Influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul revealed that he contemplated ending his own life after his brother, Logan Paul, cost him $30M after his scandal in Japan.
Jake Paul has emerged as one of the biggest influencers on the net in large part thanks to his talent as a professional fighter, where he’s picked up wins against UFC legends Anderson Silva, Nate Diaz, and more.
Ahead of Paul’s November 15 bout against Mike Tyson, ‘The Problem Child’ spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about his rise to fame and how he nearly lost everything.
Back in 2018, Logan ventured to Japan and filmed a video in the country’s Aokigahara Forest, which is also known as the ‘suicide forest’ due to the number of self-inflicted deaths that occur there.
While exploring the forest, Logan came upon a dead body, filmed it, and uploaded the video to his YouTube channel. The ensuing backlash didn’t just affect him, however, as Jake also came under fire.
“I got lumped into all my brother’s hate. It was like, ‘F**k the Pauls. F**k both of those people.’ It was bad,” Jake explained to THR.
According to the boxer, his brother’s antics ended up costing him millions of dollars and nearly KO’d his career.
“The suicide forest thing basically ruined my career and income. I lost probably $30 million in deals. There was one $15 million deal for retail products that fell apart. They were able to get out of it because of a morality clause,” he said.
Eventually, out of depression, he stopped making content and turned to drinking and drugs.
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“And so there I am: No money, kind of hating myself, the whole world hates me. I’m drinking. I’m depressed and not having a good relationship with either of my parents or Logan. And I was just like, ‘F**k this sh*t,’” he recalled.
“I had a plan. I mean, it’s f**king crazy. I was going to put a bunch of gas cans in my Lamborghini and get really drunk and drive off the top of this cliff in Calabasas. It’s called Stunt Road.”
However, Jake didn’t go through with it for one simple reason: he refused to let his haters get the better of him. “What every social media hater wants is to wake up and see, ‘Jake Paul killed himself.’”
Instead, he turned to boxing and credits the sport with saving his life. “It’s purpose, routine, health, community — all the things I needed,” he added. “Since 2020, it’s been boxing’s number one and everything else comes after that. I never really liked YouTube. I was just good at it.”
In the time since, aside from becoming a talented boxer, Jake has launched his own sports betting company, betr. The company even signed the ‘Hawk Tuah’ girl, Haliey Welch, where she started a podcast with them.
He has also launched his own men’s care line, ‘W by Jake Paul’ consisting of deodorant, body wash, and body spray.
If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, or know anyone that is, and you would like to talk to someone, please reach out and call the Suicide Prevention Helpline 1-800-273-8255 (USA) or the Samaritans 116-123 (UK).
