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YouTube star-turned-boxer Jake Paul just can't stay out of the headlines, be it for positive reasons or otherwise. Appropriately nicknamed 'The Problem Child', Paul is known for his over-the-top and often controversial antics which have turned him into a polarizing persona in the world of combat sports.
His actions include distasteful callouts of fighters, engaging in verbal spats with fellow celebrities on social media, showing blatant disregard for the ongoing pandemic and even getting into legal trouble.
As Paul heads into his much-awaited clash with former UFC star Tyron Woodley next weekend, we take a look at some of the biggest controversies he has been involved in thus far.
#5. When Jake Paul was criticized for xenophobic comments about a Kazakhstani fan
In 2017, sometime after quitting Disney, Jake Paul came under fire for his xenophobic comments about a Kazakhstani man who wanted to click a photo with him. In an episode of Paul's YouTube vlog, he was seen telling a Kazakhstani man that he sounds like he's about to "blow someone up" because of his foreign accent.
“You’re like, ‘Send the nuke!'” Paul jokingly said to the man in poor taste. Sure enough, it led to a lot of backlash from fans and critics. Although Jake Paul was severely criticized for his comments in the video, he didn't take it down and it continues to exist online.
Check out the video below:
Jake Paul is famous for pulling off silly pranks on people but there are always lines one shouldn't cross. To tell a man he sounds like a terrorist because of his accent is completely unacceptable. Paul was also severely criticized for setting the wrong example because his fan base back then mostly consisted of highly impressionable teenagers.
This isn't the only time Paul has come under fire for making racist comments about someone. Paul was previously called out for being caught rapping the N-word twice in a leaked TMZ video.
#4. When Jake Paul apparently scammed his teenaged followers
In 2018, Jake Paul came up with Edfluence, which was an online course aiming to educate people on how to become social media influencers. It was advertised that for $7, people could get access to a series of videos by Paul telling people how to make it as influencers on social media.
However, once you paid $7, it would direct you to a page where you'd be required to pay an additional $57 to gain access to the actual content. Paul was severely criticized for luring his young followers with a cheap $7 price and then asking them to pay eight times the amount to gain access to the videos.
The website soon closed down and the people who paid $64 to gain access to the educational videos didn't get their money's worth either. Paul also promised that everyone paying for Edfluence would get a chance to join 'Team 1000,' which was supposed to be a larger version of his popular Team 10 but failed to keep his word.
#3. When Jake Paul got owned by Gigi Hadid for insulting Zayn Malik
In 2020, Jake Paul got involved in a nasty back-and-forth on social media with popular celebrity couple Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid. It started when Paul tweeted saying he wanted to "clap up" former One Direction singer Zayn Malik for apparently being rude to him for no reason:
"Almost had to clap up Zane from 1 direction because he is a little guy and has an attitude and basically told me to 'f*** off' for no reason when I was being nice to him. Zane ik you are reading this...stop being angry cause u came home alone to ur big a** hotel room hahah,” wrote Jake Paul in a series of tweets he later deleted.
Although Zayn Malik refrained from responding to Paul, his girlfriend Gigi Hadid did not and she showed no mercy.
Shortly after Hadid's response to Jake Paul's insulting tweet about Malik, 'The Problem Child' issued what appeared to be a public apology on Twitter. He claimed that someone should take his phone away from him when he's drunk. His ex-girlfriend Alissa Violet also seemed to be cheering for Hadid after her savage tweet in response to Paul.
#2. When Jake Paul claimed that COVID-19 is a “hoax”
In an interview with Daily Beast reporter Marlow Stern ahead of his fight with NBA ace Nate Robinson, Jake Paul claimed that the coronavirus pandemic “is a hoax.”
At a time when much of the world was suffering massive casualties due to the pandemic, Paul claimed that the United States should get back to normal instead of following covid-induced norms.
Paul later clarified his stance, claiming that his comments were taken out of context. Regardless, he was seen hosting massive parties in his house amidst the pandemic. None of the guests seemed to be wearing masks or maintaining social distancing norms at the time.
Stern later released an audio clip of Paul claiming that COVID-19 was a hoax and comparing it to regular flu.
#1. When Jake Paul was seemingly caught looting and vandalizing public property during a Black Lives Matter protest rally
Jake Paul was charged with criminal trespass and unlawful assembly on June 5, 2020. The recently-turned professional boxer was caught on camera seemingly looting and vandalizing an Arizona mall during a Black Lives Matter protest rally.
Paul can be seen stealing a bottle of liquor and partaking in the vandalization of public property in and around the the mall. Although Jake Paul tried to avoid further damage to his reputation by denying the accusations, he was charged by the Scottsdale Police Department.
Needless to say, his fans were massively disappointed with his unruly behavior and criticized him for his antics.
