Logan Paul Apologizes For Vlog Showing Suicide Victim Amid Outcry From YouTube Community

The YouTube community reacted with widespread dismay to Logan Paul’s most recent vlog, in which the 22-year-old visits the Aokigahara forest in Japan — known as the ‘suicide forest’ for being the site of hundreds of suicides — and turns his camera on a person who has hanged himself.

The now-deleted clip featured a disclaimer as well as a link to the American Society for Suicide Prevention in the description box, and Paul noted that it wouldn’t be monetized, notes New York magazine. Nevertheless, it was met with outrage for its brash insensitivity, and for appearing to treat suicide with an exploitative eye. “Buckle the f-ck up, because you’re never gonna see a video like this again,” Paul said by way of intro, per New York. And then, when he stumbled across the body, he called out, “Yo, are you alive? Are you fucking with us?”

ًThe video had clocked a staggering 6.3 million views within 24 hours before Paul deleted the clip and apologized on Twitter (below). He said that he intended to raise awareness for suicide prevention but conceded that he was ultimately “misguided by shock and awe.” He continues, “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.”

It remains to be seen whether Paul’s apology will be accepted by fellow YouTubers, who chastised him for the dangerous attempt at clickbait — especially given his millions of young fans — and, in some cases, demanded that the platform take action against him.