YouTube star Logan Paul forced to apologise over 'suicide' video
YouTube superstar Logan Paul has been forced to issue an apology following an onslaught of online hate after he posted a video depicting the body of an apparent suicide victim hanging from a tree in Japan.
The 22-year-old Internet celebrity wrote, 'Where do I begin . . . Let’s start with this — I’m sorry.'
'This is a first for me. I’ve never faced criticism like this before, because I’ve never made a mistake like this before. I’m surrounded by good people and believe I make good decisions, but I’m still a human being. I can be wrong.'
He continued: 'I 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. That’s never the intention. I intended to raise awareness for 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.'
The YouTube star, who boasts more 15 million subscribers, made the horrific discovery while getting a tour with friends in Japan's Aokigahara forest, which is a known location that people go to commit suicide.
In the shocking clip, one of Paul's companions can be heard stating that he didn’t 'feel good' to which Paul replied, 'What, you never stand next to a dead guy?' The group then proceeds to laugh.
The controversial video, which was titled 'We found a dead body in the Japanese Suicide Forest...' received millions of views before it was removed following an inundation of online hate on social media.
The video is incredibly graphic in nature, with Paul filming the man's face without blurring at a very close range.
Celebrities and fans of Paul were quick to share their disgust at the shocking video.
'Dear @LoganPaul, How dare you! You disgust me! I can’t believe that so many young people look up to you. So sad. Hopefully this latest video woke them up. You are pure trash. Plain and simple. Suicide is not a joke. Go rot in hell,' Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul wrote on Twitter.
Fellow YouTube star Kandee Johnson wrote, 'RETWEET THIS FOR @YouTube to make a change. YouTube CANNOT allow disgusting, horrifying content like what Logan Paul did. He not only used the dead suicide victim’s body in his thumbnail, but zooms in on the victim’s hands & pockets & makes heartless jokes. This is unacceptable!'
You can watch Logan Paul's apology video below.
If you or someone you know needs support, help can be found at Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.
This article originally appeared on New Idea.
