Instagram
Tell me a little bit about yourself and your own story before you started creating the web series. Well, I’m Drew. I grew up in Fargo, North Dakota, gay, which was an absolute *dream*. I then went to college in upstate New York for Musical Theatre, another *dream.* I worked in musical theatre for a while after college but injured my back playing a magic carpet (my costume was a chic sleeping bag and it turns out you can’t backflip in those.) After that, I moved to New York City to pursue stand-up comedy. I produced a few live shows and then started writing down some ideas for a series based on my friendships.Where did the idea for “Sugar Baby” come from? I’ve had so many close female friendships in my life that have helped shape who I am today. Whenever I’ve been in these relationships, especially when I was younger, I found them to be very codependent but also healthy (ish). It made me ask the question, “What if me and my girlfriend had a kid together? Or raised one together?” That always seemed like a better idea than trying to find a boyfriend (exhausting venture).
View this post on InstagramHow closely does the web series mirror your own experiences? It does and it doesn’t. The relationships between Drew, Lola, and Hannah are loosely based on my friendships with a few folks in real life, and the real-life gals and I HAVE gotten pretty wild. Besides the characters, we actually got to shoot the stand-up scene at West Side Comedy Club which is where I produced my first show ever entitled “Homo You Didn’t.” Some of the antics in the show have happened to me in real life, but everything is exaggerated and again, none of us are as awful as we appear in the series. I’ve also never nannied/ babysat but I’m actually pretty good with kids and I’d like to think I’d be a better nanny than the Drew in the series.
What made you decide to focus on a relationship between a gay man and a straight woman? I think it’s a really beautiful dynamic, and one I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing my whole life. My relationship with my best friend, Cora, has always inspired me to write. It’s a friendship that is so complex and messy but so fulfilling that I’ve always known I wanted to base a show-off of it. The story (although messy) is a love letter to an unconventional family and to friendships in general – and my friendships have been the greatest love stories of my life thus far.
What is your favorite part about writing the dynamic between Drew and Lola? While writing their scenes and dialogue, Ben and I would try to one-up who was the more awful of the two. The characters are so utterly flawed and narcissistic there’s like, nothing they won’t say or do to get ahead. I know that some of their shenanigans are hard to stomach, but the dynamic is hilarious to write. Lola Lorber is a comedic genius so writing something, and then having her improv off of it was a gift. Putting in a few moments of tenderness here and there was lovely to write and act as well.
How did you find yourself teamed up with Benjamin Schwartz? Ben actually cast me, Lola Lorber, and Hannah McKechnie (two of the stars in “Sugar Baby”) in an unreleased pilot he was producing. On set, Ben knew I was a stand up so he let me improv a lot and we just clicked. After we filmed this pilot, I sent him a version of the script entitled “Broke & Broken” or alternatively “Drew & Lola” and he responded with “needs work.” However, he was down to make it and suggested we add Jonah, his son, to the cast, and then it all kinda fell into place! I couldn’t have asked for a better partner on this series- he legit executive produced, directed, co-wrote, and did the cinematography for the entire project, like what???
What does this filming process for the series look like? It was a ride. We filmed Tuesdays and Wednesdays from February 20 of 2019 – July of 2019 with a few pickups afterward. We then edited the series with our fabulous editor Eric Vitale for about 9 months. A typical day of filming would be Lola and I (and the cast needed that day) showing up to Ben’s apartment (where we shot the series) around 8:30 a.m., go over lines/rehearse the scenes/ get mic’d up by the fabulous Chris Francia, & film as many scenes with Jonah before he had to have lunch or a nap, and then continue filming without him. The shoot days typically went from 8:30 a.m.- 6 p.m. at night, and Ben and I would review footage afterward.
View this post on InstagramWhy did you choose to produce short 5-10 minute episodes? I had always wanted to make a web series. I liked the idea of short-form content and it seemed like the smartest move to tackle wearing the writer,/producer/ actor hat for the first time on a project. The initial pitch to Ben was a 12-minute episode and as Ben and I continued to write these characters and episodes it just made the most sense.
What do you hope that viewers will take away from seeing these 20-something-year-olds try to navigate through life? Well, I hope people laugh!! I also think although these characters are toxic beyond, that everyone in the series (and in life) is just looking and stumbling toward their purpose. Or literally grasping at anything to “fulfill their life/ dreams.” But, none of us know what we’re doing. Or at least I don’t. and I hope there’s some solace in that and comfort in watching characters who make the worst decisions in trying to move forward into successful “adulthood.”
Anything else you want to add? Creating this show has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life and it was possible because Ben took a chance on me. The entire cast and crew – which consisted of Lola Lorber, Hannah Mckechnie, Jonah Schwartz, Dominique Allen Lawson, Camber Carpenter, Patrick Hamilton Roseanne Rubino, Chris Francia & Eric Vitale – were truly the dreamiest and the most down to get a little silly. Also, Brandy Schwartz, the true MVP of the project, graciously let us film for MONTHS in her home and I can’t thank her enough.
Watch episode one of the series here!
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