Jake Paul’s reported $10 million loss resurfaces as Logan Paul’s biggest YouTube controversy returns to the spotlight

A resurfaced interview clip shared by @CultureHOF on X on June 26, 2026, has brought Jake Paul’s comments about one of the biggest controversies in YouTube history back into the spotlight.

In the clip, Jake says he suffered major career losses after his brother Logan Paul’s 2017 video from Japan’s Aokigahara Forest sparked worldwide backlash. Jake claimed he lost brand deals, saw his YouTube earnings disappear, and watched years of work take a major hit even though he was not involved in the video.

Jake Paul says Logan Paul’s controversy affected his career and business deals

In the resurfaced interview, Jake explained that the fallout reached him because of his family name. He said the backlash did not stop with Logan and soon affected his own career.According to Jake, every brand partnership he had at the time was dropped. He also claimed a $10 million deal with Target was cancelled just before it was supposed to move forward. On top of that, he said his YouTube channel was demonetized, cutting off an important source of income.Jake said, “It pretty much ruined my life.” He explained that the damage happened simply because he was Logan Paul’s brother, even though he had nothing to do with filming or uploading the video.

The interview where Jake made those comments was originally recorded around 2021. During that conversation, he also spoke about how difficult that period was for him personally. The latest X post has now introduced those remarks to a new audience.

The controversy began on December 31, 2017, when Logan Paul uploaded a vlog filmed in Japan’s Aokigahara Forest, a place known for its tragic history. The video included footage of a person who had died, along with reactions that many viewers considered insensitive.The criticism was immediate. Logan removed the video, publicly apologized, including during an interview on Good Morning America, and stepped away from YouTube for a period. YouTube also removed his channels from its Google Preferred advertising program, paused several projects and issued a Community Guidelines strike.Although Jake had already faced his own controversies before then, he believes the incident made things much worse for him because companies no longer wanted to be connected with the Paul family.The resurfaced clip has brought mixed reactions online. Some people agree that Jake paid a price for something he did not do. Others argue that both brothers built their careers together and that the family name naturally affected public opinion. The discussion has continued because the clip shows how one major controversy can affect more than just the person at the center of it.Today, both brothers have rebuilt their careers. Logan has found success in boxing, WWE and business, while Jake has become one of the biggest names in influencer boxing. Even so, Jake’s comments show that the events of early 2018 remain one of the most difficult chapters of his career.