YouTube puts Logan Paul projects on hold after controversial video


YouTube is distancing itself from vlogger Logan Paul, who caused outrage when he posted a video Dec. 31 showing the body of a man who died by suicide, announcing Wednesday it is removing Paul from a top-tier ad platform and putting his projects on hold.
"In light of recent events, we have decided to remove Logan Paul's channels from Google Preferred," a YouTube spokesman said. "Additionally, we will not feature Logan in Season 4 of Foursome and his new originals are on hold." Foursome is a comedy series starring Paul and other social media personalities.
The controversial video was filmed in a Japanese forest known for a high number of suicides, and it received six million views before it was deleted. Not only was the public upset at Paul for posting the video, but many were mad at YouTube as well for waiting so long to say something. Paul has apologized for the video, and in a statement after he deleted it he said "suicide is not a joke" and "depression and mental illness are not a joke." Paul's YouTube page has more than 15 million subscribers.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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