Tragic Details About Jake Paul
Not everyone is a fan of Jake Paul. He has a reputation as one of the most controversial stars on YouTube, from getting into arguments with fans to being accused of bullying by colleagues. Paul's rising boxing career has likewise been the subject of a great deal of speculation and criticism.
Jake Paul's meteoric rise to fame is well known by his fans. He went from Vine sensation, to Disney Channel star, to YouTube giant all in a short span of time, becoming a millionaire before he even hit 20. One of the ways he's managed to stay relevant is by constantly changing his game, adapting to new social media platforms and diversifying his interests. Vine may have gone under and Paul may have parted ways with Disney, but his YouTube empire has remained intact, allowing him to pursue other interests. Still, no one's road is easy all the time — and Paul has had to deal with some heavy challenges of his own.
He went through a divorce after only 6 months
Jake Paul got married to Tanya Mongeau on July 28, 2019, after the two had only been together for a few months. The ceremony took place in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the entire event was livestreamed using an app called Halogen. TMZ reported that the event cost fans between $50 and $75 to view a live broadcast of the ceremony, which seemed designed specifically to be a spectacle. A fight broke out — which apparently appeared to be put on for the viewers — and the officiant used the baffling term "holy cloutramony" in reference to the nature of the gathering. This led many to question whether the wedding was real, or just a stunt to make money.
In any case, the newly minted couple didn't stay together long. Just six months after their wedding, the pair sat down together and announced on their separate Instagram accounts that they were taking a break. The separation appeared to be a mutual decision, and now it seems that the two have no intention of getting back together in the future. Paul and Mongeau have both been uncharacteristically quiet about their reasons for the split.
He had an anxiety attack after the Nate Robinson fight
When asked his thoughts on Jake Paul's boxing career, TimTheTatman responded, "Love or hate Jake Paul ... I have never paid attention to boxing more in my life[.]" This has been a primary source of praise for Paul's transition into the sport — it's undeniable that he has brought a new level of attention to boxing from a curious audience. This attention has grown to be a bit much for the YouTuber, however. It's one thing to have millions of people you'll never meet watching your videos from their homes, it's another to be in the middle of a packed stadium.
When speaking with The U.S. Sun, Paul described a 15-minute episode he experienced just moments after his fight with Nate Robinson. "I had a panic attack. I was just like walking and I like, needed to, like, sit down ... It was like my anxiety built up ... and I was, like, panicking and everyone was calling me. I was just like, Oh, my God, this is like, too much to deal with right now."
He then went on to talk about how his anxiety has been steadily growing and impacting his life for years. "It's an inhibitor," he says. "It inhibits your life in all aspects from relationships to business." Paul then claimed that he actually likes to talk about it as much as possible, since he feels that it's the best way to deal with it.
Jake Paul has considered taking his own life
Jake isn't the only Paul to court controversy, as fans probably know. His brother, Logan Paul, was the subject of a massive backlash after he posted a video titled in which he and some friends recorded themselves going off the trail to search the Aokigahara Forest near Mount Fuji in Japan (also known as the Suicide Forest) in search of a dead body. Well, they found one — and Logan posted the video on his YouTube page. Naturally, this didn't go over well and the YouTuber found himself losing multiple deals and projects going forward.
Logan wasn't the only one affected by his actions, however. Jake shared in an interview with Graham Bensinger that he had been blacklisted from several projects, including a $10 million deal with Target, simply by his association with his brother.
"No one wanted to work with us," he said. "Every brand that I was affiliated with dropped me and I wasn't even the one who filmed the video ... because my brother filmed in the Suicide Forest, my life was pretty much ruined." He then shared that this took him to a dark place and that he had suicidal thoughts during this period of time. "You know, dark thoughts come into your head ... like I don't want to be here on earth anymore." Bensinger then asked if he had thought about taking his own life, to which Jake replied, "Yeah, a hundred percent."
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Jake Paul has struggled with drugs and alcohol
It's not uncommon to hear stories about people who find celebrity at a young age falling into patterns of addiction. In the same interview during which discussed previous thoughts of suicide, Paul revealed that the grind of putting out a new YouTube video every single day for 800 days led to the development of a substance abuse issue.
"It was just a messy cycle," Paul said. "Because when I didn't want to do something, I'd smoke weed or get drunk to do this video – because that'll make it more fun – but then all the sudden ... you're, like, developing these bad habits. That's where it's different for me, because I had to do it every single day."
Paul also claimed that later, following Logan's Aokigahara Forest controversy, "everything in my life was just falling apart and the only thing that made me forget it was drinking ... and smoking weed. That only makes it worse, right? Because you're using a crutch to get by."
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).