YouTuber Logan Paul is facing a backlash for posting disturbing footage of what appeared to be a man who had killed himself.
The 22-year-old vlogger shared the now-deleted 15-minute video titled “We Found A Dead Body in Japan’s Suicide Forest” on his popular YouTube channel Sunday. It showed Paul discovering the young man in the Aokigahara forest on the slopes of Mt. Fuji in Japan. The forest is the world’s second most popular suicide location, per Atlas Obscura.
Paul’s non-monetized clip racked up 6 million views in its first 24 hours online.
“Breaking Bad” star Aaron Paul (no relation) was among the hundreds of people to condemn the clip:
Paul later issued an apology via Twitter, and claimed he thought he “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 and suicide prevention,” he added.
Read the full statement below:
“Game of Thrones” actress Sophie Turner slammed his justification:
Other Twitter users are now calling for all of Paul’s videos to be deleted from YouTube, where he has 15 million subscribers:
If you or someone you know needs help, call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also text HELLO to 741-741 for free, 24-hour support from the Crisis Text Line. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of resources.