Controversial YouTuber Logan Paul said his 2017 'suicide forest' video was a 'blessing,' despite causing widespread backlash

• Logan Paul faced backlash in 2017 when he filmed a purported dead body for a YouTube vlog.
• Paul addressed the controversy in a recent podcast episode, saying it made him a better person.

YouTuber Logan Paul said in a podcast episode that a 2017 incident where he filmed a purported dead body in a Japanese forest was a "blessing" that forced him to change from the "childish" person he was, despite facing widespread criticism for the vlog.

Paul, who is 26 and has 23 million YouTube subscribers, made the comments on February 28 during an episode of "The MMA Hour," a podcast where Canadian journalist Ariel Helwani interviews martial arts athletes. Paul appeared on the podcast to talk about a slap fighting competition, where contestants compete by hitting each other in the face, which he will be hosting with Arnold Schwarzenegger on March 5.

In the podcast, Helwani mentioned what is commonly known as the "suicide forest" vlog, asking if Paul felt it "changed the course" of his career.

Paul responded, "I often look back at that time of my life and the person I was unfortunately becoming, and now at 26, I can safely say Japan was the biggest blessing of my life. I needed a reset. I needed life to check me, and it did."

He continued, "At the time, it was like the worst thing ever. I don't think there was a more hated person in the world than me and I'm still rebuilding to this day," and added, "It ended up forcing me to become somebody who I love. And I'm not sure I loved myself back then."

The vlog was posted in 2017 and showed Paul and his friends filming a purported corpse hanging from a tree in Japan's Aokigahara forest. Though Paul blurred the face on the body, he received huge amounts of backlash for the video, which has since been taken down. Paul also published an apology video and tweet at the time.

The YouTube star said in the podcast that he "can't watch" videos of himself from before 2018, when his content was based around pranks, because it feels like he's watching a "childish version" of himself, adding, "I actually can't believe it's the same person."

He said he has considered removing old videos, but wants people to see how much he has changed, saying, "Natural growth and failure is important. I'll openly and honestly admit that I fail and fuck up a lot."

Paul said that in 2017 he was going down a "nasty path" of being validated by money and fame, but the incident forced him to listen to people around him and become part of "positive change" in the world.

After backlash around the "suicide forest" video emerged, Paul made several attempts to mend his reputation. In January 2018 he uploaded a YouTube video about suicide awareness that featured interviews with mental health experts, pledging to donate $1 million to various mental health charities.

In more recent years, Paul has pursued a career in boxing alongside hosting his own podcast, "Impaulsive." He has also spoken out publicly about social justice issues such as racism and the Black Lives Matter movement. In June 2021, Paul spoke about anti-racism in an episode of his "Impaulsive" podcast, encouraging white listeners to join protests and recognize their privilege.

He has also made comments about political issues, and has said he is "seriously" considering running for President when he's 35 so he can accomplish some "good shit" while in power.

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