YouTube stars Jake Paul and Tana Mongeau “unofficially” tied the knot after just two months of dating in late July – but rumors of infidelity are already encircling the couple, after Paul was allegedly spotted with ex-girlfriend Erika Costell.
Photos of the ex-couple went viral online on August 19, after the two were caught grabbing lunch together by a fan – but their reunion was hardly met with optimism.
Mongeau uploaded her response to the drama via her Instagram story shortly thereafter, where she modified the lyrics of Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next” to sing, “…even actually got married and for Jake I’m so thankful, except when he goes out with his ex and I find out on Twitter.”
Despite public outrage at Paul appearing to get cozy with his ex, not everyone is convinced that Jake was actually in the viral photos: in fact, older brother Logan Paul is staunchly defending his little bro, as stated during an episode of his “imPaulsive” podcast on August 21.
“Someone was eating lunch with my brother’s ex-girlfriend, Erika Costel, and the whole internet is saying that it was Jake, but… are we sure?” Logan said of the drama, zooming in on the photo. “…this looks like a deepfake.”
(Timestamp: 1:16:58 for mobile viewers.)
This wouldn’t be the first time Logan has come to bat for his younger brother, either: the internet star similarly called the photos into question in a Tweet on August 19, writing, “Are we SURE that’s Jake?”
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are we SURE that’s Jake… ? https://t.co/TqAbMFXpDE
— Logan Paul (@LoganPaul) August 19, 2019
While it’s unclear if Logan is actually being serious, Jake himself appeared to duck accusations in his own Tweet on the subject, referencing Shaggy’s hit single by simply stating, “Wasn’t me.”
wasn’t me
— Logan Pauls Brother (@jakepaul) August 20, 2019
However, the two internet stars weren’t just caught grabbing lunch: the two were also seen in videos together at former Team 10 member Justin Roberts’ birthday party that same day, further adding fuel to rumors of a potential, secret tryst.
(Timestamp: 2:33 for mobile viewers.)
With Mongeau admitting that their wedding wasn’t exactly legal and the fight that threw down during the ceremony proven to be staged, fans and critics alike are still uncertain if “Jana” is the real deal – and Jake’s alleged outing with Erika makes matters even murkier than they already were.