The 22-year-old YouTube star is being slammed after posting an insensitive New Year's Eve video showing him encountering a dead man's body hanging in the 'Japanese Suicide Forest.'
- Jan 2, 2018
AceShowbiz - YouTube star Logan Paul caused outrage for an insensitive New Year's Eve video that included footage of an apparent suicide victim. The 22-year-old vlogger, who has over 15 million subscribers, posted on his channel the 15-minute video which was taken during his visit to Aokigahara, a forest at the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan which is also known as the "Japanese Suicide Forest."
Along with the video, Logan included a disclaimer about seeking help if you're dealing with depression. He said to his viewers, "This is the most real vlog I've ever posted on this channel. I think this definitely marks a moment in YouTube history."
In the clip, which has since been deleted, the man's body was blurred completely from a distance. But as Logan proceeded to film closer to the body, only his face was blurred. Logan was heard asking the dead body, "Yo are you alive? Are you f***ing with us?"
While Logan claimed the video was "supposed to be a fun vlog" and that he wanted to show the supernatural aspects of the forest, not the suicides, many deemed the video "sickening" and called the star "disgusting" and a "trash." The vlogger then released an apology letter in which he explained that he "intended to raise awareness for suicide and suicide prevention."
"Where do I begin... Let's start with this - I'm sorry," he began his apology letter. "This is a first for me. I've never faced criticism like this before, because I've never made a mistake like this before," he continued. "I'm surrounded by good people and believe I make good decisions, but I'm still a human being. I can be wrong."
Logan said he "didn't do it for views. I get views. I did it because I thought I could make a positive ripple on the internet, not cause a monsoon of negativity." He explained, "That's never the intention. I intended to raise awareness for suicide and suicide prevention and while I thought 'if this video saves just ONE life, it'll be worth it.' "
"I was misguided by shock and awe, as portrayed in the video. I still am," he said. "I do this s**t every day. I've made a 15 minute TV show EVERY SINGLE DAY for the past 460+ days. One may understand that it's easy to get caught up in the moment without fully weighing the possible ramifications."
Logan said he's "often reminded of how big of a reach I truly have & with great power comes great responsibility... for the first time in my life I'm regretful to say I handled that power incorrectly." He promised that it "won't happen again." He concluded his letter, "I love everyone. I believe in people. I'm out here. Peace #Logang4Life."
Dear Internet, pic.twitter.com/42OCDBhiWg
— Logan Paul (@LoganPaul) January 2, 2018
