Logan Paul issues second apology for posting video of a suicide victim
For all of Logan Paul's apologizing -- first in a written note and now in a follow-up video -- he still doesn't get how apologies work.
The 22-year-old YouTube star was the target of harsh criticism after he posted a video from Japan's Aokigahara forest, where hundreds of suicides occur every year. The video -- which was beamed out to Paul's 15 million YouTube subscribers -- featured imagery of one apparent suicide victim with their face blurred out.
The video was met by immediate blowback for its graphic images and tone. Paul's fan base tends to be mostly young people.
Paul expressed remorse for sharing the video in a written apology on Monday night, and he followed it up with a Tuesday video that struck a similar tone.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
He says at the start of the video: "I've made a severe and continuous lapse in my judgment and I don't expect to be forgiven; I'm simply here to apologize."
He devotes the rest of the 2-minute clip explaining his reaction in the Aokigahara video -- "raw [and] unfiltered" -- and running through a list of apology recipients, from "the internet" to "anyone who has been affected or touched by mental illness or depression or suicide."
He even spares a few words of apology for "the victim and his family," and -- in one of the video's only on-target utterances -- takes a brief moment to admonish those fans who have taken to defending him: "Please don't. I do not deserve to be defended."
Missing from Paul's apology is making people aware of services like the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255), which provides free and confidential around-the-clock support for people in distress and/or their loved ones. He ought to be pointing at organizations like Take This, which works to raise awareness around mental health issues and reduce the stigma that often follows them.
Topics Celebrities
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
