YouTube star Logan Paul has returned to the site after backlash over a controversial video apparently depicting a suicide victim he posted earlier this month.
In a swift departure from his usual stunt and comedy vlogs, Paul, 22, on Wednesday posted an emotional video of his journey to “further understand the complexity surrounding suicide.” In the video, which had been viewed more than 9 million times by Thursday morning, Paul speaks with a suicide expert and survivor, offers advice to those who may have loved ones grappling with suicide, and pledges to donate $1 million to suicide prevention resources.
“I know I’ve made mistakes. I know I’ve let people down,” Paul says in the video. “But what happens when you’re given an opportunity to help make a difference in the world?”
Paul’s upcoming projects were put on hold earlier this month after he posted a video that appeared to show the body of a suicide victim hanging from a tree in Japan’s Aokigahara forest, which is colloquially known as “Suicide Forest.” He was also temporarily yanked from YouTube’s premium advertising service.
The vlogger, who removed the video less than a day after it was posted, apologized for his actions, writing on Twitter that, “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.”