WWE Star Logan Paul Reflects On 2017 Social Media Controversy, Backlash That Followed

Before Logan Paul's WWE career and his "Impaulsive" podcast, Paul was known for his videos on Vine and later YouTube. At the height of his career, Paul got into one of the biggest YouTuber controversies at the time, after taking a trip to Japan's infamous "suicide forest," the Aokigahara forest, where he filmed an actual suicide victim and jokingly reacted to them.

During an appearance on the "What's Your Story? With Steph McMahon" podcast, Paul looked back on the video and the backlash and shared his honest thoughts. 

"At that point in my life, pre-Japan, I was really just chasing attention," the former WWE United States Champion admitted. "What is the next craziest thing I can do to get attention? And then, wrong place, wrong time in Japan, didn't turn the cameras off, made a huge error."

Paul explained that the trip was a lifelong dream to someday see Tokyo, and going to Aokigahara was simply something he did on a whim. 

"It had its moments, but it was a vehicle to feed the worst parts of who I was becoming," he further admitted about his career at the time. "There was a righteous fallout, and God was just, and I basically lost everything that I'd spent the last 11 years building, and I deserved it."

When it comes to the responses people had to his video, Paul noted that some believe it was completely wrong, while others believe the reactions were overblown, but Paul claims he falls into the first camp instead. 

"I think it was a mistake. I think it didn't need to happen," he admitted. "That said, I am grateful that I took that opportunity to backtrack, really look myself in the mirror, and ask myself how and why that happened." 

Paul further claimed that the controversy allowed him to change and finally become the person he's proud of.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "What's Your Story? With Steph McMahon" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.